Ash Wednesday
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Church Year Theological Clue
The very title of the first day of Lent - Ash Wednesday, with its opening word, "Remember, you are dust, and unto dust you shall return" - has the theological clue for its observation embedded in it; Lent has to do with the human predicament of sin and death and points to the action God takes in the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ, to resolve this situation. The cross announces forgiveness of sin, reconciles God and his children, and the resurrection completes the justification of all people, assuring the faithful that the "Easter Life" is their gift from God. From a personal perspective, Lent takes us to the cross, where we die with Jesus, and beyond it to the empty tomb of Easter, where we rise to new and eternal life with the Christ of God. Lent, when informed by this sort of a theological agenda, will be more than an annual spring retreat; it will be a time when we remember all of the gifts God has given us that we have wasted and/or thrown away, as well as the season wherein God prepares us to reclaim and make the most of them in the renewal of our baptism. The announcement of Ash Wednesday has painted every day with the blackness of death and the tomb - "Remember, you are dust, and unto dust you will return" - but the "Christ is risen" of Easter pierces that darkness and promises a new day and new life for repentant sinners.
The Prayer Of The Day
The liturgical churches have simply rewritten the traditional collect for Ash Wednesday, much as they have prescribed the traditional readings for the day. The Book Of Common Prayer version, however is almost an exact copy of the classic collect, varying primarily in the use of contemporary language in place of the King James English (mostly in the pronouns) in which the original prayer is cast: "Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."
It should be remembered that some liturgies suggest that this prayer be said first at every worship occasion "on weekdays during Lent" and is also appropriate for inclusion in one's daily devotions.
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 103 (E), which is assigned to Ash Wednesday in The Book Of Common Prayer, might be used in tandem with Psalm 51, as appointed by other liturgical churches. Psalm 51 raises the cry of the penitent during Lent: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving kindness." The baptismal foundation of what might be called an "existential Easter" emerges in verse 8: "Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; wash me and I shall be clean indeed." It also anticipates the resurrection and the new life in Jesus Christ:
Make me hear of joy and gladness,
that the body you have broken may rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
After this psalm, Psalm 103 adds its refrain:
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
and forget not all his benefits. (vv. 1, 2)
The cross is remembered by those who sing or say:
He forgives all your sins
and heals all your infirmities. (v. 3)
And Easter is affirmed in the very next verse (4):
He redeems your body from the grave
and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness;
He satisfies you with good things,
and your youth is renewed like an eagle's.
Later (v. 14) the Ash Wednesday note ("dust") surfaces and the hope of Easter is suggested:
For he himself knows whereof we are made;
He remembers that we are but dust.
And the gospel of Good Friday and Easter tells us what he has done about our predicament.
Psalm prayer (for Psalm 103, LBW) - "Lord, you have compassion for his children. Heal the weakness of your people and save us from everlasting death, that with the saints and angels we may praise and glorify you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever."
The Readings
Joel 2:12-19 - In this reading, it is God himself who issues the invitation through his word to begin the season of Lent by engaging in the penitential discipline described in this text, which is reiterated in a different form and then expanded in Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6, the Gospel for the Day. The invitation is to "return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love." With the invitation, there is also a command that is most appropriate for Ash Wednesday and the full season of Lent: "Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people." Those who respond, or in the case of Christians "keep Lent," tell the world that they know "where" their God is; he is "in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." The final part is a promise to the people of Israel; "(the Lord had pity on his people ... and said, ... 'Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil (in the eucharist for Christians - ?), and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.' God is as good as his promise; the death and resurrection of our Lord tell us that.
2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:2 - Paul's plea to the church at Corinth, "we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God," speaks specifically of the mercy God has extended to the world, to all who know themselves to be sinners, in Jesus Christ. Jesus became "sin, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." This is almost an accusation of the Corinthian congregation which might be one of our problems, too, that they have not taken the gospel as seriously as they should have, apparently not comprehending that their sin separates them from God when it goes unrecognized and unconfessed. Genuinely repentant sinners, who base their hope of forgiveness and new life on Christ, are the only ones who can really be reconciled to God, because reconciliation comes through Jesus' death on Golgotha. His plea, "we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain," points to the root of our predicament in our separation from God, assuring us that God will accept us forever in the Lord. Lent, for the Christian, "is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 (19-21) - The spiritual discipline of Lent is spelled out in detail in this gospel in the context of, as Jesus puts it, "your Father who sees in secret (and) will reward you." In the practice of "piety," Jesus lists almsgiving first and directs that it should be done secretly and without any show of generosity; to advertise one's charity, so that others may see it and praise the giver, is unacceptable to God. To those whose giving has been acknowledged by others, Jesus says, "You have already received your reward." Prayer is the second act of piety that godly persons should practice, but people dare not pray in ways that bring attention to one's religiosity; such prayer, which is done for the benefit of others and is not really directed to God, is hypocritical and, therefore, worthless. Fasting, which is the last of the three acts of piety in Jesus' teaching, and is almost unknown among Americans, is also a spiritual exercise that has no merit unless it is performed to heighten one's sense of self-denial and the quest for the presence of God. In his 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus engaged in two of these disciplines and did so in a one-on-one relationship with his heavenly Father. This, no doubt, sustained him when the Tempter tried to win him over to himself. When we follow his example, these devotional actions are not only expressions of penitence and self-denial, but are also signs of our complete dependence for salvation upon Jesus Christ, who is our treasure. He is the one who claims our hearts for as long as we live, for he alone is our salvation. Our almsgiving, prayers, and fasting are expressions of our gratitude and love, as well as repentance.
