Father Gary’s Sermon
Inspired from Matthew 6:1-6,16-21
Proclaimed on February 25, 2004

Lent is a strange and unknown phenomenon to many people around us. In his book Easy on the Alleluias, Harry: A Collection of Episcopal Church Humor, pens this wonderful little story entitled, “Kids.”

Two young teenage boys are having a conversation. One says to the other, “I’ve decided to give up pot for Lent.” The other one replies, “What’s that?” “You know,” says the first boy, “it’s that stuff you roll into cigarettes, and you smoke and it makes you high.” To which his friend retorts “I know what pot is, what’s Lent?”

Lent, for all of us that need to be reminded, is that traditional time of the year, when Christians become more reflective, look into their own hearts with the light of Christ, to view those things that are askew, repent of them, and then seek to make them right again. It is an intentional 40 days of spiritual renewal. Though Lent has a long history it has not always been 40 days long. In the first century it was only 40 hours long in observance to the time Jesus' body was in the tomb. In the third century it was lengthened to 6 days and known then as Holy Week. Eventually it was expanded to 36 days to be a dedicated tithing of our time to the Lord based on a 365-day year. This time was expanded 4 more days by 731 A.D. to make it an even 40 days, the length of time Jesus spent in the wilderness before his ministry was launched.

The season is begun on Ash Wednesday, named because of the imposition of ashes. On most all other occasions the early Christians always had the waters of baptism before them. However, because the wilderness is a place absent of water, ashes replaced the baptismal waters. In ancient times people in grief and repentance often tore their clothes and covered themselves with ashes. For the Christian, this was a sign of our mortality--a mortality forced upon us because of our sin. Therefore, the ashes remind us not only of our sinfulness, but also of our shortness of life. But in ancient times ashes were also used for soap, a sort of a cleansing agent. So, today we enter a season of Ashes. Hopefully, for each of us, it will serve as a time of change, refreshment, and renewal.

Now mind you, not everyone is going to appreciate any changes that Lent may bring into our lives. Tony Campolo, the chairman of the Dept. of Sociology at Eastern College, knew a man who was falling out of love with his wife. Seeking assistance from a friend one day, this man was given advice, on how to revive his marriage. A few days later, this man called Campolo to share what had happened. “Every day I leave for work, put in a hard day, and come home tired and testy. I go to the refrigerator, get a beer, and then watch television until supper. On the advice of my friend I decided to do something different. First, before leaving work, I shaved and freshened up. On the way home I stopped at a florist, and bought a bouquet of roses. When I got home, instead of going to the back door I went to the front door and rang the bell. My wife opened the door, took one look at me, and started to cry. When I asked her what was wrong, she said, “It's been a horrible day. First Billy broke his foot and had to have it put into a cast. I no sooner get home from the hospital than your mother calls and tells me she is thinking about visiting us for three weeks. Then I try to wash some clothes and the #!** washing machine breaks, spewing water all over the basement--and now you, you have topped the list! YOU HAVE TO COME HOME DRUNK!!!”

Sometimes changes made for the best of reasons are not always understood nor fully appreciated. Regardless, we still must make them; we still must undergo Lent. Why? Perhaps the words of a nine-year-old girl can say it best. “When you are put here, it’s for a reason. The Lord wants you to do something. If you don't know what, then you’ve got to try hard to find out. It may take time. You may make mistakes. But if you pray, He’ll lead you to your direction. Now he won’t hand you a piece of paper with a map on it! No, sir. He’ll whisper something, and at first you may not even hear, but if you have trust in Him and you keep turning to Him, it will be all right.”

Lent is our time to make it all right; first for God, then for others, and finally, for ourselves.