The Lent Journal 13

This is an invitation. No more words are needed. =) 

And the reading for today is... Luke 15: 28 - 43 (The Message): 

About eight days after saying this, he climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along. While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white. At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah—and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Peter and those with him were slumped over in sleep. When they came to, rubbing their eyes, they saw Jesus in his glory and the two men standing with him. When Moses and Elijah had left, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking.

While he was babbling on like this, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them. As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God. Then there was a voice out of the cloud: “This is my Son, the Chosen! Listen to him.”

When the sound of the voice died away, they saw Jesus there alone. They were speechless. And they continued speechless, said not one thing to anyone during those days of what they had seen.

When they came down off the mountain the next day, a big crowd was there to meet them. A man called from out of the crowd, “Please, please, Teacher, take a look at my son. He’s my only child. Often a spirit seizes him. Suddenly he’s screaming, thrown into convulsions, his mouth foaming. And then it beats him black-and-blue before it leaves. I asked your disciples to deliver him but they couldn’t.”

Jesus said, “What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring your son here.”

While he was coming, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into convulsions. Jesus stepped in, ordered the vile spirit gone, healed the boy, and handed him back to his father. They all shook their heads in wonder, astonished at God’s greatness, God’s majestic greatness.

The Lent Journal 12

Today we've heard a sermon, in which the preacher talked about the spiritual discipline of detachment. This would be to give up something that you really like in order to focus on Jesus. To use his own illustration, Lent is an opportunity to throw away "garbage" that we accumulate and keep only the essential. (Yeah, detachment is fasting in good ol' English, but speaking to a primarily evangelical audience, coming from non-liturgical traditions, he made a point without the constraints of vocabulary).

The preacher also highlighted that we have 33 days to Good Friday, when we celebrate the death of Christ on the cross. Music comes to my mind.

Stabat mater dolorosa...There was the mother in pain... at the foot of the cross.

The reading for today is Luke 9: 18 - 27 (The Message):

One time when Jesus was off praying by himself, his disciples nearby, he asked them, “What are the crowds saying about me, about who I am?”

They said, “John the Baptizer. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets from long ago has come back.”

He then asked, “And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?”

Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.” Jesus then warned them to keep it quiet. They were to tell no one what Peter had said.

He went on, “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the religious leaders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and on the third day be raised up alive.”

Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? If any of you is embarrassed with me and the way I’m leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed with you when he arrives in all his splendor in company with the Father and the holy angels. This isn’t, you realize, pie in the sky by and by. Some who have taken their stand right here are going to see it happen, see with their own eyes the kingdom of God.”

The Lent Journal 11

Interestingly, after some years of observing Lent and focusing on self-denial, or sacrifice, I have been seeing Lent this year more as a path to walk on. 

A path on a desert, but still it lead me somewhere. And to someone. 

Certainly, not without a reason, the saints of the early Christianity were called Fathers and Mothers of the Desert. Their desert was an actual desert. The real desert was more than a inner metaphor, but changed their lives. 

And surely enough I don't claim to walk on the same path they have trodden on. No prerogatives claimed here. ;) 

And interestingly again, the reading for today (which I realized again, I've made another mistake, and I'm now two days late...) also talks about the Twelve apostles being commissioned to go to bring healing and freedom. Another kind of journey but also one very worthy to take. It is Luke 9: 1 - 9 (The Message): 

Jesus now called the Twelve and gave them authority and power to deal with all the demons and cure diseases. He commissioned them to preach the news of God’s kingdom and heal the sick. He said, “Don’t load yourselves up with equipment. Keep it simple; you are the equipment. And no luxury inns—get a modest place and be content there until you leave. If you’re not welcomed, leave town. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and move on.”

Commissioned, they left. They traveled from town to town telling the latest news of God, the Message, and curing people everywhere they went.

Herod, the ruler, heard of these goings on and didn’t know what to think. There were people saying John had come back from the dead, others that Elijah had appeared, still others that some prophet of long ago had shown up. Herod said, “But I killed John—took off his head. So who is this that I keep hearing about?” Curious, he looked for a chance to see him in action.

