Ash Wednesday “Eve”

21 Feb Ash Wednesday “Eve”

Hi everyone!

As I type these words…we’re 24 hours from Ash Wednesday Worship @ 7:00 p.m. in the Guide Hall. (22^nd February)

It’s been interesting listening to various media personalities try to explain the significance of “Pancake Tuesday” and Ash Wednesday.

Properly named “Shrove Tuesday” or in some countries “Fat Tuesday,” the night before Ash Wednesday was intended to imitate the ancient Passover custom of clearing the house of all luxury food items; especially sugar. So pancakes were made in abundance to use up the sugar & syrupy toppings & the fat for frying in preparation for the austerity of the season of Lent.

It was a day of preparation, knowing in advance that the season of self-discipline was arriving. It was not ever intended to be a day of high frivolity & debauchery. “Mardi Gras” is French for “Fat Tuesday.” (literally “Tuesday Fat”) Many cultures have seen a similar corruption of the Shrove Tuesday Christian tradition that we now see in Mardi Gras festivals around the world. So…worship 7:00 p.m. Great chance to invite someone you know who might not fully understand Jesus just yet.

And as is our custom…Zoom Bible Study Catch-up – Friday – 24th February 2023 @ 1:00 PM 

Join Zoom Meeting  —  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83586782734  —  Meeting ID: 835 8678 2734  We’re picking up from last Sunday Matthew 25:14-30 & Ephesians 3:14-21. The more the merrier!

 

I am always indebted to Living Water folks who often serve me by being my cultural radar. When you see something interesting or unusual I love it when you can point me to it. Sunday Judi mentioned an  ALDI commercial that suggested human life on earth emerged from “the nuclear ash of dead stars.”   (link here – https://youtube.com/watch?v=xTQB-bxgsrE&feature=share ) Well…if you watch the ad you see the whole evolution theory laid out but then the ad-makers stumble into a profound truth. I’ll quote them: “How special that anything exists at all” – That is true. Creation is fundamentally unnecessary. Nothing HAS TO BE here. Anything & everything IS HERE because God wanted it here & loves all that he has made. It is special that anything exists at all…but not the way they imply. You are not a dead star reborn by accident, chance & a few billion years of mutation. YOU are beloved of God from before the first star shone in the sky in response to the Father’s “Let there be.” YOU are redeemed in Christ & filled by the Holy Spirit with the life & power of the risen Jesus. YOU are called & gifted beyond your wildest dreams or desires for the work of widening the reach of God’s Kingdom of love & restoration. That’s pretty special even if you can’t buy it at ALDI.

 

Speaking of being called & gifted to live out the mission Christ gave to us…I came across a great little piece of encouragement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIk8kOARYGQ  It’s four minutes long & the guy is quite good. His point…Mission (doing the work Jesus set for us in widening the reach of his grace in our world) isn’t about doing more. He says something like what we touched on in worship over the last month… Mission is about sharing faith in the everyday spaces you are already going. Doing what Jesus called & commissioned us to do is about 3 things:

• Intentionally giving your day to Jesus. Start your day asking him to take you wherever you’re going with your heart open to his leading & pouring out his love.
• Then…Where are you already going? Who are you going to see there? What about them do you already know that can open a door to a conversation…any conversation?
• Then…How can you share the gospel in that place? At some point the Holy Spirit will create a space where you can offer to pray for someone, invite them to worship, offer a helping hand, or give them a “This is how Jesus helps me in that kind of circumstance…” example from your own life.

 

That’s probably enough for tonight. See you tomorrow!

John