Tuesday, February 21, 2012

A reflection on Ash Wednesday

      I read an enlightening article about Ash Wednesday. It was written by a Seattle pastor who highlighted the 3 things that Christians in our culture do not like to do: think about our own mortality, confess our sins, and accept responsibility for our actions. All of these are components of Ash Wednesday.
      The solemn celebration begins with a lengthy period of confession. In our culture where self-justification and rationalization reign supreme, confession is not only infrequent, but severely lacking in sincerity. We are better at toleration, acceptance, and making peace than we are at recognizing and then renouncing sin. If I see sin in you, then I have to acknowledge the sin that is also in me. Accepting you without criticism or judgment allows me to gloss over Biblical standards and laws. To avoid being labeled as a bigot, I relax my principles to be the least offensive possible, making them ineffectual and worthless. My character is now in jeopardy because my moral compass is skewed. But humility seems to be such a high price...and confession, though good for the soul, requires me to lay down my self-righteousness in favor of repentance. Ouch!
      The second part of the ceremony is the "imposing" of ashes. It is a reminder that we came from the dust and that's where we will eventually go. In our culture that is obsessed with beauty and the maintaining of youth, being reminded of our limited time on this earth is counter-cultural, even if it is true!
      For the most part, we are a society that refuses to accept responsibility and excels in playing the blame game. It's our parents' fault, our government's fault, someone else's fault, even God's fault...but never ours. We deceive ourselves into thinking that we are not accountable. The Bible, however, clearly says that our choices will be judged - not our environment or circumstances. If it is written, and it is, that every thought, careless word, and action will be made known and judged, we are playing a dangerous game when we try to make excuses for our sin by "passing the buck".
      Ash Wednesday reminds us that as fallible human beings we need to acknowledge and confess our sin, taking accountability for ourselves, and then pour on the grace of God's forgiveness to ourselves and others in humility and love. We need to remember that our lives are but a breath and that the only things that really count are those things that we do through and for God.  It is a time to reflect and renew our passion for God, determining not to waste even one precious day in bitterness, resentment, or self-centeredness. And although it is considered by most Christians to be a "Catholic" thing, shouldn't its principles be part of every believer's life? I certainly think so!

   **This post is a reflection on an article written by Anthony B. Robinson, President, Seattle Congregational Leadership Northwest, called "Ash Wednesday: It's a counter cultural thing"

2 comments:

  1. I totally agree with this Jan. I personally think that some of these "religious" celebrations have a lot of value and could be very useful in some of our services. Not to be religious, but to use as a reminder (as stated), as a tool. Our generation has lost so much because the traditional services have been removed.

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    1. I love the solemn services of worship and rededication. They aren't popular or upbeat, but they sure bring the presence of God!

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