March 2025: An Invitation to Silence and Repentance ​

  

March 2 – Transfiguration  

Exodus 34:29-35 Psalm 99 2 Corinthians 3:12 – 4:2 Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a) 

 

The Incarnation and Transfiguration bookend the seasons of Christmas and Epiphany, before we move down the mountain through Lent and to the other side of Resurrection.  

It is here that we see the experiences of the Old, a shiny faced Moses, from Exodus, Mount Sinai and commandments, and Elijah, Mount Horeb, and the still small voice of God, with the now Transfigured Jesus. The disciples have experienced the cloud, the voice and their mountain tops, and had revealed to them the relationship of God with creation (including their witness). 

The invitation to silence after the fear and excitement for me seems a good moment to integrate and remember this experience, providing them and us time to realise that whilst their first instinct in fear and reverence was to build a dwelling right there for others to visit, It would be better that they take this experience, and all those which Jesus revealed to them, with them.

 

March 5 – Ash Wednesday  

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 Psalm 51:1-17 2 Corinthians 5:20b – 6:10 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 or Isaiah 58:1-12

 

Our readings draw us through the ashes and stories that prepare our hearts and heads for the penitence, prayer, fasting and almsgiving ahead.  

There is much to reflect on for this day, when we proclaim the ashes to ashes in our humanity, and the promise of certain hope as we entertain, play with, and maybe even allow ourselves to step on the path to the cross.

 

March 9 – Lent 1 

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 Romans 10:8b-13 Luke 4:1-13 

 

“Lead us not into temptation”  

We are taught the words that Jesus had instructed to pray. As we collect ourselves on this our first Sunday of Lent, I am stirred to question how we are experiencing this waiting time.  

Have we stopped and in our silence from the mountain top of last week and found the niggles in our bodies and minds? Did the ash from Ash Wednesday remind us of the deep marks that life has left on us through loss and life? Have we forgotten to mark this time with something different?  

Through the stories of Gardens and Wilderness, and when life is stretching us to capacity, we hear that surrounded by abundance there might be temptation, and surrounded by no one and the chaos of wilderness there might be temptation. So as we pray, lead us not into temptation this week as communities who gather on this first Sunday of Lent might we name our temptations, that with penitent hearts we might bring the roots of our temptations into the light.

 

March 16 – Lent 2  

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Psalm 27 Phil 3:17 – 4:1 Luke 13:31-35  or Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) 

 

As we encounter week 2 of Lent, and truly think about what this might be calling out in us, I want to share that I had it pointed out to me the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr who states in his autobiography before another attempt at crossing a bridge, “… if you can’t accept blows without retaliating don’t get in line. If you can accept it out of your commitment to nonviolence, you will somehow do something for this nation that may well save it…”  

I don’t know if, or how many of us are called in this way today. I do know that there is violence, and those who put their own lives in front of the fire, I do know that where the footsteps land in this passage we see violence and death today. If we dare tackle this passage and step into courage, courage that enters the song, gathers with others, faces the alternatives to consumption, busyness and greed, and into embrace, collect and care we might find ourselves, as we have always been under the breast and wings of the Creator. This is courage already forged by the hands and feet of our Jesus… we do not enter alone.

 

March 23 – Lent 3 

Isaiah 55:1-9 Psalm 63:1-8 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Luke 13:1-9

  

Our Luke reading is no less than simple angst questions; does sin cause death and punishment?  

We want answers to why bad things happen and get told to repent. In Jesus response I hear us being called to return, repent, look upon God instead of always trying to find reason, or as is often the case, blame. We might be being called to let go and embrace repentance through letting ourselves loose of the sin’s others might have sinned against us, whilst toiling to return the bits of ourselves we have left undone before God.  

When we make a way for grace and possibility, we know that whilst bad things don’t make sense nor often does grace. The fig tree was not saved because it bore fruit, it was saved because it could bear it. We are saved for no other reason and it makes no sense, but it makes me glad.

 

March 30 – Lent 4  

Joshua 5:9-12 Psalm 32 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 

 

During this time of lent, of coming to ourselves, senses and God, as we encounter lost sheep and hopeful fathers, I might ask, where is your hope? Where might you have disappointed, disregarded and forgotten?  

‘Coming to his senses he thought, How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat?’…. and yet he is celebrated. Corinthians 5 talks of the old as gone and the new being here! And goes on, to say all of this is from God, who reconciled us to Godself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. I am heartened, and my load is lightened when I realise these words which drew us into union (The Basis of Union), repeated today in our readings, Jesus reconciles us to God, we just turn it over to him… what a friend!

 

Rev. James Aaron is the Pulse Young Adult Ministry Facilitator