Ash Wednesday
Color: Purple
Lectionary Text:
2 Corinthians 6:1-10
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is different from all the other seasons of the Christian Year. Lent is a season of repentance, prayer, fasting, and self-denial. Some of us may feel like we have been in an extended Lent since Coronavirus hit last year at this time. The last church service I attended was an Ash Wednesday service I attended last year at University UMC.
Lent is the 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays. Lent commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and resisting the temptations of the devil. Ash Wednesday emphasizes repentance. Our receiving the mark of ashes on our foreheads symbolizes our sinfulness, our confession, our repentance, and God's forgiveness.
On a newscast I saw at noon today, one of the news anchors talked about how this year in Catholic churches, ashes were being sprinkled. The priests were not touching the foreheads of the worshippers. At the beginning of his story he said that Ash Wednesday was a service in the Catholic Church. Aaargh! It's a service in Protestant churches too. I think all of the churches of readers of this blog will have Ash Wednesday Zoom services today. UUMC has Ash Wednesday kits, which could be picked up at the church and used for the services today.
There are a couple of do's and don'ts for Lent. We don't "celebrate" Lent. We "observe" Lent. Unlike Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost, it is not a celebration. We do not say or sing the word "Alleluia" during Lent. We are encouraged to fast during Lent, but we do not fast on Sundays. Sundays are never a fast day. Giving up something for Lent could be called fasting-lite, but it is good Lenten practice. You don't have to give it up on Sundays. Churches should never have baptisms during Lent. Churches should not have flowers during Lent.
Here are a couple of suggestions for us during Lent. First, read the Lectionary texts every day. Second pray the Lord's Prayer everyday. Third, read a spiritual book for Lent. Most churches, including UUMC, have a study book for Lent each year. Fourth, most churches also have Lenten Zoom groups this year. Consider joining one. Fifth, yes, consider giving up something for Lent. Sixth, give a little extra to your church or charities during Lent. Finally, although service opportunities are a bit limited this year because of Covid, if you can, find an opportunity to do service for the poor and those in need.
O God,
maker of everything and judge of all that you have made.
from the dust of the earth you have formed us
and from the dust of the earth you would raise us up.
By thre redemptive power of the cross
create in us clean hearts
and put within us a new spirit
that we may repent of our sins
and lead lives worthy of your calling
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (UMH #353).
Faithfully,
Christian
1 comment:
I say the Lord's prayer every day, trespassing version. I'm doing a Lenten Ango. An Ango is a form of Zen meditation that is traditionally done during times of captivity. Buddhist monks get captured a lot I think. Roshi (Zen master) reads scripture and we sit in meditation for 25 minutes.
I remember when I was little that my mom used to say not to give something up for Lent, but to do something good for Lent. I can see the value of giving something up, especially if for example you give up an unnecessary luxury that doesn't bring you true peace and give the money to the poor. As someone with enough tendency towards punishing myself, I'll go with the doing something good. I'm spending more time in meditation and prayer. I'm also going on two Zoom sesshins, which our what we call retreats: one is our monthly all day sitting at the Zen Center of Philadelphia, and the other is a weekend long with Roshi Kennedy, my first teacher who is one of two Jesuits in the world to earn the title of Roshi (Zen Master). Three days, six teachers from all over the world, some of whom I knew before they received dharma transmission. That's the first weekend in March. Sesshin is intense: when you do it in person, you do not speak the entire time, except for during daisan, which is a private meeting with the teacher that happens a few times during a retreat. You eat meals in silence, if bathrooms are shared (they are usually at old convents turned into retreat centers) you brush your teeth in silence, you avert your eyes if you meet someone walking on the path during breaks. I've only been on one sesshin and it was amazing. I plan to maintain some sesshin atmosphere during this one, and my cat will respect that. Lent is a good time to draw inward and reflect prayerfully. We spend so much time reacting to the world around us - I love retreats and times like Lent as a time to withdraw and pray and/or meditate, be silent, even be sad or afraid, and have that be okay.
I have no problem with fasting now, but when I was younger and had many friends who were very sick with anorexia, I wished there were more of an understanding of how some people can not fast for their health. My anorexic friends found talk of fasting very triggering. Not that we can or should tiptoe around everyone, but it's a lot like the wine vs. grape juice thing. For a lot of people, it is just no big deal. For someone who prefers not to drink because they have had a drinking problem, it can feel socially awkward and trigger a lot of things that just don't help you feel the experience of communion.
Tonight at our first Lenten Ango, Roshi Kennedy said, "This is a time to sit gently and breathe gently." Perhaps we can be a bit gentle with ourselves during Lent. I too often look at things like Lent as a check off boxes event: do the church soup suppers, pray this extra time, etc. These days, allowing myself to sit in meditation is a gift, so by taking extra time for meditation I am giving myself the gift of a little more peace.
Can't hurt, since crucifixion comes next!
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