In the church calendar, we are now transitioning from Epiphany to Lent. Ash Wednesday marks the specific day for this transition. Lent consists of the 40 days (not including Sundays) leading up to Easter Sunday. This is our opportunity as followers of Christ to spend focused time in disciplines such as prayer, fasting, repentance, and more in preparation for Holy Week and the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord.
In a very specific way, this year’s Lenten journey will be special for me. Living here in Wilmore, we have been humbled and blessed to live the last two weeks up on the mountain as God has poured out His love and revealed Himself to so many. The stories that could be — and will be — written are awe-inspiring and rightly lead us to worship. As only God could ordain it, many who went to church this past Sunday heard a sermon on the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1–13; Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–26). At the same time, a shift in this outpouring of God is happening here in Wilmore. The focus is shifting from “come and see” to “go and be.” Let’s put more words on that.
In Mark’s account of the transfiguration, we read in verse 7, “Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” After this Jesus, Peter, James, and John went down from the mountain after this, and Jesus’ focus was solely on His death. The road to the cross would be a long and hard one.
I find it fascinating that Peter, James, and John had a legitimate “mountain top experience with Jesus” and then, as recorded in Mark, they were greeted at the bottom by a frustrated crowd because the other disciples were unable to remove a demon from a young boy. Reality smacked these three disciples right in the face! Many of our students here at Asbury University and others from the community are descending from the mountain. We are all realizing that real life is full of struggles even after this mountain top experience. However, there is a renewed sense of His presence with us, and that His restoring and healing power is available to us as it was through Jesus with this young boy.
As we pause today for Ash Wednesday, let me encourage you to take time to walk the long road to Easter Sunday. Maybe you have had a recent mountaintop experience or maybe you feel like you already have been on the long road for a while now. Either way, may I encourage you to take time each day to pause, pray, repent and confess any sin, and then look towards the cross Jesus? Engage with your local church or a group of friends to practice these disciplines and I believe you will be even more encouraged and blessed.
Ash Wednesday is our starting point. You may or may not attend a worship service and have ashes placed on your forehead in the shape of a cross. Regardless, let’s take all the ways that Jesus has revealed Himself to us lately and turn our attention to the cross. Our celebration on Easter Sunday is going to be rich!