Do you not notice?
The Ash Wednesday liturgy is possibly the most meaningful liturgy in our Book of Common Prayer. It offers us an opportunity to stop, reflect on who we are and whose we are, adopt an attitude of humility, hit the reset button, and begin again. We are invited to stop the whirlwind of life and activities that surround us on all sides and remember as we say in our Collect, “God hates nothing God has made; God forgives the sins of all who are penitent; our God is the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness.”
It is a liturgy that puts our life into perspective, and we are reminded, that we “are dust, and to dust [we] shall return.”
It is a time to pray and ask for God to create and make in us new and contrite hearts.
In our Old Testament passage from Isaiah for today, Isaiah calls the people, a pious and religious community who fasted and prayed, who sought the Lord, and seemingly delighted in God’s ways (Isaiah 58:2) —Isaiah calls the people out of their rebellion and sin.
I am sure this was quite shocking to the community seated there — they delighted in their religious practices — they enjoyed what they were doing — but the prophet indicts them for merely keeping up appearances, day after day, “as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God…”
The prophet goes on to ask, “Why do you fast but do not see? Why humble yourselves, but you do not notice?” You serve your own interest on your feast day, and oppress all your workers.” Isaiah 58:3
Why are you doing these things, why are you upholding these religious practices, but then oppress your workers, and quarrel and fight, and serve your own interests?
God says to the people, “This is the fast I choose: loose the bonds of injustice, undo the thongs of the yoke, let the oppressed go free — share your bread with the hungry —-bring the homeless into your house —when you see the naked cover them.” I would choose that you have a faith that is characterized by action and not by seeming religious observance!
The rebuke that the prophet Isaiah was giving to the people was that they were religious and pious, and yet they had turned a blind eye to injustice.
The fast that God chooses, is for us to pay attention to those things —injustice and ignoring the needs of those around you. Those are the things that we need to care about, to focus on, not our own religious piety.
And when you do these things, “…then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly..then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help and he will say, “Here I am”.
What God cares about — is not whether you practice your pious deeds, or say your pious words —what God cares about is how are you treating your neighbor.
How are you doing in treating your neighbor? How are we treating those around us —not being concerned about what we get in return, but concerned about loosing the bonds of injustice?
Lent offers us a season of reflecting on how we are doing in that area —and we may find we are not doing too well.
We impose ashes on our heads to remind us of our mortality and our sinfulness. The imposition of ashes as we trace a baptismal cross on our foreheads, also reminds us of the promises we make each time we renew our Baptismal Covenant and vows. To participate fully in the life of the Body of Christ, His Church; to say we are sorry whenever we have violated our relationships with God and others; that we will strive in everything we do and say to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ; that we will seek and serve Christ in all persons; that we will strive for justice and peace for all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.
It is hard to keep these core promises. We know how difficult it is —corporately and individually. This is why we set aside forty days each year for self-examination and repentance; prayer, fasting, and self-denial.
But the ashes do something else - the ashes of Ash Wednesday remind us not only of our mortality and need for regular repentance and reflection, but they also remind us that it is only by God’s “gracious gift that we are given everlasting life” through Jesus Christ.
We are reminded as in the words of our Collect, that God hates nothing God has made; God forgives the sins of all who are penitent; — here is the Good news!
Our God is the God all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness.
We come today to be reminded of our humanity and mortality — to be reminded of the finitude of life — but also to be reminded that God forgives the penitent. God forgives us of our sins. Some of us have a hard time accepting that. Many go through life never fully embracing that God has forgiven them. They carry around guilt for things done in the past that can never be undone —but they can be and are forgiven. Set them down. Let them go.
We begin Lent and are reminded in Isaiah that we are partners in God’s kingdom -God uses our hands in this world. We are called to practice justice and righteousness if we are to be true adherents of any form of spirituality that seeks to honor the Lord. Justice and spirituality are not separate concepts. They are connected.
The outcome of justice and righteousness is described by the prophet in imagery that depicts salvation, well-being, and restoration. “Then, your light shall break forth like dawn. Then, the Lord will guide you continually, you shall be a watered garden, a spring of water.” Isaiah 58:8
In this Lent, as we lean into our spirituality and maybe add some spiritual practices to our normal rhythms, don’t forget Isaiah’s words to not just practice our religious forms and forget the oppressed and turn a blind eye to injustice. The fast that God chooses is to loose the bonds of injustice and undo the thongs of the yoke and to let the oppressed go free. Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless into your house. Give the naked clothing.
As we enter into Lent, as we pause on this Ash Wednesday and reflect on our mortality, let us reflect on how we are living.
The awareness of the reality that we are going to die, should cause us to think about how we are living. Are we living as we wish to be? Is your life pleasing to God? Do our lives, and words, and conversations reflect the humility of knowing that we are but dust and to dust we shall return? What things consume your life?
We are warned in the Gospel of Matthew (6: 16-21) to not store up treasures on earth where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal. But to store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Spend some time this Lent thinking about where your heart is and why.
Make some shifts if you need to.
And remember the words of our Collect,
God hates nothing God has made; God forgives the sins of all who are penitent; our God is the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness.
This isn’t a time of self-flagellation; it is a time of reflection and a deeper awareness of what God has done for you, making some changes in our lives where needed.
And may the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness, shed light upon you this season.
Amen.
