Second Sunday before Lent - Reflection by Canon Leslie

Today is the Second Sunday before Lent. While still in the season of Epiphany, the Church is exploring and celebrating various ways in which Jesus was revealed and made known to others. The Gospel writers demonstrate Jesus’ power over the forces of evil and chaos.  Jesus has already driven out demons and cured the possessed.  In today’s narrative Jesus is doing more than simply calming a storm at sea.  In this narrative Jesus is engaging with the primordial forces of chaos, just as God overcame the forces of the storm in the original act of creation.  No wonder that the disciples were afraid and amazed. 


For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of storms. In today’s picture from his book, The Windy Day, Teddy Horsley is experiencing the force of the wind and waves on his little boat.   


Lord Jesus Christ, 
you bring calm to the storm. 
Bring your peace to our troubled lives, 
your peace to our troubled world; 
now and always. 
Amen. 


Next week, the Sunday next before Lent, the Gospel reading concludes the Epiphany theme with Luke’s narrative of the Transfiguration of Jesus, when a cloud came and overshadowed Jesus. The image to help us prepare for next week’s theme is white clouds. You can find out more about that theme here https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. We would really appreciate you letting us know how you are using these materials.