(Note: One of the puzzles about this traditional gospel is that the Lord's Prayer has been omitted in the Ash Wednesday penicope. Since Jesus gave it to the disciples to teach them how to pray, it might be used for mid-week preaching, or, in some situations that are isolated by pastoral exegesis, as a Sunday sermon series.)
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
A sermon that combines the first reading - Joel 2:12-19 (RC, L, C); 2:1-2, 12-17 (E) - and the gospel for Ash Wednesday - Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 - with the opening word of Lent - Genesis 3:19: "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return" - "Nightmare."
Life would be something of a nightmare, if our thoughts continually turned to death and nothingness. In an old Clint Eastwood movie, The Ballad Of Josie Wales, Eastwood's young companion is shot as they escape an ambush, and he blurts out, sweat pouring from his face, "I'm afraid to die." This first word of Lent, "Remember, you are dust, and to dust you shall return," makes the sweat pour out upon our foreheads and faces if we have no hope of forgiveness and deliverance from death in Jesus Christ. It reminds us even if we do not fear death, or our mortality, our hope in Jesus Christ needs to be renewed.
1. On this day, the mark of a cross is renewed with ashes, reminding us that, as with all humans, we are marked for death with Adam and Eve; we are born to die, and the death process begins with our birth.
2. Ash Wednesday reminds us that we need to be washed clean of our sin, and that our hope in Christ needs to be renewed. Perhaps the cross, which has been marked on our foreheads with water or oil, as well as with ashes, has become blurred and almost invisible by our sin. The ashes need to be washed away.
3. With Easter comes the offer of new life in the renewal of our baptism and our baptismal vows; the water of baptism at Easter washes away the ashes and the cross that has been smudged by our sin.
4. In the meantime, our business is, with the "cross of ashes" on our foreheads and in our hearts, to enter into the discipline of charity, prayer, and fasting, keeping Lent as a feast that culminates in the celebration of resurrection and the life of the world to come.
The very title of the first day of Lent - Ash Wednesday, with its opening word, "Remember, you are dust, and unto dust you shall return" - has the theological clue for its observation embedded in it; Lent has to do with the human predicament of sin and death and points to the action God takes in the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ, to resolve this situation. The cross announces forgiveness of sin, reconciles God and his children, and the resurrection completes the justification of all people, assuring the faithful that the "Easter Life" is their gift from God. From a personal perspective, Lent takes us to the cross, where we die with Jesus, and beyond it to the empty tomb of Easter, where we rise to new and eternal life with the Christ of God. Lent, when informed by this sort of a theological agenda, will be more than an annual spring retreat; it will be a time when we remember all of the gifts God has given us that we have wasted and/or thrown away, as well as the season wherein God prepares us to reclaim and make the most of them in the renewal of our baptism. The announcement of Ash Wednesday has painted every day with the blackness of death and the tomb - "Remember, you are dust, and unto dust you will return" - but the "Christ is risen" of Easter pierces that darkness and promises a new day and new life for repentant sinners.
The Prayer Of The Day
The liturgical churches have simply rewritten the traditional collect for Ash Wednesday, much as they have prescribed the traditional readings for the day. The Book Of Common Prayer version, however is almost an exact copy of the classic collect, varying primarily in the use of contemporary language in place of the King James English (mostly in the pronouns) in which the original prayer is cast: "Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."
It should be remembered that some liturgies suggest that this prayer be said first at every worship occasion "on weekdays during Lent" and is also appropriate for inclusion in one's daily devotions.
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 103 (E), which is assigned to Ash Wednesday in The Book Of Common Prayer, might be used in tandem with Psalm 51, as appointed by other liturgical churches. Psalm 51 raises the cry of the penitent during Lent: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving kindness." The baptismal foundation of what might be called an "existential Easter" emerges in verse 8: "Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; wash me and I shall be clean indeed." It also anticipates the resurrection and the new life in Jesus Christ:
Make me hear of joy and gladness,
that the body you have broken may rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
After this psalm, Psalm 103 adds its refrain:
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
and forget not all his benefits. (vv. 1, 2)
The cross is remembered by those who sing or say:
He forgives all your sins
and heals all your infirmities. (v. 3)
And Easter is affirmed in the very next verse (4):
He redeems your body from the grave
and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness;
He satisfies you with good things,
and your youth is renewed like an eagle's.
