Rundiamhra

That’s not a misspelling. It’s a Gaelic word for mystical and mysterious religious experience. We are coming upon the season of Lent, and it isn’t inappropriate for a church that began in Scotland to consider the rundiamhra experiences that might be had. It’s a positive thing to remind ourselves that there are aspects of our faith that are beyond reason and are experienced as mysterious.      Over the weeks of Lent we hope to provide opportunities as a church for people to settle their hearts and minds, to focus on the provisions of God, and to consider the greater depths of what we believe. The creator of the universe came and joined us on the planet and spent a lifetime living with us… rundiamhra, indeed.      This is a time to take in hand and to reflect, to ruminate, on what it means to be forgiven and the cost of forgiveness. There’s a moment when Jesus heals a paralyzed man and he asks the question, “Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?” And we land on the side of forgiveness… don’t we?      But, the cost of forgiveness was Jesus on the cross, not confirming the faith of the man’s friends, and agreeing he should be healed. The cost of forgiveness was giving up the power of God. The cost of forgiveness was beyond our comprehension if not beyond our words to describe it. The cost of forgiveness was rundiamhra… and well worth our taking a season of our lives to consider that deeply. Blessings, Geoff