Dusting Off and
Living Lent
Today is Ash Wednesday, and often it feels like New
Year’s Day. For many the first day of a new year is when you set
resolutions to improve the quality of your life through more physical exercise,
exercising the brain by reading more, giving up bad habits, etc., only to find
that your energy and expectations fade by March. Then Ash Wednesday
arrives, and again resolutions are made. You may resolve to pray more, give up
some vice (i.e. chocolate), or take on, or add to, some humanitarian project. By week three or four of Lent, a chocolate
dessert is very tempting [and delicious], the heart felt pray schedule is
interrupted by work meetings, and that humanitarian project has lost its
passion.
Today’s scriptures talk about disciplines for Lent; the way
you give alms, praying in secret, and fasting without looking dismal. These fit
a culture of years ago, but where do they fit today in the 21st century.
What does it mean to live into Lent? It starts by listening.
Listening to the words during the Imposition of Ashes that say, “Remember
that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Whether you physically partake
in the Imposition of Ashes or you read the words, breathe in the dust,
“a cloud of finely powdered earth . . .” [from
dictionary.com]. The “dust” is our prayer word, our meditating mantra,
and the reminder that we are part of the earth. We are part of the ongoing
re-creation of the earth. It is earth, as dirt, as human form, as animal form,
or within the waters. We are co-creators with God, and the season of Lent
offers us a time to be reflective upon our actions as stewards of the earth. These
actions are outlined in our Baptismal Covenant.
It says: to seek and serve Christ in ALL persons, and to strive for
justice and peace among ALL people, and respect the dignity of every human being
[and earthly creation].
It is the disciplines of Lent such as, fasting, more
praying, more “serving”, etc. that keeps us focused on our actions as co-creators.
The Charlie Brown©
character, Pig Pen is a visible example, although comical, of living in a cloud
of dust 24/7. This means that our experience of Lent, in this definition, does
not stop at the Empty Tomb, but continues and is revitalized through the
ongoing Lenten seasons.
Remember that you are
Dust. . . . A Co-creator of the Earth!
