St. Thomas' is an unusual and special church. We are 61 per cent gay and lesbian, [yet] we do not identify ourselves as a gay congregation. Many of us are married or in committed partnerships, but [almost half] are single. [Unlike most urban congregations] we are relatively young. [More than half] of us are under 45.

On this first Sunday of our own 40-day journey through Lent, I want us to look forward toward the horizon of Good Friday, and beyond. This isn't to belittle the crucifixion, skipping directly to the resurrection. Rather, let us explore the remarkable claim we make as a church that Jesus' journey of 40-days in the wilderness is a story of Good News for us in our 40-day journey of Lent.

The Transfiguration is what we call it, when for a moment the intimacy of Jesus' relationship with his heavenly father got laid bare. Herbert O'Driscoll, an Anglican preacher who frequently teaches at the Cathedral College, challenges us to make this story our own when he asks: "What moments of transfiguration can we ourselves claim or expect? In what direction lies our particular mountain where we may experience the presence of God?" To this there is no answer, but I will attempt an insight that seems true to me.

The Beatitudes Luke provides for us are not as familiar as those that we know from Matthew's Gospel. In Matthew, we have "blessed are the poor in spirit" not "blessed are the poor" as we have today. And in Matthew we don't have any woes, just the nine blessings. But Luke provides us with something different. This can be tough stuff to listen to: the poor, the hungry, those who weep, are hated, excluded, reviled, defamed are blessed. The rich, the full (satisfied), those laughing, those thought of well are castigated. Where's the epiphany there?