The Lent Journal 10

9 days into the Lent (even though it's the 10th post) . Another 32 to go. The Lent are 40 days. But Ash Wednesday and Sundays don´t count. On Sundays because during the service in all services we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. \O/ This is one the things I love about being part of a church with a fixed Liturgy: liturgical calendar. You spend a whole year remembering and living the important events and doctrines of the Bible. 

The liturgical calendar also reflects the ups and downs of our human life in Earth. For instance, Advent and the Christmas season (with includes the Sundays after the Christmas eve, called Epiphany) are a time of celebration, while Lent is the time of penitence: as we look to our sin, we recognize the necessity of a Savior. The liturgical calendar also reflects our relationship with God: we stumble a lot; we can´t live a day without messing it up. It is a life of a continuous "I love you" and "I am sorry". 

By the way, this last paragraph was based on the second sermon of the Lent season, so the credits go to our most reverend doctor Abuna. =P 

The text today is Luke 6: 12 - 16 (The Message) and is about the election of the 12 apostles. 

At about that same time he climbed a mountain to pray. He was there all night in prayer before God. The next day he summoned his disciples; from them he selected twelve he designated as apostles:

Simon, whom he named Peter,
Andrew, his brother,
James,
John,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James, son of Alphaeus,
Simon, called the Zealot,
Judas, son of James,
Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

The Lent Journal 9

Source: http://becausegodlovesmeasiam.blogspot.com/2013_03_01_archive.html

Kaffee und Kuchen. This is the title of another confession.

You know those words or phrases that you only have in one specific language? I propose that German should have "Kaffee und Kuchen". This time it's not a philosophical term, but an über-earthly expression. 

"Coffee and cake" don't translate the real meaning behind it. There is tradition of coffee and cake. It's what you'll have in a wedding party. On a meeting with friends. After a special church service. 

The coffee in question will be dense strong delicious coffee. No need of sugar. Maybe some Kaffeesahne (milk cream, not only milk, but milk full of cream - fat percentage is high here). The cake in question varies. But won't be too sweet either. And then, heavens!, the detail that will make your whole being vibrate in unison with the cosmos, a spoonful of cream next to your cake. 

You understand what am I craving for? 

Good. Thank you. 

Of course I try to justify myself. Cake is my favourite food. I come from a state where coffee production plays an important role in our state economy. Coffee is also important in our local cuisine. 

So what? Time to put things into perspective, I have been learned. Yeah, I've been warned that this is what fasting does: put your masks down, uncover your false short cuts for life. 

Interestingly, the reading for today touches on another important point about food, making another point to put things into the right perspective. It's Luke 5: 27 - 32 (The Message). 

After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” And he did—walked away from everything and went with him.

Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner. The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. “What is he doing eating and drinking with crooks and ‘sinners’?”

Jesus heard about it and spoke up, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.”

The Lent Journal 8

I've just realized that I made some mistake with the Lent's readings. I hope the readers of this blog will have mercy on me, since the table with the readings are in Arabic... it's easier to make mistakes! =)

Today, let's be humoured...?

This was found in Google Pictures. I hope it solves the question of copyright. 

I guess that part of why I found it so funny is that I've made the same mistake once. In my case, I was so worried to find out new vegetarian recipes. Yeah, it happened once. 

The Lent Journal 7

This is the Miserere Mei, or "Have mercy upon me", or Psalm 51. In the Ash Wednesday service, this is read or sung after the ashen cross is marked on the believers' forehead.

During the Lent period, we don't sing the "Gloria" (Gloria in excelsis Deo, or glory to God in the highest), which normally would be sung after the "Absolution of  Sins". In case you are still asking yourself, what the heck this is, these are parts of the liturgy of the Churches. In both Lutheran and Episcopal rites, it is usually done like this (in a very summarized form and not taking into account possible variations):

1 - The congregation is greeted;
2 - The congregation confess their sins collectively (Confession);
3 - The Miserere follows;
4 - The Absolution of Sins is given;
5 - The Gloria follows.

Enjoy the music. May it speak to your heart and to your passions! =)