Just three months ago our country was swept up in its annual homage to getting and spending, once again allowing a consumer culture to define the season and overshadow its gracious and holy center.

    The dismay felt by some over the "hostile takeover" of the holy days leading to the celebration of Christ's birth may parallel Jesus' disgust at what he found in the outer courts of the temple during Passover, the holiest season of the year for Jews. Instead of an atmosphere of devotion and reflective preparation, Jesus encountered retailers and profiteers. Holy space and holy time were marred by a misdirection of focus and attention.

    Lent provides an opening for Christians to claim holy space and holy time with few distractions from the culture. Intentionally keeping company with God during these forty days can serve to draw us more deeply into the mystery of what it means, or could mean, to live and believe as people baptized into Christ. Personal and communal prayer, regular study of the scriptures, worship, and sharing in the eucharistic meal are all means by which we learn to recognize and welcome the presence of God among us. These disciplines provide a framework for encounters with a God who will outlast our temporary fascinations with all those things that vie for our devotion.

     The Israelites who congregated at the foot of Mount Sinai when Moses received the Ten Commandments knew that they stood in the presence of God. In the temple Jesus boldly challenged those who had forgotten that they, too, stood on holy ground, to turn their attention back to the proper object of awe and worship. We, too, may need to hear this challenge—this invitation—as we strive to welcome and honor holy space and holy time this Lent. We do so, knowing that we stand in the gracious company of our risen Lord.