Posts Tagged ‘opening our hands to receive the sustenance’

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Isaiah 58:1-12
2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

If I were to walk up to you and wish you a Happy Ash Wednesday, how would you react?  If I were to say ‘I hope you have a great Lent,’ I imagine I’d get some strange looks, maybe a dubious smile, or perhaps even judged as being irreverent.  Truth be told, Lent actually seems to be the opposite of happy and festive.  We don’t ring bells in excitement.  We don’t have a festive meal to mark the occasion.  We deny ourselves certain creature comforts that have become staples of our happiness.  We look with a strange combination of pity and amusement upon our fellow Episcopalians when they slip up and say “Allelu…!”[i] And we step outside the door of Ash Wednesday with a sigh, trying to psych ourselves up for the journey towards Easter which at this point seems to be nowhere in sight.  Yet, we as Christians know that this is something we must do.  Which way do we go?   Just how far is it really?  Do I have enough provisions to sustain me until I arrive?  How did I get myself in this mess?

I admit, I have often stepped out on my Lenten journey with a sense of dread, fixated on just how it is I’ve gotten it all wrong, how badly I’ve messed up, and putting together in my mind the words I will need to pray in order for God to forgive me and take me back…..if I’m lucky.  This isn’t necessarily inappropriate, but I think it turns a blind eye to a very important truth about our relationship with God.  We often think that we must do the right thing in order to please God.  We must say the right words to ‘woo’ God into thinking that were wonderful, smart, and loveable.  If we act in the right way, God will react graciously.  Read More