“Arise, shine, for your light has come!”

Isaiah 60:1

When I was at Burning Man, I camped with a group of fellow clergy and religious people. It was powerful being in the desert together as we all strengthened our spiritual paths individually, with each other and with the larger community. There’s something about being in the desert that strips away all the luxuries of life, forcing you into radical self reliance, that makes it conducive for your head space to think of things above. It’s no wonder that Jesus went into the desert for 40 days before he officially began his ministry. He needed a “Burning Man” experience, of sorts, to go through his metamorphosis so he could come out transformed on the other side and ready to literally face the world. With my fellow camp burners, we led daily prayers on the playa (desert). We even had our own Burning Man prayer book that some of my colleagues wrote. Here is one of the prayers that we said each morning as we sat in the shade of the scorching sun after enduring the night of freezing temperatures. Each day was welcomed as a new adventure and an opportunity for healing and transformation. May we all meet the day like this as walk in this season of Lent and towards Jerusalem.

Invitation to Prayer from the “A Black Rock Prayer Book” p. 14

The night has passed and the day lies open before us. Let us pray with one heart and mind as we rejoice in the gift of this new day. May the light of your presence set our hearts on fire with love for you, today and every day.

Amen.

Christ has risen and brought light to his people, the people he has redeemed with his resurrection light.
Alleluia.