Last Sunday after the Epiphany - February 10

Lent and Different Learning Styles
 Luke 9:28-36

We just heard the story of the transfiguration, Jesus’ transfiguration. This event has its own feast day on the calendar August 6, but we also always read one of the Gospel accounts of the transfiguration on this last Sunday after the Epiphany. I found myself wondering this year what this story offers to us on this particular Sunday in the calendar. Why do we hear it on this day every year?

It is, of course, an epiphany story. And along with the story of Jesus’ baptism it probably stands as the ultimate epiphany story. Stories about seeing or recognizing the glory of God in the person of Jesus. In both stories God’s voice from heaven booms out proclaiming Jesus’ as God’s own. And we always hear the story of Jesus’ baptism on the first Sunday after the Epiphany. So it makes sense to bracket Epiphany season with these two powerful Epiphany stories.

But this Sunday is not just about Epiphany. In the old Prayer Book, it was one of the “gesima’s.” Quinquagesima Sunday, to be precise. The gesima Sundays were sort of a pre-Lent, anticipating the Lenten journey towards Holy Week and Easter. So are we looking forward or backward today?

To help me get a sense of the significance of the transfiguration story I looked at its broader context in Luke.

The passages before today’s reading include the confession of Peter, when Peter names Jesus as God’s Messiah. Then there is a short teaching piece from Jesus where, speaking of himself, he tells how the Son of Man will be killed and then raised. Those who lose their life for my sake will save it. Follow me to the Kingdom of God where the Son of Man will come to his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

It’s all about the Kingdom, he seems to be saying. I’m talking about the Kingdom of God!

After today’s reading, there’s a short story illustrating (again!) the disciples’ denseness and then Luke says: “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”

The journey to Jerusalem and the cross is the journey to the Kingdom of God.

The Lenten journey is the journey to the Kingdom of God.

It’s all about the Kingdom of God…. Jesus coming to his glory in the Kingdom of God and the invitation to the disciples to follow him to the Kingdom. It’s all about the Kingdom.

This is the message Jesus is trying to get across in this portion of Luke. And as I read Luke, it occurred to me that Jesus gets his message across in multiple ways that will be effective for people with different learning styles.

This is definitely not my field, but as I understand one component of current educational theory is the idea that different people learn in different ways. Some people take in and absorb new information visually, others aurally, some with physical movement (kinesthetically). There are also verbal learners, logical learners, social learners and solitary learners.

In trying to convey his message about the Kingdom of God, Jesus hit at least the first three. First he told the disciples, that should have registered with aural learners. Then he walked them up the mountain. That should have connected the kinesthetic learners. Then he was transfigured. He showed them the kingdom. And if everyone didn’t get that, certainly the visual learners should have.

I’m not really suggesting that God or Jesus works within the parameters of our contemporary educational theory. God reveals God’s self throughout our world, in many ways, through many media. God’s self-revelation is everywhere, but different people are going to perceive that revelation in different ways.

In what places, or what activities are you most aware of God? What is your learning style when it comes to God’s revelation or teaching?

All of which brings be back to the Kingdom of God and Lent.

The Lenten journey that lies just ahead of us is the journey towards Jerusalem and, Jesus tells us, the Kingdom of God. Undertaking a Lenten discipline helps with that journey. If you would like help getting to the Kingdom of God, pick some Lenten discipline. (If you really don’t think you need any help, well, then, you can disregard Lent.)

But pick a Lenten discipline that works for you. It’s not about the church imposing some particular discipline. For those of us who don’t eat much meat to start with, giving up red meat on Fridays really doesn’t mean much. It’s about you looking for help that will be meaningful for you. Where do you find God?

The Lutheran preacher David Lose reminds us that most people keep their daily lives and their faith lives pretty separate. But the road to the Kingdom is in our daily lives. A Lenten discipline is a way of finding the Kingdom road in our daily lives.

Where do you find God? Do more of that. The Lutheran liturgy for Ash Wednesday instructs people during Lent to resist anything that draws you away from the love of God or neighbor. Do less of those sorts of things.

Taking on a discipline just for discipline’s sake is good, even if it is not a particularly meaningful fit for you. Any discipline that, directly or indirectly, makes you mindful of God is helpful. But Lent is an opportunity for more. Maybe you have something you “always” do for Lent. Is it working? Is it bringing you closer to the Kingdom? Maybe you’ve never done anything before. Now is the time.

Every year I publish the guide “Lent for Dummies.” Pick one up. Read it from start to finish. These are words that are helpful to me: Give up something or some practice in your life that squanders life’s goodness or wastes life’s giftedness. Give up whatever you do to “kill time.” Or, to cast that in the positive, take on whatever you do that cherishes life’s goodness, celebrates life’s giftedness. Sanctifies time… in your life.

It contains specific suggestions for different ways to pray. And various resources for reflection. Prayer and reflection are traditional Lenten practices, but they may not be the most effective for everyone. The “Join the Journey through Lent” poster is good because it has a variety of activities. It probably hits all seven learning styles each week. Lent Madness is fun for families and a great tie in to youth worship. The Cowley fathers are offering a daily video on prayer this year.

One final note: Alms-giving is one of the traditional practices of Lent. And particularly if your discipline is one that results in saving you money (and giving up Starbucks would save many of you quite a bit of money), put that money aside and give it away to the church or some other organization that does “kingdom work.”

It’s all about the Kingdom. We’ve been invited in. The Lenten road, following Jesus, is the way.