25 February 2009

Ash Wednesday

The Rev'd Lloyd Prator

New York City

Isaiah 58:1-12
II Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Both the Old Testament and the Gospel deal with the problem of practicing piety before others in order to be seen by them. Making a big deal about piety in order to impress others. Isaiah says that Israel made an effort to serve only their own interests on fasting days, they used fasting days as opportunities to quarrel and fight. The prophet, on the other hand, urges the faithful to make their fasting an opportunity to remove the yoke of social injustices and ease the pain of the afflicted.

What is the purpose of fasting, what is the significance of the ashes that we may place upon our foreheads?

As a youngster, I attended a church that did not provide ashes on Ash Wednesday—it always made me feel as if a little something was missing. “Why do we call it ash Wednesday” I asked the minister. ‘Hm” he thought, “because all of us will be ashes one day,” he said grimly, hoping that would do it. I thought that might be a good answer. But I was always vaguely envious of the other kids in class who had ashes because they were “Catholics” that peculiar faith that had all the mysterious ceremonial and the church down G Street called the Church of the Most Holy Rosary. Not too many Methodist churches were named that way.

I always had some sense that there was something going on in those traditions that embraced a more colorful set of detailed practices of personal piety.

And, indeed, when you dig deeper, there is something important going on.

First, the custom of ashes speaks of our own mortality. The ashes make us aware, in case there was any doubt, that we are not God, we must face our own death. We are reminded that it is deeply sinful for us to put ourselves in the place of God. We do this whenever we think more highly of ourselves than we ought do, when we put ourselves ahead of others and excoriate others in order to achieve position and prominence. Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return. Genesis tells us we were formed from the dust, and at the end of our lives, when our mortal bodies are buried, dirt, which is like dust, is cast upon them.

Second, ashes speak of our need for humility. Humility is not a popular virtue these days, having become confused, I think, with humiliation. Humiliation is what we do to hurt others; humility is what we do to remind us of who we are. The virtue of humility means many things, but I think that for our purposes today, the virtue of humility means taking ones place in community without degrading or dominating others. Being humble in the eyes of God means taking your proper place among others whom God has created. So ashes speak of humility within community.

Third, ashes are related to dirt---as I suggested in talking about our death and burial a few moments ago---and dirt is the source of new life and growth. As I wrote this homily this afternoon, I noted that it was beginning to get warmer. Not spring, yet, but it will not be long until there will be some signs of new life and growth within the created order. And, since Lent ends in easter, it is useful, I think, to consider that Lent is a time for our dirt to be cultivated, our roots to sink deeper, and our energies prepared for green leaves and blossom. When you receive your ashes, consider how you might be offering yourself to be a place where God might grow something new and good.

But the main thing is this: The custom of ashes is a symbol of ones relationship to God and one’s relationship within community. It is not meant to be a public display of piety or a sign of religious excellence. If you want to make it private between yourself and God and among the community, you might use one of the towels provided at the end of the nave to remove the ashes before you leave church. If you leave with the ashes, remember that they don’t speak of your own religious excellence, they speak of the power of God to give new life to the mortal, to create genuine humility, and to lead his people to new life and new growth in this Lenten spring.