Notes from Ash Wednesday’s Sermon

We are invited, at the start of the Lenten Season, to observe a holy Lent by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and by reading and meditating on the word of God.

self-examination, What can I change in me, to live more authentically in this shell, that’s called John Clarke? And, what can we change to live more authentically as St. Paul’s Church?

penitence, I have sinned, we have sinned, our institutions have sinned and we acknowledge it and we seek the assurance of forgiveness from a loving Creator… “Return to the Lord, your God,” writes the Prophet Joel, “for [God] is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.” And from Psalm 103, “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness.” “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us.” Not so we can continue sinning, but so that we are free to do better this time.

prayer, perhaps the most challenging part of our Lenten discipline. Prayer, or at least what we often think of as prayer is difficult, almost impossible. But if we think of prayer differently, like it is a means to a change in me (or us), like prayer can help me respond to life’s ebbs and flows more prayerfully, less reactionary, then prayer is not only possible, it is positively joyful!

fasting, Fasting too, can be rethought… it’s not so much about giving something up, even if it’s good for me to give that bad habit up anyway. Fasting is about changing the meaning, the purpose, the intent of our doings. Rather than eating chocolate I will pray, or I could pray while I’m eating chocolate. The point isn’t giving something up but taking something on.

and almsgiving, No matter how you slice it, the Church needs money to carry out its ministry. The hungry need food, the naked need clothing, the homeless need housing, the sick need healthcare, the imprisoned need visits. If we have the means, we share, we give. As Paul write that we are, “always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” (2 Cor)

and by reading and meditating on the word of God. It remains a good activity in Lent, in fact any time of year to read and meditate on Holy Scripture. An ancient teaching in our tradition says that the Bible contains all things necessary for salvation – that, and that alone is why we call it the word of God.

“Beware,” Jesus warns – there is a temptation, that our efforts of piety (of holiness) will be seen as hypocritical. Our almsgiving, our prayers, our fasting, our wealth is not for showing off. Our heart is still, and always, to be with our neighbour, anyone in need.

With what seems like a bunch of extra stuff in Lent: self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, reading, meditating… is for the benefit of all whom God loves.

There’s no other force in the universe greater than love. Love heals; love feeds, love shelters, love visits, love bring Good News of Salvation. Love never ends, love wins. God’s transforming love and justice is what we are called to show. Amen.