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?

When I was 11 my family began attending a fundamentalist church.  In many ways it was a great experience, and I learned a lot.  One thing I learned quickly was that you attended Church three times a week, no matter what - Sunday morning (dress pants required), Sunday night (jeans allowed) for night church, and Wednesday night for Bible study.  One Sunday night the sky threatened hail, and the weather man on TV said we were in a tornado watch.  We loaded up and went to church for the full hour.