Has God ever revealed his glory to you? If you believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and answered “no” to this question, then I promise you that you will witness God’s transforming grace one day. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10). Jesus brings us from shadow into light, from brokenness into wholeness, from blindness into seeing, and from death into life. Herbert O’Driscoll, renowned Anglican theologian and preacher, believes that God offers all of us this transforming grace, but the heartbreaking paradox is that even though we desire meaning, purpose and fulfillment more than ever in our age, the many demands for our time and sheer busyness in our lives often push God’s transforming grace to the periphery of our thoughts.

The collect asks God to strengthen us to bear our cross and that we might be changed into his likeness. As we prepare for a Holy Lent, I ask you to listen for a small, still voice. God reveals his glory to us that we might witness with passion. Witnessing with passion is following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. It means to give of yourself for the sake of others. This week, we were asks if our churches went out of business because of the financial stress that non-profits are feeling, would anyone in our community even notice? I believe that St. John’s can be a light in the shadows of a confused and divided nation.

Jesus Christ was about connection. In the story of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus connected the Old Testament with the New Testament. Moses represented the law and Elijah was a great prophet. Jesus removes the temporal setting so that the disciples might understand that when he dies on a cross, he will rise again. It was a glimpse that they could not fully understand,but it is through those glimpses that we are passionate about our faith. We know that God loves us, that our Redeemer lives and that the Holy Spirit can strengthen us to follow and bear witness.

In Christ's love,

Fr. Duncan

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