 ASH
WEDNESDAY DEVOTIONAL
1 John 1-3 "That which was from the beginning, which
we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,
which we looked upon and have touched with our
hands, concerning the word of life - the life was
made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to
it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was
with the Father and was made manifest to us - that
which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to
you, so that you too may have fellowship with us;
and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and
with his son Jesus Christ."
As I reflect on this Holy Day... Ash Wednesday and
the beginning of the Lenten Season... I start
thinking about the five senses that God has given us
and how God's truth can enter deep within our soul
through these five senses, and this is our
nourishment.
Some of our brothers and sisters in Christ use the
aroma of incense to communicate the precious and
sweet nature of the prayer life of the disciple. How
beautiful! This might sound strange, but when I
smell the scent of grape koolaid I am transported
about 60 miles east to the Oreana Christian Church
(where I grew up), and I witness the ladies of the
church preparing the snacks and the lessons and the
drinks for our Vacation Bible School, and I remember
countless individuals from that congregation that
served something/someone far greater than themselves
for years and years and years.
There is a reason for those senses in God's Divine
Purpose!
What about light and truth coming in
through our tactile senses or sense of touch? Do you
remember the first time you held a bible in your
hands and you felt that thin crumbly paper and you
might have thought, "Hey... this must be a special
book because it's got paper like I've never seen
before." Can the touch of someone's hand in yours or
an arm around your shoulder communicate that you are
not alone and that your Creator loves you? How about
the feeling of taking a hot plate of food, lovingly
made for you by one of God's children or the feeling
of sore arms and shoulders from helping a neighbor
move to a new home.
There is a reason for those senses in God's Divine
Purpose!
Of course our hearing hardly needs any
explanation... Romans 10:17... Faith comes by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God! Think of
the thousands of individuals that were never the
same after they heard a Billy Graham sermon for the
first time, or when a scripture they had heard 100
times at church finally made sense and lifted a
burden or brought assurance on the 101st time they
heard it! I guarantee you that I've started my day
off well, if on the way to Broadwell or Petersburg I
start to listen to good old quartet gospel music,
like the Stamps Quartet, the Statesmen Quartet, and
The Oak Ridge Quartet before they were the Oak Ridge
Boys. I crank it up loud and sing louder.
There is a reason for those senses in God's Divine
Purpose!
And then there are those tastebuds... sometimes they
lead us to excess and gluttony... sometimes they
lead us to the presence of Almighty God, especially
when we take the bread, and break it, and taste it.
Communion bread has a taste that you remember, and
hopefully every time you taste that bread you are
transported to the foot of the cross. Whether you
use grape juice or wine you know the type that you
use and you know what it tastes like. We are
compelled to become a witness anew to the passion of
your Lord as we drink the cup.
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There is a reason for those senses in God's Divine
Purpose!
And now, the part that we have all been waiting to get to... the
visuals of our worship experience... the way God uses the visible to
communicate incomprehensible truth. The Colorful Stained Glass...
the tall ceilings... the beautiful crosses... the candles burning
with the light of God's love... We have such a sense of awe as we
take in all of these visuals that are meant to increase our
appreciation of God the Creator... God the Omnipotent... God the One
who Reconciles....
There is a reason for those senses in God's Divine
Purpose!
And now we turn to a small dark, sometimes smudgy or hard to
identify cross that is applied to the forehead. This visual is not
going to lead us to celebration, and it's not meant to. This visual
is not necessarily going to give us the warm fuzzies as if we are
wrapped up in a soft blanket. The application of these ashes stands
as a small but powerful visual of humility... of penitence... of a
recognition of God's infinite nature and our finite or limited
nature... and especially a visual of grief due to the recognition of
the sin and brokenness we observe in our world communally and in our
lives personally. Taking on these ashes this evening is not really
fun... it's not really enjoyable... it's not really something that
makes you feel great as you recognize the mess that our world is in
and the messes that we have made ourselves. It's not fun to
recognize the limitations of human autonomy or human potential. I
don't see people lining up by the hundreds or thousands here in
Menard County to take on a symbol of human impotence and/or
dependence and/or helplessness.
I have gotten a lot of texts today saying: "Happy Valentine's Day,"
but I have not received any texts that said: "Happy Ash Wednesday."
I wonder why?
But even in the midst of all of that... Let us recognize with
gratitude that Ash Wednesday is leading us on a good journey to a
good place and towards a good and loving God. That little smudge
isn't just a dirty spot on the forehead... the sign of the cross is
made. The ashes speak of loss and grief and brokenness... but the
cross speaks of hope and of grace and of the plan of God to bring us
back to Himself. We are starting a journey and Christ is taking us
by the hand. The way of the cross leads home, as a beautiful old
hymn has said... but the way of the cross is also the way of grief
and repentance... the way of the cross is the way of self denial...
the way of the cross is marked with ashes.
Thanks be to God, Amen.
Ryan Edgecombe
Broadwell Christian Church
Central Presbyterian Church - Petersburg
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