Transfiguration Sunday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPLzdCuIIFY&feature=related

This past sunday was Transfiguration Sunday and in addition to a really beautiful service (was it just me or was it especially moving to sing all those hymns and to sense this spiritual mystery that is so especially potent during this time) we were told to get out all of our "Hallelujahs" since we will be heading into the season of Lent after this Wednesday.

I mentioned earlier this peculiar mystery that seems to pervade through this time. Not only is the Transfiguration a bizarre and mysterious event but isn't the whole of Christianity? Those mentioned miracles (from Annunciation, to the Nativity, to the Transfiguration, all the way up until the Resurrection) are strange, not at all "natural" but stories that through their seemingly improbability show us the "nature" of following Christ. Of faith, of submitting to something completely bigger and greater than you and me.

What I enjoy about this time of year is how it, again, mysteriously aligns with many of the other seasonal events that are occuring at the same time. This time of year in Colorado is always the ugliest to me: everything is washed out, dried, and brittle. We hardly see any promises of Spring, and to top it off we go to an Ash Wednesday service and are given a cross of ashes on our forehead and told basically which is seen in Masaccio's Trinity's momento mori, "Io fu gia quel che voi siete e quel chio son voi anco sarete" or "I was once what you are, and what I am you also will be." A real dust to dust story! And how depressing, but what is so life changing about the season of Lent is that we as Christians today experience this darkness to prepare for the glory of the Resurrection. The prophecy realized. "Lost in the cloud, a voice: Lamb of God! We draw near! Lost in the cloud, a sign: Son of man! Son of God!" Further, as the 40 days progress and as Easter draws nearer, we see those promises of Spring, of things resurrecting, of things returning. What a lovely design for us to see some sort of manifestation of the promises made by Christ Himself. In death there is Life. Perhaps this is why I was even more so moved during Worship as we sang these hymns that curiously had some spring imagery in them such as this verse in "Fairest Lord Jesus:"

Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer
who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Spring (as a metaphor) is coming but I can hardly tell, yet.

Lent is a rough time, at least it seems to have been that way for the past couple years. But because of these miracles, because of the promises (to me, made especially obvious by the transformation of the landscape :) given, we always have a reason to hope and sing.

Now, in other news, I am counting down the days until spring break. I am not going anywhere and I have a lot of homework, but it is going to be soooo nice to have no classes to go to, no further accumulating homework, and time to focus on some rest. Though I am out of the first trimester and though I am feeling better it is still a challenge to balance what is really important. School is important, but not that important. Sure, school is great and I'm learning things that I love (LOVE), but you can't watch a freaking bachelor's degree grow up. It's not a life, it doesn't have a heart beat; but my baby does. I want to do the things I am doing, I want a good job (maybe just to keep up with the status quo) but the life I'm growing is the most important thing I could ever be doing. I am so happy to be pregnant. It becomes more and more real each day (especially when my favorite dress becomes tight and uncomfortable--).






ps. go to Snooze tomorrow and eat pancakes. I will be there and hoping for lemon souffle pancakes like Barbara in Vermont makes (cravings). Proceeds go to Harvest Farm (that's where Sef works)