Ash Wednesday

On Ash Wednesday we burn last year’s palms and use those ashes to remind us to have penitent hearts.  What it is a penitent heart? A heart that is turned around. A heart that is asking forgiveness for things that separate us from God, and a heart that wants to become closer to God.

A great way to look at this day is to use the metaphor of cleaning house. I don’t know about you, but I am a terrible house cleaner. I don’t like dirt, although my dog does leave fur all over the place, but my problem is PILES! I have piles of papers and books and other things, and oh, yes, clean laundry too. The laundry is clean, but it is piled up!

For me, getting rid of all the piles is a good representation of what we need to do on Ash Wednesday. This is the day we clean off the piles, blow off the dust and put things in their rightful places.

So what are those proverbial piles in our lives that need cleaning off, dusting and need to be put in their proper places? It is the sin that separates us from God. It is those little habits that we hold onto that are not Godly, it is the grudge we hold that we don’t want to let go of, but rather would prefer to nurse along. It is the anger at the situations that we are in, it is the judgement we cast on our neighbor, it is the complaining that we just don’t seem to be able to stop doing. Maybe you have some others. Put they all get put together in those piles of things that separate us from God. These are the piles that need to be thrown out or cast away.

Where do we need to put those piles? Most of them we just need to get rid of. They are not helping us or empowering us to grow like Christ. Some we cannot get rid of on our own, so we need to place them at the foot of the cross and beg Christ to take this yoke, so that in turn we can take the yoke of Christ. (Matthew 11:28)

So this day, the first day of Lent is when we go through the piles. We clean out. We turn around, ask for forgiveness and accept the grace that God freely offers.

The remainder of Lent we use the practices called the means of grace, which include prayer, thanksgiving, alms giving, Scripture reading, serving others and fasting to help us grow in our relationship with God. Through the means of grace we are empowered, through the power of the Holy spirit to grow closer to God.

So how are you going to clean house? What piles need to be thrown out?  What is holding you back from casting them out?

If you need a Lenten Devotional this season, I highly recommend this one written by some UMC pastors in the Baltimore area.

Enjoy this Lenten Devotional: Journey to the Empty Tomb.