Ash Wednesday Sermon 2/17
Let the words my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen
Did you listen to what was read in the Gospel reading a minute ago? “Beware of prac-ticing your piety before others in order to be seen by them.” And yet we will leave here tonight with a visible smudge on our foreheads in the shape of a cross. Now if you stop somewhere on the way home, like I probably will, what and I supposed to do? Should I wash it off, or should I let the cashier say, “What’s that on your forehead?”
Do you pray in public? Do you pray over a meal in a restaurant? If you do, is Jesus ask-ing you not to?
The season of Lent starts tonight and runs for 40 days. We are invited to take on three disciplines during this time: prayer, fasting, and alms-giving. I would believe we all pray. Those little one-sentence prayers; the longer ones as we ready for sleep at night. The ones at the beginning of the day. We pray at different times and in different ways.
Many of you do some sort of fasting during Lent. Why do you give up something during Lent. Why do you fast? Any give up chocolate or deserts or meat? Some don’t eat dur-ing daylight hours. Then there’s alms giving. There are those who like to make a big show out of their giving. And there are some of us who like to name things in honor are in memory of someone—totally different.
So, what was Jesus saying in these verses? He is more concerned with the why, not the what. Why do you pray in public? Why do you give alms? Why do you fast?
If you’re used to praying over a meal in a restaurant, then by all means bow your head and pray! Do you fast during Lent because you want to lose a few pounds, or do you fast because it reminds you of the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross? Jesus wants us to give from the heart. Give for the benefit of others. That the ministries of the church can be accomplished; that the gospel can be proclaimed in places and in ways we have not thought about before.
During this Lenten season, I would like for us to emphasize prayer. I wouldn’t want you to forget fasting if that allows you to remember the suffering of Jesus. Nor would want you to forget your alms giving, something you are excellent at. But I am aware of the power of prayer. I passionately believe I would not be here today if it weren’t for the prayers offered during my bout with pneumonia. I also believe that an emphasis on prayer will make a real difference in our lives. So, during this Lenten season, let us pray for our church, our community, our nation. Let us pray for pastors, musicians, council members. Let us pray for those who are not well in body, mind, and spirit. Let us pray for our wives, husbands, sons, daughters, parents and grandparents. Let us pray for those who are cold, wet, and hungry. Let us pray for those who have made bad decisions during their lives, that they can get back on the right track. Let us prayer for the healing of broken relationships. Let us pray for doctors, nurses, technicians. Let us pray for all first liners, EMT’s, firefighters, police, deputies. Let us pray for our Christian brothers and sisters. Let us pray for those of different religions. Let us pray even for those who we don’t particularly like. Let us pray for the forgotten, that they be remembered. Let us pray for ourselves, that we repent and turn to you in all we do. Let us pray, pray, pray!