As we enter into Lent, as we pause on this Ash Wednesday, let us reflect on our mortality. We are all familiar with the phrase, “none of us are getting out of here alive” — we joke as we say it but to really pause and reflect —since we know this to be true — how are we living? Are we living as we wish to be? Are we living as God would have us to be?
It is a liturgy that puts our life into perspective, and we are reminded, that we “are dust, and to dust [we] shall return.”
It is a time to pray and ask for God to create and make in us new and contrite hearts.
In our Old Testament passage from Isaiah for today, Isaiah calls the people, a pious and religious community who fasted and prayed, who sought the Lord, and seemingly delighted in God’s ways (Isaiah 58:2) —Isaiah calls the people out of their rebellion and sin.
I am sure this was quite shocking to the community seated there — they delighted in their religious practices — they enjoyed what they were doing — but the prophet indicts them for merely keeping up appearances, day after day, “as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God…”
The prophet goes on to ask, “Why do you fast but do not see? Why humble yourselves, but you do not notice?” You serve your own interest on your feast day, and oppress all your workers.” Isaiah 58:3
Why are you doing these things, why are you upholding these religious practices, but then oppress your workers, and quarrel and fight, and serve your own interests?
God says to the people, “This is the fast I choose: loose the bonds of injustice, undo the thongs of the yoke, let the oppressed go free — share your bread with the hungry —-bring the homeless into your house —when you see the naked cover them.” I would choose that you have a faith that is characterized by action and not by seeming religious observance!
The rebuke that the prophet Isaiah was giving to the people was that they were religious and pious, and yet they had turned a blind eye to injustice.
The fast that God chooses, is for us to pay attention to those things —injustice and ignoring the needs of those around you. Those are the things that we need to care about, to focus on, not our own religious piety.
And when you do these things, “…then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly..then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help and he will say, “Here I am”.
What God cares about — is not whether you practice your pious deeds, or say your pious words —what God cares about is how are you treating your neighbor.
How are you doing in treating your neighbor? How are we treating those around us —not being concerned about what we get in return, but concerned about loosing the bonds of injustice?
Lent offers us a season of reflecting on how we are doing in that area —and we may find we are not doing too well.
We impose ashes on our heads to remind us of our mortality and our sinfulness. The imposition of ashes as we trace a baptismal cross on our foreheads, also reminds us of the promises we make each time we renew our Baptismal Covenant and vows. To participate fully in the life of the Body of Christ, His Church; to say we are sorry whenever we have violated our relationships with God and others; that we will strive in everything we do and say to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ; that we will seek and serve Christ in all persons; that we will strive for justice and peace for all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.
It is hard to keep these core promises. We know how difficult it is —corporately and individually. This is why we set aside forty days each year for self-examination and repentance; prayer, fasting, and self-denial.
But the ashes do something else - the ashes of Ash Wednesday remind us not only of our mortality and need for regular repentance and reflection, but they also remind us that it is only by God’s “gracious gift that we are given everlasting life” through Jesus Christ.
We are reminded as in the words of our Collect, that God hates nothing God has made; God forgives the sins of all who are penitent; — here is the Good news!
Our God is the God all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness.
We come today to be reminded of our humanity and mortality — to be reminded of the finitude of life — but also to be reminded that God forgives the penitent. God forgives us of our sins. Some of us have a hard time accepting that. Many go through life never fully embracing that God has forgiven them. They carry around guilt for things done in the past that can never be undone —but they can be and are forgiven. Set them down. Let them go.
We begin Lent and are reminded in Isaiah that we are partners in God’s kingdom -God uses our hands in this world. We are called to practice justice and righteousness if we are to be true adherents of any form of spirituality that seeks to honor the Lord. Justice and spirituality are not separate concepts. They are connected.
The outcome of justice and righteousness is described by the prophet in imagery that depicts salvation, well-being, and restoration. “Then, your light shall break forth like dawn. Then, the Lord will guide you continually, you shall be a watered garden, a spring of water.” Isaiah 58:8
In this Lent, as we lean into our spirituality and maybe add some spiritual practices to our normal rhythms, don’t forget Isaiah’s words to not just practice our religious forms and forget the oppressed and turn a blind eye to injustice. The fast that God chooses is to loose the bonds of injustice and undo the thongs of the yoke and to let the oppressed go free. Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless into your house. Give the naked clothing.
As we enter into Lent, as we pause on this Ash Wednesday and reflect on our mortality, let us reflect on how we are living.
The awareness of the reality that we are going to die, should cause us to think about how we are living. Are we living as we wish to be? Is your life pleasing to God? Do our lives, and words, and conversations reflect the humility of knowing that we are but dust and to dust we shall return? What things consume your life?
We are warned in the Gospel of Matthew (6: 16-21) to not store up treasures on earth where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal. But to store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Spend some time this Lent thinking about where your heart is and why.
Make some shifts if you need to.
And remember the words of our Collect,
God hates nothing God has made; God forgives the sins of all who are penitent; our God is the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness.
This isn’t a time of self-flagellation; it is a time of reflection and a deeper awareness of what God has done for you, making some changes in our lives where needed.
And may the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness, shed light upon you this season.
Amen.
As we enter into Lent, as we pause on this Ash Wednesday, let us reflect on our mortality. We are all familiar with the phrase, “none of us are getting out of here alive” — we joke as we say it but to really pause and reflect —since we know this to be true — how are we living? Are we living as we wish to be? Are we living as God would have us to be?