Ash Wednesday, March 6th

SERMON: ASH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019
MATTHEW 6: 1-6; 16-21

Tonight, we begin the season of Lent. It is a time to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith, to ask the hard questions of ourselves, and it is a time to step back and concentrate on our spiritual growth; as well as a time to repent of our sins as we move toward Easter. It is also a time to work toward constructive change in our lives.

If you think about it, repentance is about recognizing that we are going in the wrong direction and the need to turn ourselves about and head in the opposite direction. It means turning away from those things in our lives that are sinful in nature, and turning toward God and the way of life He teaches us.

In fact, this is the time when we impose the ashes on our foreheads to remind us that we are all sinners and our only hope is to receive salvation through Jesus Christ, alone. The ashes themselves, possess no magic, but are a symbolic reminder of the depth of our sin. The sign of the cross on our flesh is a reminder that the cross of Christ is able to cancel our sins and the sins of the whole world. It is a reminder that in the darkness of this world, we are not alone nor forgotten. They are also a reminder of God’s great love for each of us as Children of God, and of God’s great mercy; for no matter how we might try, we cannot escape our humanness and our sinful nature.

Although I must admit that I got up Monday morning to a beautiful winter wonderland, I am more than ready for spring. I am ready for the winter and snow to fade away, and for the new starts of God’s earth to begin to sprout and grow, strong and green. Lent is the time when we can plant new habits such as intentionally increasing our daily prayer. Jesus cautions us that our prayer is not to impress others. Listen again to His words. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

My guess is that praying in front of others is not a big problem for most of us. In fact, many people are extremely uncomfortable if asked to pray in front of others. So, Jesus words to pray behind closed doors are words that sooth us and give us a sense of relief. Regardless of where we pray, prayer is critically important as part of our spiritual life. As we examine ourselves during this Lent season, it is through prayer that we can build our relationship with God, the relationship that helps us honestly see what is in our own hearts, whether good or bad. It is in prayer that we seek forgiveness for our sins. Let’s listen to what Second Chronicles 7:14 tells us about prayer. “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Granted praying is not always easy. The words many not come, or you feel that you are praying your laundry list over and over, and we fail to realize that prayer does not always need words, for God knows what is in our hearts and our minds. What it requires is finding a time and a place to just quietly be with God. For God is with us always, but often we are so busy with our many thoughts and activities that we lose contact with God and yes, ourselves. We just can’t seem to shut off the endless thoughts that race through our minds. In fact, it takes practice to shut down those voices, and to quiet our minds to concentrate on our prayer.

We need to remind ourselves that prayer is really coming into the presence of the God who loves us at all times. It means coming to God and waiting; realizing that God accepts us just as we are at that time. My wish for you this Lent is that each of you will find some time to slow down, to shut off the many thoughts that flash through your mind, and just relax and feel the great Love of God as you pray.

For a lot of people, Lent is a season for making resolutions. They give up chocolate or sweets, just like I did my first year here with all of you. I am sure you remember my struggle, and I still morn that piece of chocolate cake that I really wanted! While there is no reason why you can’t give up something for Lent as a way of self-discipline, I challenge you this year to add something. Add something to begin a new ongoing habit. A habit that shows Jesus love to those around us.

In my “Great Lent Challenge,” I challenge you to “Bless “three people each week, with one of them being someone who is not part of our congregation. Michael Frost in his book, Surprise the World, defines blessing someone in this way. “To bless others is to build them up, to fill them with encouragement for them to increase in strength and prosperity.” He suggests that words of affirmation are one of the easiest ways to bless someone. Some of the ways that you might do this is to send someone a note, e-mail, or text letting them know you are thinking of them, or that you have noticed something worthwhile about them. Others ways to bless include acts of kindness that lighten the recipients load, maybe a small gift, or just spending time with someone.

The point to remember is that we expect nothing in return for blessing someone.

I hope you will each accept the challenge and help make our community and world a gentler, more loving place.

As we begin our Lent journey tonight, let me leave you with these words.

When your soul whispers of its deepest longings,
may you quiet yourself to listen.
May you follow the path of yearning to the One alone who blends the uneven edges
into a life of meaning.
May you meet and be united with God
and give thanks for the whispers
that led you there.

Amen