Devotion.al

Tag: ashes

  • Sackcloth and Ashes

    Sackcloth and Ashes

    Psalm 115; Ezra 9:5–15; John 16:16–24

    Collective guilt has been on the top of many lists in the last year. Regardless of your political, philosophical, or religious of the collective guilt issues, it does allow us to better understand the pressure that Ezra felt…somewhat.

    Ezra was trying to make up for generations of against God. Granted, with the of slavery, it’s not as if the US doesn’t have its own weight to bear. Yet, it is not the same insofar as the US is not Israel (whether ancient or modern). There were expectations of ancient Israel that they chose not to follow. The were clear. They forgot God and disregarded God so much that they followed false gods made of metal and/or wood.

    Ezra knew that there really was no way to “make up” what had occurred. The order of Ezra’s actions should be noted. Ezra “ended” his penitential acts and THEN prayed to God, asking for forgiveness and acknowledging that it would only be by God’s will, grace, love, mercy, and grace that the Israelites could be forgiven.

    While many reject the US guilt-debt, the guilt-debts are really quite small in comparison to all the guilt and shame we bear because of our personal, , and corporate sin (this is not to belittle them). As an overly individualistic culture, we object to being held to account for something we think we have no responsibility for. Perhaps it is not the US collective guilt that will be the big turning point for the US and the church. Perhaps it will be the recognition that scripturally we do have corporate responsibilities, and it is our individualistic framework that has led us to ignore them.

    This continues to be a cultural time of learning. We are learning about ourselves (both good and bad). We are learning about others (again, both good and bad). It’s not as if this is particularly different than how it should be. The exception is that the world is holding a mirror to the church, and the church doesn’t like what it sees. One might argue that the world is holding up a distorted mirror, except that much of the church sees the same distortion as the world.

    This pain that we are feeling is one of death and birth. The old self must die. The new one must come alive.

    Out of pain, despair, and being overwhelmed, many are understandably asking God, “what next?” It could be regarding finances. It could be about loving and serving your neighbor. It could be about what’s next for “the church”. It could be how to be more like Jesus.

    Jesus told his disciples that they wouldn’t for anything from God when Jesus left. This is the true of the . When we are fully in tune with God through the Holy Spirit (rather than wants, desires, and even needs), then we don’t need to ask for anything for we will already be in the midst of God’s will, plan, and .

    The most dangerous thing to both our individualistic notions and our corporate notions is when we pray to be in God’s will. When we ask that in Jesus’ name and mean it from the heart, we begin to surrender our will to God’s…and that truly is only the beginning.

    ※Reflection※

    What is your perspective of collective guilt? What brings you to that?How are collective and personal guilt different? How are they the same?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, our initial turn to you included our repentance. We know that as fallible beings, repentance needs to be a constant companion. Guide us into perseverance and to be people who pursue your righteousness in the face of our unrighteousness. Amen.

  • Joy to Tears

    Joy to Tears

    Psalm 22:25–31; Amos 8:1–7; Acts 8:1b–8

    For many people, singing in of God is a significant part of their of faith. They the joy-filled worship of God.

    The image provided in Amos takes those joy-filled songs and turns them into songs of , sorrow, and lament. The misery of the people of Israel (as conveyed by Amos) is that even their and worship had become crying and wailing. Think of a service where all the joy was gone.

    In many respects, after a number of incidents (9/11, Oklahoma City, and ) people would come to the church and grieve. Their feelings of pride and courage buried in the of death. Yet, now, people don’t. We’ve had horrific things happen in our society and people aren’t looking to the church.

    Perhaps we need a Saul. Perhaps COVID or Trump or Biden is our Saul. Perhaps it will be something else.

    Saul persecuted the church. The members of the church left Jerusalem. The faith spread. The number of people who came to Christ grew.

    We are in a state of discomfort. We, the church, are no longer sure of where we belong. We look at ourselves (the church) and what’s wrong. We look at the world and wonder what’s wrong.

