2nd Chances: Pastoral Reflections

Funny

New...

New Year
New Life
Waiting to arrive

New Anticipation
New Promises
Waiting to be seen

New Hope
New Blessings
Thank God

What is Ash Wednesday?

Lent is a season full of special days and rituals.  Some of these are not familiar to everyone in our church.  I’m going to try to explain Ash Wednesday for you today and next month I will write about Palm Sunday and Holy Week.  I hope that this makes the Lenten season more meaningful for you.

 Ash Wednesday is always the first day of Lent.  Lent is a season that focuses on prayer, reflection and forgiveness and is practiced by many Christians denominations.  Ash Wednesday’s date varies from year to year, both the month of February or March, and this makes Easter “early” or “late”.  On Ash Wednesday evening, we go to church, hear the story of Jesus’s death and receive ashes on our foreheads.  I mark each person’s forehead with a cross of ashes saying "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." The shape of the cross is important because it reminds us that in Jesus’ cross we are forgiven.  The same cross is marked on our foreheads with oil at our baptism. 

Where do the ashes come from?
The ashes consist of burned palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday service. The ashes are blessed by the pastor.  The ashes are mixed with a little oil to make them stickier.

Why do we use ashes?
Ashes represent humility and sacrifice for those who wear them.  In olden days of the Bible, sack cloth and ashes was a sign of mourning.  Later in Christian history ashes were sprinkled with ashes and sackcloths worn by people who committed serious sins.  They were also turned away from church for the whole season of Lent until Holy (Maundy) Thursday, by which time they had made penance for their sins. We don’t do this anymore.  The sign of the cross is a sign of forgiveness, not indictment. Jesus death frees us from sin and God forgives us our sins.. This is what we celebrate on Ash Wednesday.

Why do some people fast on Ash Wednesday and other days of Lent?
Fasting, or not eating certain foods or any food at all,  is part of the Lenten season for some Christians.  The Lutheran church does not require fasting, and health practices must come first as well.  Fasting is a spiritual practice that can help us to focus on God, as can prayer, meditation, Bible reading, doing service for others and coming to church.  Catholics and members of some other denominations do not eat meat on all Fridays during Lent.  Again, Lutheran practice does not require this, thought you are certainly willing to continue if this has been your practice.

How long does Lent last?
Lent is the period of time from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, and lasts six and a half weeks. The final week of Lent is called Holy Week. During this period, Christians reflect specifically on the last days of Jesus Christ's life. During Lent, Christians practice the spiritual disciplines of praying, fasting, repenting of their sins, and making changes and sacrifices in their lives. During Holy week we have services on Thursday, Friday and Sunday for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter respectively. 

See you in church!
Pastor Jennie
jennieswanson@sbcglobal.net
630-479-1970

 

Be open to hear the voice of God

“Tell John what you have seen and heard,; the blind can see, the lame can walk…Good News is preached to the poor.”  From John 1

John the Baptist is an interesting Biblical character.  He gets the reputation of being a rugged, stinky, rough riding evangelist who eats bugs.  He isn’t the kind of person I might give much credence to if I were to hear him, in fact I may reject him altogether because he is so different than me. I think sometimes we miss seeing his true character with this limited description. 

John looked for something different in life.  He preferred to sleep under the stars rather than in town.  He envisioned God in the splendor of the mountains, in the wind of the desert, in the openness of the night sky.  He saw people as creatures needing redeeming, fully separated from God by what most seek as pleasures of the flesh, as opposed to pleasures of the soul.  He called people to follow a new road, a holy calling, a sacred path and to surrender everything. 

I think if we were to talk to John now we would find a passionate man with a quiet soul, a voice of wisdom and a humbleness of spirit.  This is what Jesus saw in his cousin, the one he came to for baptism into his life and ministry.  He knew that despite his outer appearance, despite his self doubt, John had seen the face of God in his searching for truth, and Jesus saw a purity of faith in him that was a perfect launch for his ministry to God’s people. 

John saw that Jesus was “the real thing”.  Many listened to him.  Would we today?  I don’t know.  I think that we often reject those who don’t fit the norm of our society and tend to listen to people who are more like us.  It’s important to consider what those who are different than us say about their faith, their experience with God.  It may just be that God is using those who don’t fit the mold to show us a side of Christ we wouldn’t see otherwise. 

Be open to hear the voice of God through all the people God puts into your life.  You may find a prophet among them.

 

Who fills your bucket?

Who fills your bucket?

A friend once told me that we all walk around in life carrying a bucket.  It holds our energy, our love, our time, our effort. We give and give and give from this bucket everyday.  If we let it run out there is nothing left.  I try to remember to refill my bucket everyday.

 

What are the tasks that you make sure to do everyday?  Gardening is one of my daily chores.  Then there is email of course, along with reading, homework, housework.  I cook every day (almost every day). I am good at these things because I practice them, but sometimes they wear me out.

 

These are the items that you can check off your list, to give a sense of accomplishment and a sense that the list is getting smaller.  Other things, though, are more intangible, and still influence our habits and attitudes.  They can work to make us happier or keep us down.  It is important to keep a balance.  How do you keep your balance?

 

Every day I begin my day (still with my head on the pillow) with a prayerful review of my day.   It helps me to get me head around what I need to accomplish and reminds me that I don’t have to do it alone.  God is with me. Who do you plan your day with?

 

Everyday I try to remember to find someone to encourage, to wish well or to visit with.  I try to notice the good weather if we have it, be thankful for my home, my health and my family. Being intentional about caring, even just being nice, improves my mood and gets me out of the funk I sometimes find myself in.  It keeps me positive. How do you stay positive?

 

Everyday I try to take some time for myself.  This usually happens in the garden in the morning with my coffee.  Sometimes it’s a nap on Sunday afternoon.  Maybe its designated time to read something that is not required reading. I need this time, we all do, to rest and recuperate.

 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

 

See you in Church,
Pastor Jennie