Later (v. 14) the Ash Wednesday note ("dust") surfaces and the hope of Easter is suggested:
For he himself knows whereof we are made;
He remembers that we are but dust.
And the gospel of Good Friday and Easter tells us what he has done about our predicament.
Psalm prayer (for Psalm 103, LBW) - "Lord, you have compassion for his children. Heal the weakness of your people and save us from everlasting death, that with the saints and angels we may praise and glorify you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever."
The Readings
Joel 2:12-19 - In this reading, it is God himself who issues the invitation through his word to begin the season of Lent by engaging in the penitential discipline described in this text, which is reiterated in a different form and then expanded in Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6, the Gospel for the Day. The invitation is to "return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love." With the invitation, there is also a command that is most appropriate for Ash Wednesday and the full season of Lent: "Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people." Those who respond, or in the case of Christians "keep Lent," tell the world that they know "where" their God is; he is "in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." The final part is a promise to the people of Israel; "(the Lord had pity on his people ... and said, ... 'Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil (in the eucharist for Christians - ?), and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.' God is as good as his promise; the death and resurrection of our Lord tell us that.
2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:2 - Paul's plea to the church at Corinth, "we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God," speaks specifically of the mercy God has extended to the world, to all who know themselves to be sinners, in Jesus Christ. Jesus became "sin, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." This is almost an accusation of the Corinthian congregation which might be one of our problems, too, that they have not taken the gospel as seriously as they should have, apparently not comprehending that their sin separates them from God when it goes unrecognized and unconfessed. Genuinely repentant sinners, who base their hope of forgiveness and new life on Christ, are the only ones who can really be reconciled to God, because reconciliation comes through Jesus' death on Golgotha. His plea, "we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain," points to the root of our predicament in our separation from God, assuring us that God will accept us forever in the Lord. Lent, for the Christian, "is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 (19-21) - The spiritual discipline of Lent is spelled out in detail in this gospel in the context of, as Jesus puts it, "your Father who sees in secret (and) will reward you." In the practice of "piety," Jesus lists almsgiving first and directs that it should be done secretly and without any show of generosity; to advertise one's charity, so that others may see it and praise the giver, is unacceptable to God. To those whose giving has been acknowledged by others, Jesus says, "You have already received your reward." Prayer is the second act of piety that godly persons should practice, but people dare not pray in ways that bring attention to one's religiosity; such prayer, which is done for the benefit of others and is not really directed to God, is hypocritical and, therefore, worthless. Fasting, which is the last of the three acts of piety in Jesus' teaching, and is almost unknown among Americans, is also a spiritual exercise that has no merit unless it is performed to heighten one's sense of self-denial and the quest for the presence of God. In his 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus engaged in two of these disciplines and did so in a one-on-one relationship with his heavenly Father. This, no doubt, sustained him when the Tempter tried to win him over to himself. When we follow his example, these devotional actions are not only expressions of penitence and self-denial, but are also signs of our complete dependence for salvation upon Jesus Christ, who is our treasure. He is the one who claims our hearts for as long as we live, for he alone is our salvation. Our almsgiving, prayers, and fasting are expressions of our gratitude and love, as well as repentance.
(Note: One of the puzzles about this traditional gospel is that the Lord's Prayer has been omitted in the Ash Wednesday penicope. Since Jesus gave it to the disciples to teach them how to pray, it might be used for mid-week preaching, or, in some situations that are isolated by pastoral exegesis, as a Sunday sermon series.)
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
A sermon that combines the first reading - Joel 2:12-19 (RC, L, C); 2:1-2, 12-17 (E) - and the gospel for Ash Wednesday - Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 - with the opening word of Lent - Genesis 3:19: "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return" - "Nightmare."
Life would be something of a nightmare, if our thoughts continually turned to death and nothingness. In an old Clint Eastwood movie, The Ballad Of Josie Wales, Eastwood's young companion is shot as they escape an ambush, and he blurts out, sweat pouring from his face, "I'm afraid to die." This first word of Lent, "Remember, you are dust, and to dust you shall return," makes the sweat pour out upon our foreheads and faces if we have no hope of forgiveness and deliverance from death in Jesus Christ. It reminds us even if we do not fear death, or our mortality, our hope in Jesus Christ needs to be renewed.
1. On this day, the mark of a cross is renewed with ashes, reminding us that, as with all humans, we are marked for death with Adam and Eve; we are born to die, and the death process begins with our birth.
2. Ash Wednesday reminds us that we need to be washed clean of our sin, and that our hope in Christ needs to be renewed. Perhaps the cross, which has been marked on our foreheads with water or oil, as well as with ashes, has become blurred and almost invisible by our sin. The ashes need to be washed away.
3. With Easter comes the offer of new life in the renewal of our baptism and our baptismal vows; the water of baptism at Easter washes away the ashes and the cross that has been smudged by our sin.
4. In the meantime, our business is, with the "cross of ashes" on our foreheads and in our hearts, to enter into the discipline of charity, prayer, and fasting, keeping Lent as a feast that culminates in the celebration of resurrection and the life of the world to come.
