The Witness of Ashes

Title: The Witness of Ashes

Date: February 17 1988 - Ash Wednesday

Readings: Joel 2:12-18 / Psalm 51:3-4,5-6,12-13,14,17 / 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 / Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

I will keep my words this morning brief since I know that many of you are on tight schedules and that it will take additional time to distribute ashes. However, it would be remiss of me if I failed altogether to offer you a few words about today and the season of Lent. We so often think of this as a time of giving up things; it is much more than that. Indeed, it is a special period in which we wean a few things out of our life so that we might have more space to reflect upon God and what he has done for us. The ashes stand forth as a symbol of our mortality and of the vain pursuits for earthly treasure. We are called to turn away from sin and to receive the Good News that the Jesus who is Lord has come to rescue us from our folly. Our recognition of our indebtedness to God and our utter dependence upon him is a key theme to the Lenten season.

We so often seek recognition and praise, even for the charitable and loving things we do. However, the only eyes that matter are God's. He sees everything. It is a bit ironic that although we might want others to see our generosity, the ashes we wear on our foreheads often embarrass us. I know a number of people who quickly rub them off as they leave. I would urge you to keep those crosses of ash upon your foreheads today; not as something to make us pompous, but rather as a witness to our faith.