ash wednesday

I am just returning from our Ash Wednesday service.
This is the first day of Lent and I always like it when it is all over.
Not too many people came this year - maybe 35 - 40. We have a lot of sickness right now in the church - including Chuck who has been in bed for 4 days with a cold/flu. Tomorrow is his birthday and I am hoping that he will be able to get out and go to the movies or something.

Anyway, I wish that I could do the same thing every year - I am sure that some ministers do - but I seem unable to. We have a theme for the year at church - "God's story, Our Story, My Story" and so I wanted to have the service all be around one story. And the obvious story to me was the prodigal son. (sons!)
So, I ended up writting a short homily - that of course took a couple of hours. The shorter it is the more time it takes. But it was about the fact that we really do find ourselves in the story - the public rebellion of the younger son and the private resentment of the older son. And the fact that we the "Father" allows us to go our own way and waits for us to "come to our sense" or "change our hearts" and doesn't even need the apology in the story.

This year we gave journals to everyone and questions for people to ruminate on about the story.
Questions like: How do I identify with the younger son? How do I identify with the older son? What do I want to say to God? What does God want to say to me?
My plan is to have questions for people to journal about every week that are related to the story of the week. That in addition to a meditation and my sermon notes. and the powerpoint that I do. Sometimes I wonder if I take too much on. But I love it when it all goes together and it is in our "ruminating" that the Word goes deeper. Hard to explain but I know it is true.

Anyway, I sit here now on a Wednesday night and feel like it was a good beginning for the season. And trusting that God will work with me and with us.