    ※Reflection※

    • It can be hard to sit in the dark, when we want to be in the light of Jesus. Why is part of our purpose to be in (not of) the dark?
    • What can the teach us about the light?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, you called from the darkness into your light. You sent us back into the darkness to share your light. May we do your will. Amen.

  • Storms of Dust

    Storms of Dust

    Psalm 19; Exodus 19:16–25; Mark 9:2–8

    Heaven is declaring God’s glory;
    the sky is proclaiming his handiwork.
    One day gushes the news to the next,
    and one night informs another what needs to be known.
    Of course, there’s no , no words—
    their voices can’t be heard—
    but their sound extends throughout the world;
    their words reach the ends of the earth.

    Whether the story of God meeting the Israelites or the of Jesus, all of Creation proclaims the handiwork of God. While we look at Psalm 19 (or Psalm 148) and see the work of God celebrating God, there is quite a dark side to it. The bittersweet truth is that all the Creation that praises God today will die.

    Part of Ash Wednesday includes, “From you came and to dust you ,” from Genesis 3:19. It also includes a small phrase spoken during many graveside funerals, “Ashes to ashes; dust to dust.” Our mortality is central to , because is what led to , and sin was what Jesus’ death on the cross was to absolve.

    Sin leads to the death of Creation. Yes, Revelation expresses the concept of a new Heaven and a new Earth. New, however, indicates that the old is gone. The “old” Creation (the one in which we live) will go away.

    From an absolute sense, this isn’t a bad thing. No one in their right mind would want to bring into something new all the tattered, worn out, bloody, hateful stuff into something beautifully new. It’s good that the old will be gone.

    This long view of is unusual for the world. It is needed by the world. It is easy to conclude that much of the angst and anxiety of the world is that it does not have the hope that looks beyond the now and . The world knows it’s dying.

    ※Reflection※

    Scripture has humanity starting as dust. Why is it important to humanity’s to understand that, regardless of what science might say different?

    ※Prayer※

    You are the Lord of Life, Jesus. Help us to keep that in mind while we recall that we are dust. Amen.

  • Billboard or Reflection

    Billboard or Reflection

    Isaiah 58:1–12; Psalm 51:1–17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b–6:10; Matthew 6:1–6, Matthew 6:16–21

    Today is Ash Wednesday. This ancient church goes beyond Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox. It a time of self-reflection. Many call it a time of self-mortification. This is why it is often a time of fasting (of varying sorts). Truthfully, the fasting is often something that should be done anyway as a form of self-improvement or just a matter of separating oneself from the immediate to dedicate time to the truly important.

    The words in Isaiah allude to this. Sacrificing (e.g., fasting) because it is the religious thing to do is not the point. It seems, in fact, that religious sacrificing is actually an affront to God when one’s around it is not God-honoring. That should be a gut check (no pun intended) for us all.

    Pursuit of the of God without pursuit of the of God is often an empty pursuit. Yes, we can learn more facts about God. That doesn’t mean we actually know God. God wants us to know God, not merely know of God.

    2020 was a banner year of self-mortification realization. From politics, to race, to gender, to the police, to riots, to COVID, there was so much that God seemed to be telling the church. The church has been too busy, for too long, doing the religious sacrificing without knowing the heart of God. Looking back on 2020, you may well have an idea of what God wants you to put to death.

    From an Isaiah point of view, 2020 was a great year! All that extra stuff (much of it dead) just needs to be cut off! The church, and people in general, still want to cling to what is dead, rather than lean into what and who gives life.

    The Psalmist though cries out the Lenten cry, “HAVE ON ME!” While Lent is to be a time of putting un-Christ-like things and behaviors to death, it is such a time of joy, for God had mercy on us. This mercy, and the joy because of it, is part of our witness to the world. It is part of that which makes us .

    Some churches will have Ash Wednesday in the morning, so that the congregants go into the world proclaiming Christ. It could seem to be a billboard of, “look how religious I am!” For some communities that may actually be the case. On the other hand, Ash Wednesday is a “stamp of strangeness” for most people. If you were to go to work (whether in person or on a video call) with a big black cross on your forehead, you might get some strange looks. Others might even mock you. Yet, it is a chance that it might open the door to talking about .

