Ash Wednesday Reflections
Considering all the build up in my mind regarding Lent, yesterday was disappointingly normal. I ate, read, worked, played basketball, had people over to my house, and so on. Sure, there was Coke at the office that I didn’t drink, and cake at my house that I had to resist, but other than that, it was Wednesday like any other.
That’s okay. Life is usually normal, and spiritual formation is accomplished through very ordinary means. I say this to encourage you in case you do not feel extra spiritual during the Lenten season. You do not need to somehow conjure up a solemn spirit and somber face to participate in Lent. If self-denial and repentance bring about such things, then embrace what the Spirit is doing in you. Be on your knees before God, and live your life before the face of God.
Delight in the little things: the denial of comforts, the ongoing repentance of thoughts and attitudes, a moment of savoring God’s Word, and especially the ways in which all these things turn your attention to the suffering and death of Christ.
The part of my day that was not normal, but indeed extraordinary, was our Ash Wednesday prayer service. To describe it to you will fail to capture it, for it was a no-frills kind of service. We read Scriptures and prayers aloud, we confessed our pain and grief and sin aloud, we were marked with ashes as a sign of our mortality and humility, and we took communion to remember the suffering and death of Christ.
What I cannot convey is the bond of common humanity and sincere worship that was felt among those in the room. We were wandering in the desert together, all of us burdened by sin and relieved in Christ. When I got home I tried to tell my wife what I had felt, and the only thing I could come up with was, “celebratory repentance.” It was repentant, but it felt good, good like I wanted to sing and dance (except that I do not dance, and even if I did, it could not be called worshipful in any way). In any case, you know how relieved you feel when you let go of a burden or come clean with a sin? I felt that. I also felt angry and grieved by the condition of our world and of my own heart, but over and against my anger and grief was the relief and rest of Christ. He carries our load and pleads our case. By his wounds we are healed.
A LENTEN PRAYER
O Lord our God, long-suffering and full of compassion: Be present with us as we enter this season in which we recall our Savior’s suffering and celebrate his triumph. Give us your holy Spirit, so that as we acknowledge our sins and implore your pardon, we may also have the strength to deny ourselves and be upheld during times of temptation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 38
FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: If you would like more guidance in prayer and reading during this season, visit the Online Ministries of Creighton University for daily prayers, meditations, and readings. Click here for the “First Four Days of Lent.” (Disclaimer: I am not in line with some theological views conveyed on this site, but I also want to recognize the insight of the writers and helpfulness of their liturgy during Lent.)
Also, we will be meeting to pray and reflect each Wednesday night from 8:00-9:00. E-mail me if you want directions or information (will@cdomaha.com).
That’s okay. Life is usually normal, and spiritual formation is accomplished through very ordinary means. I say this to encourage you in case you do not feel extra spiritual during the Lenten season. You do not need to somehow conjure up a solemn spirit and somber face to participate in Lent. If self-denial and repentance bring about such things, then embrace what the Spirit is doing in you. Be on your knees before God, and live your life before the face of God.
Delight in the little things: the denial of comforts, the ongoing repentance of thoughts and attitudes, a moment of savoring God’s Word, and especially the ways in which all these things turn your attention to the suffering and death of Christ.
The part of my day that was not normal, but indeed extraordinary, was our Ash Wednesday prayer service. To describe it to you will fail to capture it, for it was a no-frills kind of service. We read Scriptures and prayers aloud, we confessed our pain and grief and sin aloud, we were marked with ashes as a sign of our mortality and humility, and we took communion to remember the suffering and death of Christ.
What I cannot convey is the bond of common humanity and sincere worship that was felt among those in the room. We were wandering in the desert together, all of us burdened by sin and relieved in Christ. When I got home I tried to tell my wife what I had felt, and the only thing I could come up with was, “celebratory repentance.” It was repentant, but it felt good, good like I wanted to sing and dance (except that I do not dance, and even if I did, it could not be called worshipful in any way). In any case, you know how relieved you feel when you let go of a burden or come clean with a sin? I felt that. I also felt angry and grieved by the condition of our world and of my own heart, but over and against my anger and grief was the relief and rest of Christ. He carries our load and pleads our case. By his wounds we are healed.
A LENTEN PRAYER
O Lord our God, long-suffering and full of compassion: Be present with us as we enter this season in which we recall our Savior’s suffering and celebrate his triumph. Give us your holy Spirit, so that as we acknowledge our sins and implore your pardon, we may also have the strength to deny ourselves and be upheld during times of temptation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 38
FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: If you would like more guidance in prayer and reading during this season, visit the Online Ministries of Creighton University for daily prayers, meditations, and readings. Click here for the “First Four Days of Lent.” (Disclaimer: I am not in line with some theological views conveyed on this site, but I also want to recognize the insight of the writers and helpfulness of their liturgy during Lent.)
Also, we will be meeting to pray and reflect each Wednesday night from 8:00-9:00. E-mail me if you want directions or information (will@cdomaha.com).
posted by Will | 8:54 AM
3 Comments:
Good to hear that I'm not the only one that feels way to normal and ordinary lately. I had some false notion that this Ash Wednesday would be some Pentecostal Holy Spirit experience. It wasn't, and I'm glad that God can work through the ordinary as well as the extraordinary.
"Celebratory Repentance." Good words, Will. The Ash Wed service was indeed a rich time of experiencing Jesus in community... one of the most worshipful experiences I've had in a long time. Hard to describe, but lingering powerfully in my soul today.
I decided to fast Ash Wednesday and I don't know what to make of the day just yet.
Anyhow, what was certainly awesome about the experience was this: After a day of conciously turning to God to satisfy my growing hunger and just at the point where I was starting to feel the effects of going without food and really craving something to eat, Bob was there with the bread and the wine. Having Jesus' body and blood as my first taste of food after a long day was an amazingly tangible and impactful way for God to pound into my head that He is the one who sustains me and that He is the one I truly crave. I will remember that feeling for the rest of my life. Thanks for the service Will and Bob and JD.
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