40 Days in Space is Cross-wise from Here

Lent. Forty days and nights from Ash Wednesday, February 21st until Passion Sunday, April 1st. But it's not about time. It's about space - the space between where we are with God now and where God wants to lead us - alone and together.

Every time the number 40 occurs in the Hebrew Bible, stuff happens. After 40 days of purging rain, Noah's family and the earth were very different. After Moses spent 40 awesome days on the mountain, oppressed slaves found themselves in a covenanted partnership with the Great God Almighty. After 40 years of wearisome wanderin', a bunch of nomads became a people set apart, a holy nation. After 40 days on a lonesome mountain, Elijah saw God. After 40 days in the mean desert, Jesus knew not only who he really was, but also that God's rule would always reveal itself, cross-wise, through him. After 40 resurrected days, Jesus, the Risen Christ, returned to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit. After 40 days of Lent 2007, the people whom the Spirit calls, gathers, and nourishes at First Trinity, the ones who have put their names and their lives on the line by living into the vision of themselves as folk who keep on Sharin’ Plenty Good News will: __________________. We gotta fill in the blank - alone and together.

I don't know for sure what goes on that line. I do know for sure what doesn't go on that line. The line can't read, "Nothin’s changed." The line can't say, "Everything’s the same."

I don't know for sure what will get written on that line. I do know for sure that both the structure of the sentence and, more importantly, the motivation and attitude that puts the pen to paper, must be future oriented. It can't say, "We adjusted our worship time." It can't say, "We bought new hymnals." Those sentences are past tense. They're also about things external rather than things internal.

First Trinity's future with God lies in verbs that end in 'ing.' First Trinity's future with God has got to be a future of God. That means the only verbs that will do are these: engaging; inviting; welcoming; listening; freeing; praising; nurturing; and, discipling.

First Trinity's future with God lies in attitudes of God. That means the only attitudes that will do are these: forgiving; liberating; healing; and, empowering.

Most of us have been through Lent many times. The question for today is, "How many times has Lent been through us?"

God wants to take us to a new place. That's happened before - alone and together. And we've lived to tell the tale. The details are familiar. Growth and change involve grief and pain. The conclusion is also certain. God leads us out of an oppressive Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Making good on the promise, God leads us into a land flowing with milk and honey. We express our confidence in God and join God's future each time we share Eucharist - thanksgiving. We give thanks for what God has done. We also give thanks, before we decide whether or not cross-wise suits us, for what God will do and where God will lead.

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. We have 40 days to immerse ourselves into both who we are and Whose we are. That's plenty enough time to get into that cross-wise space from here!