    It isn’t bad to wear a cross of , nor is it bad to fast. It is about the why and the of your life.

    ※Reflection※

    • What does a cross of ashes mean or represent to you? Why?
    • What have you decided to “put to death” for Lent? Why that? If nothing, why nothing?
    • How do mercy and joy fit into your understanding of Lent?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, as we begin this time of reflection, help us to truly be reflective and not reflexive. Grant us the grace to see more of you and to become more like you. Most of all, help us to reflect your into the world. Amen.

  • Confessing in Trust

    Daniel 9:3-10, Psalm 25:1-10, 1 John 1:5-10

    The that many had on their foreheads yesterday are gone, either rubbed or washed off. As we read yesterday, ashes are a of repentance. Daniel sought God through prayer, supplication, fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. Daniel uses these 5 things not to get a reward, nor in expectation that he would get an answer because he did them. Daniel did them to put aside himself, so that he be more aware of God, and less concerned for himself.

    Prayer is a conversation. Especially during , we can be deliberate in speaking less, and listening more. Supplications are not the list of things we want, think we need, health, wealth, and so on, but it is in the of saying, “God, please use me. God, please me to fulfill your purpose.” Fasting is often food, as it is essential to live. In our of plenty, fasting can be a powerful spiritual tool, as it reminds us of our blessings, and the blessor, God our .

    Sackcloth was what people wore to show that they were repenting or mourning. It was very uncomfortable. This cloth rubbing against one’s bare skin was another reminder that things were not as they ought to be. Daniel, a man of importance, wearing sackcloth would have been very unusual, and would have likely caused a stir, and would have likely been humiliating for a person whose focus was on himself, rather than God.

    1) In Psalm 25:1-10, the psalms writes, “…in You I …”. How is your trust of/in God doing?

    2) In 1 John 1:5-10, confession is cornerstone of our release from sin. Confession is hard when we have to to others, because it requires trust. When you confess to God, is it easy because you trust God, or is it easy because you think God is distant or not listening?

    3) What practices of confession do you follow? Are they enough?

  • Grateful In Ashes

    Joel 2:12-17, Psalm 51:1-17, 2 Corinthians 4:21-6:10 (read online ⧉)

    Through the prophet Joel, God sought to realign the of the Israelites to Him. God was calling them to live a life oriented to Him. God didn’t want them to miss out on the life they were meant for. As we begin the Lenten season, it is a time for each of us to reflect upon what in our life is keeping us from being oriented on Him.

    From the early days of our faith, Christians have observed the remembrance of Christ’s (Good Friday) and () with great reverence. It became the custom to prepare for that observance by a season of prayer and fasting, and the reconciliation of those who had been separated from the community of faith. When keeping the season of Lent, we take to heart God’s to repentance and the assurance of forgiveness proclaimed in the , and practice in our daily lives the work of reconciliation. You are invited to the observance of Lent through self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word.

    On Ash Wednesday, many people to receive the mark of ashes, which is a reminder of our mortal nature and of God’s invitation to receive Christ’s redeeming work. The ashes are a sign of repentance, that one’s life is not as God-focused as it ought to be. It is a declaration that all is not well, that something needs to change.

    As we walk together through Lent, through our paths of reflection, self-denial, and repentance, this is all part of our response of to God who sent Jesus Christ, the ultimate letter, to us that we can see that God wants us as His Children.

    1) Giving up something (self-denial and/or fasting) is often practiced during Lent. The purpose is to closer to God. If you choose to do this, what will you give up? We challenge you to whatever this is with someone who will hold you accountable.

    2) Other practices for Lent are focused prayer, self-examination, deeper scripture reading, all of which are intended to draw us deeper and to slow us down. What will you focus on this Lent to grow your Christian walk?

    3) One of the newer trends is to give up something you know you need to give up already. Do you think that could be effective as a spiritual discipline? Why or why not?

