Lenten Retreat Week Two: It is Good That We Are Here

Hello friends, and welcome to week two of our Lenten retreat!

The mission of The SundayMonday is to encourage and equip all of us to be bold in our faith, work, and life. Each Sunday this Lent, we’ll be sending out a reflection on the Gospel and how it pertains to living our faith at work. My prayer is that these short, practical emails will propel us all into the work week, ready to tackle anything that might be thrown at us with peace, joy, and courage.

This week’s Gospel is the Transfiguration. You can read Luke 9:28-36 here, or scroll to the bottom of the email and come back up for the reflection.

The Reflection

Peter, James, and John accompany Jesus up a mountain and witness a spectacular sight: Jesus, transfigured in “dazzling white,” conferring with Moses and Elijah in front of their very eyes. What an image! How incredibly overwhelmed they must have been. Peter, always eager to get to work, says to the Lord, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But the Gospel goes on to say “But he did not know what he was saying.”

It’s so easy for us to misunderstand the assignment. To believe that we know what God is asking of us and to put all of our well-intentioned energy and effort towards that task. I know, because I frequently do just that. Like Peter, I’m action-oriented. And like Peter, I often move into action without pausing to confirm with Jesus what He’s asking me to do.

The Challenge

This week, our challenge is to spend one minute each day completely focused on the here and now. Set a timer, find a comfy chair, and just take a few deep breaths. This practice, of finding the present moment, becoming completely focused on what’s right in front of us, allows the Lord to step in and direct our steps.

It’s also a challenge to be completely present in our work. As Peter said, “It is GOOD that we are here.” God has each of us exactly where He wants us. As much as we might be longing to get to the new job or the new stage of life or the new adventure, it is good that we are here. Taking a moment to be completely present allows us to express our gratitude for the place He has us.

So that’s it, that’s the challenge! Reply to this email to let me know how it’s going. Also, thank you to everyone who has been forwarding these emails – it’s been super cool to see new people joining the newsletter list over the past week!

Have a wonderful week at work, and I’ll see you next Sunday!

In Christ,

Jane
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This week’s Gospel

Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.

​Prayer Requests

• For those traveling this week
• For a friend recovering from her surgery

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