This Sunday marks the second Sunday in Lent, a season of reflection, repentance, and making space for God in our lives.

In the Gospels (perhaps most clearly in Mark's gospel), we see this interesting development: in a world that was longing for a strong leader, one who would stand up to Israel's enemies and take them back to empire status. Jesus (the one they hoped would be that guy) does a few odd things:

- He heals people and reveals that he is the Messiah, but he tells them not to tell anybody about it (3:12; 5:43; 8:30).

- He also starts talking about his coming death (counter-intuitive, because, to be a revolutionary, you have to be alive). The disciples try to shut that down, maybe thinking that he's speaking figuratively or is just being pessimistic. Peter even has a side-convo with him about it (Mark 8:32).

Then Jesus says, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it."

As Christians, we are a people who follow in the way of the cross. Where our tendency is to be self-promoting, Jesus points us towards a kind of hiddenness. Where as we are all about our own security, Jesus calls us to a kind of reckless abandon, living for him with all that we are. And yet, true salvation is found there.

Join us this Sunday as we explore the difficult contradiction of saving and losing.