  • Circle of Life and Death

    Genesis 2:4–19, Isaiah 2:11–22, Proverbs 3:1–18

    “… to Ashes; Dust to Dust…”—Book of Common Prayer, Burial Liturgy

    The Circle of was (and remains) a powerful song. Just the title itself reminds us that life is a circle. Adam (i.e., mankind) came from dust. That dirt swept off the floor or vacuumed out of the carpet is just a large amount of dust. We look around our homes and can see dust on books, or tables, or bookshelves, or other places. Dust. If being compared to dust thrown in the trash can bothers you, you can think of yourself being made from stardust (like Carl Sagan wrote/spoke, and musician Moby sang). It may not be much better. It’s still dust. It is (and should be) humbling that we are of dust.

    Lent revolves a lot around repentance. The greatest of repentance is pride. Understanding that we are but dust and ashes helps us keep ourselves in the proper perspective. Hopefully, it helps us put aside our sinful pride. As Isaiah warns, God is not pleased with those who think too much of themselves. Humanity’s ongoing struggle is the warring of its own pride, both as a species and as individuals. The litany of items (cedars, oaks, mountains towers, walls, ships) were all things that people bragged and took pride in. Certainly, mankind had everything to do with the cedars, oaks, and mountains (that was sarcasm). People take pride in things that are not their own, and will often use that same pride against . Everything will come crashing down around pride-filled humanity, and they will be reduced to dwelling in caves and holes. The passage in Isaiah ends with humankind only having the in his nostrils…the breath that God put there (Genesis 2:7).

    God’s breath in us…we who are made of dust. “ in the LORD with all your , and do not rely on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). We often trust the dust and not the breath. We trust the filth and not the life that we have been given. In our pride, we rely on our own and others’ dust. When we trust God, and not our worldly and “,” we relinquish our pride. When we accept that we do not and can not understand it all, God is the only reliable answer. Once we arrive at that destination, true repentance can occur. With our repentance, we open ourselves to be formed and re-formed by the one through whom all things were made…Jesus Christ.

    One of the traditions of Lent is to give something up. It is not a rule or must do, it is a . It is a good spiritual practice.
    1) If you have decided to give something up, what is it? Why that? How will it draw you closer to God?
    2) If you haven’t decided to do this practice, why not? Again, not that it is a requirement

  • Spirit of Ashes

    Spirit of Ashes

    Isaiah 58:1–12, Psalm 51:1–17, Matthew 6:19–21

    Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent, the reflective journey to the cross. One of the symbolic pieces are the themselves. The “official” tradition is that the ashes are from last year’s Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is the day that observes ‘ triumphal entry into Jerusalem with the pomp and circumstance of a ruler. This jubilation is crushed that same week with his crucifixion. The ashes, therefore, are a somber reminder of earthly pride, , and power crushed. Often they are a reminder of our own prides and joys and their short-term nature.

    In the “spirit” of ashes, the following is a modified form of the Book of Common Prayer’s Burial liturgy:
    In sure and certain of the to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God oursleves—our very beings; and we commit our bodies and lives to your kingdom on earth; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless us and keep us, the Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious to us, the Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace.

    It seems strange and morbid to share a passage from a burial rite, yet an integral part of Ash Wednesday is our mortality. Another part, the part which we often focus on during Lent, is our frailty. By frailty, we mean sin and the weaknesses inherent to the human condition. What we may “give up” during Lent is a upon what we believe is one of our biggest “frailties” at the moment, meaning it can .
    The importance of understanding our finiteness, our mortality, is summed up in Jesus’ words regarding the storage of treasures. The earthly stuff is stolen or rots. It doesn’t last. Only treasures that we store in Heaven last forever. Those treasures are people.

    1) We are all “given” treasures that we are responsible for that are not our children, grandchildren, or other members. Who are those treasures in your life?

    2) Why is important to remember the quickness of life when as we approach the cross in our spiritual journey?

    3) What do you value: time, money, things, people? All of these have value. Which has priority?

    FD) On Ash Wednesday a cross of ashes is put on our forehead. Why ashes? Why a cross?