I often think about what would happen, if the incarnation of Jesus Christ took place today, instead of 2000 years ago.  Can you imagine how angry iconoclasts would be if this happened? 

Every single day, we would be watching viral videos on YouTube of Jesus touching sick people and healing them.  We would be seeing on some (not all) of the news channels, footage of Christ feeding the 5,000 and walking on the Sea of Galilee.  There would be thousands of people ripping out their iPhone after Christ shouted at the tomb of Lazarus for a man, who had been dead for several days, to come forth!  The image of Christ would be EVERYWHERE…inspiring and changing the lives of billions upon billions of people throughout the world, who would be unable to go and listen to him preach on the mountain.  This is precisely what icons do for us in our faith…they speak and teach the truth of the kingdom, without the use of speech! 

For centuries, The Church has had its own version of a boot camp.  It calls this first week of lent “Clean Week”…and if we take our spiritual lives seriously, this week should be more difficult than anything we have experienced before, because our goal is eternal salvation…and personal transformation.   The battle field which we are preparing for is not some field that we can find on a map…it is the battlefield of life.  The freedom which we are fighting for is not from an oppressive government dictatorship…but rather freedom from ourselves.  We embrace the next few weeks that the Church has given us, in order to conquer the demonic ranks…and to seek out and destroy our own personal struggles with evil! 

...The young man wasn’t aware of the magnificence of being around his dad, and he started listening to evil thoughts…thoughts that I’m sure we all have had to endure while living and being in the Church:  There is nothing special about being here.  All of the things you were taught, are worthless. Leave the house…enjoy yourself… because all of these fasts, and prayers, and services aren’t worth your time.  All of these religious people are trying to steal your fun!”

Turn on the television, read a newspaper today, or spend one Saturday night or Sunday morning, driving up Hollywood Blvd and watch the antics that are being played out by all of the prodigal sons who are out in the world.  Doesn’t this sentiment sound familiar? 

...And here’s the biggie:  Have we sought and desired to be with God…more than we have desired air to breathe? 

These are difficult realities that we all must examine in our lives, now.  If we want this Lent to mean anything…if we want to have a transformative experience during the Great Fast…we must begin our preparations NOW.   We were reminded at the Dormition Dinner this past week, that you and I were put on this earth for one purpose:  to pray, worship, and come into communion with Him who put us here.  Today, we start the process of asking ourselves…how have we done?...

We live in a world that has been slowly programmed by fallen society to constantly be on the move.  The schedules of a typical family in today’s world is erratic.  We wake up early.  We grab our coffee to give us strength to get to work.  We drink an exorbitant amount of caffeine, and it has gotten so bad, that most of the world will tell you that coffee is now necessary in the morning, just so our bodies are able to function and keep up with the demands that the world has now placed on our shoulders!