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Ash Wednesday

Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.

A needed reminder of our mortality. Of the fleetingness of this life.

So fragile. So short. So precious.

To be cherished. Savored. Appreciated.

Lent is a time to recalibrate our perspective. It is a time to zoom in on that which is of God. It is a time to zoom out and see the big picture.

And it is a time to chip away at the obstacles, the busy-ness, the anxiety, and the fear that prevent us from seeing the beauty of our lives, of God and of Creation.

Lent. We are lent these 40 days each year. Holy days as all days are holy. To look more deeply and see.

Will you give something up? Will that remind you of all you still have? Will it make you more conscious of your spiritual journey? Will you take something on? Something that will bring you closer to God? Something that will bring you closer to the way of Jesus? Will you observe a special spiritual practice for Lent? Read a Psalm a day and look for the word that is being spoken to you from those ancient words? Will you read the daily devotions at the church website? Will you observe a time of silence each day and see what happens?

Choose carefully for your Lenten discipline will change your life!

In surprising ways.

“Then Jacob tore his garments, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and all his daughters sought to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and said, ‘No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.’” Genesis 37:34-35, NRSV

Have you ever been green? Not with seasickness but with jealousy or envy? Maybe it was over a boyfriend or girlfriend. Maybe it was sibling rivalry. “Mom loves you more.” “No, she does not. She’s always favoring you, and it’s just not fair.” Maybe you are jealous of a classmate who is the teacher’s pet. Your work is better, but s/he gets better grades. What to do about jealousy?

The saga of Joseph includes a story of jealousy par excellence! Joseph is one of 12 male children in the family which includes several wives and one father, Jacob (aka Israel). The brothers are jealous of Joseph. He is the father’s favorite; that he is the apple of Jacob’s eye. Jacob even gives Joseph a special robe which has become known as the “coat of many colors.” We can well imagine how years of this favored treatment made the brothers hot with jealousy. We’re told, “they hated him.” (Gen. 37:4)

Then there were the dreams. The brothers bowing down to Joseph. The parents bowing down to Joseph. In a cultural that placed a very high value on respect for elders and filial piety, this was blatant insubordination. That was the last straw. The one that broke the camel’s back. Now, we are told, “they hated him even more.” (Gen.. 37:5) The brothers are just waiting for the right moment to take their revenge.

What about Joseph? Was he lording it over his brothers? Showing off his coat? Milking Jacob’s good will to get his way? Using his father’s favor against his brothers? Or was he oblivious to his father’s preference? Was he naive and innocent? We don’t know.

We are told, however, that the brothers take action. They are in an outlying area tending the sheep. Jacob sends Joseph to check on them. Off he goes. They have him alone, away from home. The perfect opportunity. Plan A is to kill him, throw him in a pit, and take back the precious cloak covered with blood and tell the father that he was killed by a wild animal. One brother, Reuben, puts the breaks on killing Joseph, hoping to find a way to rescue him from the pit. So Joseph is cast into the pit. That would probably lead to his death but not directly at their hands. An easier out? Softer on the conscience? Over lunch, they are still discussing killing Joseph when they see a caravan coming. Why not sell Joseph into slavery? They won’t be responsible for his death, but they’ll be rid of him and get paid for it to boot. They’ll still use the coat soaked in blood and the wild animal story with the father. The perfect solution! They are rid of the pest.

This whole terrible tale and the sorrow it spawns is the result of jealousy. Jealousy can bring out our worst. It can lead us to do things which are entirely against our truest values and moral code. Jealousy can make us ugly.

Lent is a time to examine our lives and consider the condition of our souls. It’s an appropriate time to consider jealousy. Is there anyone you are jealous of? Are you harboring unresolved jealousy? Do you sense embryonic jealousy in your spirit? This is something to give up, to release, to relinquish. This will lighten your spirit and unburden you. Don’t let jealousy lead you to betray yourself through hurtful actions.

Prayer
There is plenty of pain and suffering in this life. There are accidents and illness and natural disasters. Let us not add to the grief of the world by lashing out in jealousy and creating more sorrow for ourselves and others. Amen.

“For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night.” Psalm 90:4

Our dog, Fergus, is an amazing creature. He is a prime example of the beauty of genetic adaptation. Unlike our other dogs that have “normal” hair, Fergus has deep, thick, long fur perfectly suited to life as a water dog in a cold climate. It is truly a coat befitting a Newfoundland.

Fergus gets a thorough brushing about three or four times a year. Why so rarely? Well, it is an undertaking. I brush for hours and days usually over the course of about a week. That’s what it takes to get his coat completely smoothed out. But it takes time. And patience. His and mine.

Many things take time even in our instant information age. Lent is forty days. The story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness tells us he was tested for forty days. Not just an overnight endurance ordeal. Not just a transforming dream. Not a magical zap of some kind. Jesus’ time of temptation and testing which would prepare him for his ministry is presented as a long, drawn out process. Some important things simply take time.

The story of Joseph which we will think about over the course of Lent is also a long saga of a life time. God’s redeeming love appears over the course of many years in the story of Joseph. It’s not a story of immediate gratification by any means.

Lent is not a quick fix. Forty days. Time for something significant to happen if we let it. If we persevere. If we are pay attention.

Prayer
We know that change comes though it may be slow. May we look, watch, notice, explore and discover these 40 days of Lent. Redeeming love is present and powerful. Amen.