“Ash Wednesday is the beginning of a 40-day "season of spiritual refreshing" called Lent. The word Lent translates from a Middle English word that means "spring." In a real sense, Lent can be a 40-day springtime for the soul. A time of planting, nurture and God's care.” -
REV.DARRELL STUEHRENBERG in the Florida Sun-Sentinel, 2001.
I do not observe Ash Wednesday and Lent out of a sense of requirement or rigid, compulsory duty. In some ways I do not necessarily observe it at all. But I do see it as an opportunity to seek Christ, come out of myself and spring into deeper relationship with Christ crucified. Today we begin this journey towards “springtime.” We do so through the lenses of readings in “Bread and Wine” grounded in the revealed reality of Christ in scripture.
Today's reading is “My Messy House” by Kathleen Norris. Norris talks about teaching the Psalms to children and their honesty in constructing personal Psalms. One child wrote about “The Monster Who was Sorry,” the repentant monster sits in his messy room destroyed out of his own anger and laments, “I shouldn’t have done all that.” Our preparation towards the joy of spring begins with continued recognition of our own messiness. We must not fall into a self loathing despair, but sincerely apologize to God and perhaps others then go forward. Today, Ash Wednesday, we sit and say we’re sorry. All the while clinging to the love of a merciful God who invites are honesty, accepts our brokenness, and happily forgives.