Ash Wednesday 2015

The Way of the Prophet by Mike Van, concept by Vivienne Close 

 I found this image in my daily meditation email from Richard Rohr, in which he speaks about prophets and the prophetic tradition. I find it extremely fitting for this season of Lent, especially Ash Wednesday when we come face to face with our own mortality. Sin is not some thing that many of us are comfortable talking about. Well, ok, let's be honest. I should qualify that as Our Own Sin, other people's may be fair game, especially if it is juicy gossip, right? It should not be, but ...

I think that is why prophet's make us (me, at any rate) uncomfortable. They continue to point out where I am operating in such ways that are unjust and/or harmful to others. They continue to show me my "blind spots," as it were. While interrupting the status quo, prophets do offer us a gift. I think they offer us the gift of growth and encourage us to act in such ways that take love of God and love of neighbor into account - pushing us to see our neighbors as ourselves and pushing us to broaden the circle of who our neighbors are.

Lent is often a time of giving things up: chocolate, beer, fat ... (we won't mention coffee). It is often portrayed as a time of sacrifice. I would challenge you to think in different terms this Lent. Just as fasting invites us to spend time in prayer, so, too, it calls us forth to remember those who go without enough to eat. May our Lentan Disciplines be activities/sacrifices that call us forth to better relations with God, others, the earth.

Blessed Be,

Joel

Below is my Ash Wednesday Service for those of you apart from a church community this Ash Wednesday.

GREETING:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
And also with you.
Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
God’s mercy endures forever.

OPENING PRAYER   (from the United Methodist Hymnal #353)

O God,

maker of every thing and judge of all that you have made,

from the dust of the earth you have formed us 

and from the dust of death you would raise us up.

By the 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.

SCRIPTURE:
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Psalm 51 (#785 in the UMC Hymnal)
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

INVITATION TO THE OBSERVANCE OF LENTEN DISCIPLINE
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

the early Christians observed with great devotion 

the day of our Lord's passion and resurrection, 

and it became the custom of the Church that before the Easter celebration 

there should be a forty-day season of spiritual preparation.

During this season converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism.

It was also a time when persons who had committed serious sins 

and had separated themselves from the community of faith 

were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, 

and restored to participation in the life of the Church.

In this way the whole congregation was reminded 

of the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Christ 

and the need we all have to renew our faith.

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, 

to observe a holy Lent: 

by self-examination and repentance; 

by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; 

and by reading and meditation on God's Holy  Word.

To make a right beginning of repentance, 

and as a mark of our mortal nature, 

let us now kneel (or bow) before our Creator and Redeemer.

(a brief silence is kept)

THANKSGIVING OVER THE ASHES
Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth. 

Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence,

so that we may remember that only by your gracious gift

are we given everlasting life;

through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

IMPOSITIONS OF THE ASHES
(as people come forward, a leader dips a thumb in the ashes and makes 

a cross on the forehead of each person saying:
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

DISMISSAL WITH A BLESSING

Creation Stories Shape How to Be Creative

Everyone once in a while I am struck by reading various individual pieces all talking about very similar things. This past week such an event took place. First I was reading from E.F. Schumaker's Small Is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered (1973, 2010) in which he speaks of the human need to be creative, to use both the mind and our hands. Here's the quote:

The question of what technology actually does for us is therefore worthy of investigation. It obviously greatly reduces some kinds of work while it increases other kinds. The type of work which modern technology is most successful in reducing or even eliminating is skilful, productive work of human hands, in touch with real materials of one kind it another. In advanced industrial society, such work has become exceedingly rare, and to make a decent living by doing such has become virtually impossible. A great part of the modern neurosis may be due to this very fact; for the human being, defined by Thomas Aquinas as a being with brains and hands, enjoys nothing more than to be creatively, usefully, productively engaged with both his hands and his brains. Today, a person has to be wealthy to be able to enjoy this simple thing, this very great luxury: he has to be lucky enough to find a good teacher and plenty of free time to learn and practice. He really had to be rich enough not to need a job; for the number of jobs that would be satisfactory in these respects is very small indeed (pg. 158, italics are my addition).

Where do we look for chances to be creative? What does our creativity look like?

Then, Friday's meditation by Richard Rohr was regarding creation. In this meditation he spoke of how Rob Bell shared with a gathering the Babylonian creation story. This story is one of violence, carnage and destruction. In all likelihood, the Genesis Creation stories (there are at least two) were written down from their oral traditions during the Babylonian captivity. As such, they would have been exposed to the Babylonian creation story, and used them to shape their own theological understanding of how Yahweh was/is at work. In the process, Bell invited the continuing education participates to see how the Genesis creation story in built upon love, joy and creativity. It is built upon non-violence and loving relationship.

Being created in God's image, how do we create? How do we engage others, ourselves, and the world? 

Fairly soon (if not already) the projects commence on our boats. How will we be actively engaged?

Here's to creativity springing forth from love and joy,

Blessed be

Joel