Virtual Ash Wednesday

Introduction

Lent is the 40 days (not including Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before Easter. Lent is often described as a time of preparation and an opportunity to go deeper with God. This means that it’s a time for personal reflection that prepares people’s hearts and minds for Good Friday and Easter.

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Matthew 6:1–6 ESV

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:16–21 ESV

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Talk about spiritual practices in general and about the Lenten Practices.

Giving mercy

sharing of material things, money with others who may have need.

Imposition of ashes.

The ashes symbolize our humility before God, and our recognition that we are dependent on God for all of life. It is a time when we reflect on what we need to change in our lives in order to live responsibly and lovingly as his people.

Service

Matthew 25:34–40 ESV

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

According to these scriptures, what kinds of things does God want us to do?

Prayer

Psalm 51:1–2 ESV

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

Talk about prayer: When do you pray? How do you pray? What do you pray about?

Fasting

Luke 4:1–2 ESV

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.

Fasting - not eating for a period of time. Prayer goes with fasting.

The Church in the NT period did not reject the pious Jewish practice of fasting. But it had not yet formalized its own discipline, considering it a matter of individual conscience.

When the date of Easter came to be determined independently of the Jewish calendar, always on a Sunday, the conditions were established for the institution of a public Christian fast on the preceding Friday.

Jesus - fasted for 40 days. Depended on his Father. Only time in the Bible we’re told he did it. He ate nothing.

Motivation for us: Time set aside to pay attention to God, remove distractions to listen to God

Fasting is a growing health practice.

Prayer

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