Shmootz on Foreheads

Chances are you’ll see a bunch of folks walking around with shmootz on their foreheads this Wednesday.

I’ve been asked, Pastor: Where can I find 'Ash Wednesday' in the Bible? My answer: You can’t, it’s not there. Crickets. My reply coupled with their silence is almost like permission not to participate in Ash Wednesday. However, I do share this: Ashes are spoken of in the cannonical writings. Two uses are worth exploring. They include: Repentance & Mortality. These two may very well be the Siamese-Twins, the dual themes of Ash Wednesday. They speak of harsh realities, contrition and death. Uncomfortable topics for most of us.  

Repentance. The Bible frequently speaks of “repenting in sackcloth and ashes.” Jesus spoke of repenting like this in Matthew 11:20-22. In the Hebrew Scriptures there is a tradition of donning ashes as a sign of penitence - this predates Jesus. Job repents “in dust and ashes.” Other OT Scriptures touch on the dusty subject too. 

Mortality, death.The writer of Ecclesiastes wrote there is a time for everything, including death. Ashes remind us of our mortality. We are made of dust and to dust we shall return. Modern man is  often uncomfortable, even offended, by the subject — we steadfastly balk, even refuse, to contemplate our own death. 

Ancient Rhythms. Lent is the journey, the story, of Jesus’ trek to the cross. It’s the forty days of preparation, a time to recall, retell and relive not only the Jesus story, but our own too. Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season are both Biblical and spiritual practices. So perhaps on this first day of Lent, as we begin this intentional season of reflection and preparation, we as CS Lewis wrote: “…bring all of us [to] … reflection so we might stare deeply in the face of our Messiah and be changed, broken and redeemed…” #pkes
#MininstryinMotion