Advent Lutheran Church

"Ash Wednesday: A Necessary Evil"

             Long, long ago – the Creator reached down and scooped up some dust from the ground.  This dirt, called “adamah” in Hebrew, he used to form Adam.  Then, cradling Adam in the divine arms, God breathed into the man and gave him life.  Adam and God had some great times together in those days, until it became clear to God that “it is not good for the man to be alone.”  And so, formed out of the side of the man, “eesh” in Hebrew, came “ee-shah,” the woman.

            In the cool of evening, God had taken to returning at the end of the day for a walk in the garden.  After being separated, God enjoyed these times of being together, and he called for his creations for their evening gathering.  But Ish and Ishah turned away.  They were ashamed of their disobedience, what their pride had driven them to do, and they hid from God. The intimate connection between Creator and created was broken.  Since that day - long, long ago - we humans have forever yearned to return to God.

            Ash Wednesday is a necessary evil.  They say that a “journey of 1000 miles begins with one step,” and tonight we take that step, through the Ash Wednesday gateway and a journey of 40 days, or, the rest of our lives.  Each year comes differently, as does each Lenten season.  Some come early amidst the flurries of snow and ice and dead of winter.  Others arrive late, as this year, so late that many of us are packed for different kinds of journeys to far away places during Spring Break.  And yet, each Ash Wednesday holds a special significance.  Each Lent another opportunity for us to learn about ourselves, each other and the God who created us.

            Thus it is that we begin each new Lenten journey “not as we ought, but as we are able,” this year, after last year, with all of its twists and turns and trials and triumphs.  We come again, some strong, some broken, some healthy, some grieving.  But the entry point for all is the same:  the first step is to admit that we are not God.  We are mortal.  We tend to fail and flounder.  We cover up our mistakes and deny our wrong-doings. 

We sit with dirty ashes smeared across our foreheads and pretend that our lives are good, that we are everything we should be and want to be, and that our relationship with God was never better.

            Yes, Ash Wednesday is a necessary evil – because tonight we tell the truth and we hear the truth – painful as it is, we admit what’s real. We were created out of dust and lust and pain and pride and no matter how hard we try to cover it, we know that we are unable to duplicate that act of God. And because we cannot, we will die.

So before we die, we are called to repent, and to return…

            But how do we begin to “Return to the Lord, our God?”  First, by accepting who we are, (and who we are not,) and second, by adopting some of the age-old disciplines that have been practiced throughout the generations.  The disciplines of Lent are not just “exercises.” They are time-honored and proven pathways of a well-worn way of pilgrimage:  Prayer, almsgiving and fasting serve to mold us and remind us that we make a thousand choices everyday – and if we embrace these practices – these choices will be intentional and purposeful and will move us closer and closer to God in our journey of return.

            Prayer.  I am not speaking of asking God for things, but of conversation borne out of the reading of Scripture and devotional reflection. I am speaking about talking with and listening to God in a space and time set apart for just that purpose.

            Giving Alms. Charity.  Giving out of our abundance not just the things we no longer want or use – but giving to the point where we feel it.  Almsgiving, giving to those who need, is a sharing of ourselves that is done with a price.  Almsgiving reminds us Who provides for us

for the very purpose of us providing for others.

            Fasting.  Taking care of our health in general, for our bodies are God’s dwelling place – but especially being attentive to what and how much we consume.  Beyond food, what consumption can you curtail this Lenten season?  Gasoline?  Facebook?  Entertainment?  Fashion?  Time spent mindlessly?  Waste?  Whatever you might have chosen to “give up” for Lent can serve your discipline, each time you choose not to have it.  That’s what fasting is…choosing.  And if your body or your mind hungers for what you have given up – take that as a signal to turn your thoughts to God.

            Is that all there is to it?  Well, yes, and no.  The underlying truth of returning to God is being intentional about knowing who you really are -  to “remember that you are dust, and into dust you will return.”Then, it means being patient with yourself.  It means being real and honest with others.  And it means valuing what God values and removing everything else from your life.  Because more than anything else, God wants you back.  As you enter into Lent, hear these words of prayer from Henri Nouwen’s A Lenten Prayer:

            The Lenten season begins. It is a time to be with you, Lord, in a special way, a time to pray, to fast, and thus to follow you on your way to Jerusalem, to Golgotha, and to the final victory over death.
            I am still so divided. I truly want to follow you, but I also want to follow my own desires and lend an ear to the voices that speak about prestige, success, pleasure, power, and influence. Help me to become deaf to these voices and more attentive to your voice, which calls me to choose the narrow road to life.
            I know that Lent is going to be a very hard time for me. The choice for your way has to be made every moment of my life.  I have to choose thoughts that are your thoughts, words that are your words, and actions that are your actions. There are not times or places without choices. And I know how deeply I resist choosing you.
            Please, Lord, be with me at every moment and in every place. Give me the strength and the courage to live this season faithfully, so that, when Easter comes, I will be able to taste with joy the new life that you have prepared for me.  Amen.

             Ash Wednesday is a necessary evil.  It is the dead reckoning that is the first step on our Lenten journey, which is so different from our Advent pilgrimage - for the Season of Advent is a time of preparing for God to come to us, while the Season of Lent is a time for us to return to God.  Therefore, resolve this night to have courage and have no fear.  Make this Lent different, and start your journey back home. “Return to the Lord, your God…” He’s been waiting for you all along.  Amen.