Ash Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. During Lent the disciplines of fasting, almsgiving, and penance take centre stage. In many churches decorations are stripped away, and this day begins with the smudging of ashes on our foreheads, reminding us of our mortality. In general the colour used during for vestments and hangings is purple, a sombre colour associated with judgement. So it seems odd, that at St. Margaret in-the-Pines we begin this Lent our joyful giving program. What is so joyful about Lent?
The word “Lent” itself comes from the early English word for “spring.” Lent is not about feeling gloomy for 40 days; it is not about feeling miserable for 40 days; it is not even about giving things up for 40 days. Lent is for springtime, the preparing for that great climax of springtime, which is Easter – new life bursting through death.
These past two years we have built up walls to protect ourselves and others. We have built up walls to separate ourselves out of love, but I fear that in doing so many of us have built up walls around our hearts as well. We have built up these walls not only to protect ourselves from the virus, but from the pain of isolation, from the fear of being hurt.
As we journey through Lent we are called to prayer and self-denial, not as if they are new tools to fortify our defences, but to allow God to enter into our most vulnerable places.
The collect assigned for this first Sunday of Lent really says it all:
Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Lent thus invites us to lower our defences and let God in through the disciplines of prayer and self-denial. These disciplines are not to be ends in themselves, but allowing new life to slip through our defences so that His risen life might transform us. God does this in an extraordinary way; He subjects Himself in Christ to temptation, to abandonment, to death on a cross. In these actions we encounter the immensity of what God does to bring us home in Jesus Christ. There is no other way, all other paths are of our own making and so cannot take us home to God; for only God knows the way to God. Lent helps us to refocus so that we may recognize God at our side.
As we cautiously re-emerge from pandemic restrictions we do not do so alone, but with God leading us, helping us see anew the gift God gives us in our life together. God leads us together, as the church of St. Margaret in-the-Pines. As we embark on a joyful giving program for Lent we are prayerfully discerning where God is at work in our life together; where God is asking each of us to think of the future; where God is asking us to respond to the needs of our parish; asking where God is leading us so that we can continue to build a healthy and vibrant community.
God’s grace has been with us throughout these past months. Now God is calling us to make the best use possible of all of our resources as we embrace the new challenges and opportunities that the upcoming months will bring. May each of us respond as we are able with generosity and love as we rejoice in our self-giving God.
Yours in Christ,
Andrew Kaye+