Ash Wednesday 2014

Joe 2:12 "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your
heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
Joe 2:13 and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the
LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and
abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

The theme today is the true nature of Penance. It is not a physical
one-time act but a spiritual cleansing that effects a permanent change
in our lives.

Psa 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow.
Psa 51:8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have
broken rejoice.
Psa 51:9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit
within me.
Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy
Spirit from me.
Psa 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a
willing spirit.
Psa 51:13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will
return to you.

Psa 51:15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
Psa 51:16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and
contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Psa 51:18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of
Jerusalem;
Psa 51:19 then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings
and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Most will remember these words from the Offertories in the old Red Hymn
Book.

The Gospel is once more taken from 'the Sermon on the Mount". It is
ironic that this text is used to mark the beginning of the season of
Lent, a traditional time of fasting, privations, and self-denial. We are
reminded that should we perform these rituals we should do them to
remind ourselves of the need for inward piety, for repentance and change
within our lives and NOT for the sake of being seen to do them.

We should not wear black, ashes, or sackcloth for the sake of outward
show but to remind ourselves of our inward need of repentance, of
turning away from old ways and restoring our relationship with God and
making peace with ourselves and our fellowman. We should not be seen to
be observing Lent, the changes that should be taking place are spiritual
ones that will inform the way we go about living our daily lives.

For good measure we are reminded that our charitable giving should not
become a public relations gesture but performed in secret because it is
the right thing to do, not something we do to acquire worldly acclaim.