Sermon for Mid-Lent

Springtime of Suffering

            Pastor Ed asked me a while ago if I would conduct the Ash Wednesday service. I have trouble saying “No” to Ed, so I agreed. Ed said it would be no trouble; he gave me a script and a decorative pot of ashes; and told me all I had to do was show up, look knowledgeable, and read the script.

            When I was the fifth grade or so, I remember kids coming to school with ashes on their foreheads. I was aware that it was Ash Wednesday, but I assumed the observance and ritual of the ashes was a Catholic thing. I didn’t pay much attention. It was before I started going to church, and it had nothing to do with baseball or football, so I pretty much ignored it. Billie said she didn’t remember kids with ashes on their heads and, although she went to church, had never heard of Ash Wednesday until she was in college. So, I did la little research and changed Pastor Ed’s script.

            As expected, we didn’t have a huge crowd for the service, but I thought I would explain why we were there. I knew that Ash Wednesday was the day after Mardi Gras and marked the first day of Lent, but that was about it. When I asked Google, I was told that I couldn’t understand Ash Wednesday unless I first understood Lent. The word itself is from the Dutch “Lente” or German “Lenten” and means springtime of suffering. Back before we had refrigeration or Amazon home delivery, late winter and early spring were times when the food that was cached away last fall began to runout. The impact of a lean harvest didn’t show up until early spring. If the harvest was lean enough spring was the time of famine.

            Why forty days? Forty is a common number in the Bible. Israel wandered in the desert for forty years. Elija fasted for forty days before he was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. Moses fasted for forty days before he received the Ten Commandments. Christ, himself, fasted and was tested for forty days in the desert before He began his ministry. Thus, there is ample Biblical precedent for forty days of fasting, but nowhere in the Bible can we find forty days of fasting and sacrifice before the first Easter. In other words, neither Ash Wednesday nor Lent are Biblical. They appear to be rituals created by the church. But that is not necessarily a bad thing.

            When we were in Spain we happened onto a celebration of the Virgin of the Snows, one of the local patron saints. It was a wonderful Christian centered, community celebration – not a bad thing. How about Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is not Biblical, but it is a special day we set aside to thank God for what we have. Again, not a bad thing. Also, when you dig into Scripture, you will find similar celebrations. So maybe Thanksgiving is not totally un-Biblical. When I researched along that line, I found the same is true of Lent. What was Christ doing during the forty days before the crucifixion and resurrection? I find it difficult if not impossible to put an exact timeline on the ministry of Jesus. I have tried. We know the time of the Transfiguration was three weeks ago. And we know that Jesus raised Lazarus the week before his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, but although we don’t know the exact timing of each event, we know that He was preaching, healing, and most importantly for us today; he was preparing his followers for his crucifixion and resurrection. That is Lent folks. It is the time of preparation for the crucifixion and resurrection of the Messiah. It is the time for his followers, you and me, to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

That is why we were here on Ash Wednesday. That is why we are here in the midst of Lent today. Which leads me into a more general question. Why are we here on any day. Why do we come to church? Many of us come for social interaction. That is not a bad thing. I first came to church 70 years ago because some of the guys on our baseball team invited me to vacation Bible School. I came for the fellowship, but that is not the reason I stayed. I know some widowers who came to church to find single women their age. But that isn’t the reason they stayed. Some come for various reasons and end up staying even when the original reason has passed. That isn’t a bad thing.

Why are we here? I can’t answer for everyone; I can only answer for me. I explained that Vacation Bible first got me to church But I stayed and I come today for different reasons. That Vacation Bible School when I was twelve years old introduced me briefly to Scripture, to God, and to Jesus. It was a very brief introduction and I wanted to understand more, so I started going to church. I rode my bicycle the two miles from our farm to town. My siblings will tell you that after a few weeks or so, Mom made the others come also and she would drive us on Sunday morning, drop us off, shop at the supermarket, then come back to pick us up. After a while I developed a relationship with Christ. That’s why I am here today. Your reason for being here may be a little different. I think, however, it is beneficial to our relationship with Christ to ask ourselves the question, “Why are we here?”  For me it is these kinds of questions that makes me grow spiritually.

Pray with me. Thank you, God for being there when I need you. Thank you, Jesus for guiding me when I need guidance. Thank you, God for making me whole. Amen