Brothers and Sisters since we will not be gathering this evening for our Ash Wednesday service due to weather and the condition of our roads and church parking lot, I wanted to send you a devotional about the significance of this day. As we begin the season of Lent, this journey to the upper room, the garden, the cross and finally the tomb that would become empty after three days. We first must journey to today, the day of Ash Wednesday. So as we gather together via the Internet, let us talk about today and what it represent to those that call themselves followers of Christ. The Gospel of Matthew 18:3 states: Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. So as we gather here online, let us learn of these ashes with the heart of a child, in our eventual preparation to join Christ from heaven, coming from dust and returning to dust. There is a story of two classmates that are talking with each other when one says to the other: Hey your forehead is dirty, what is that on your forehead? The other class mate responds: Ashes...theyre from my church. Why did you put dirt on your forehead? Its not dirt, they are ashes. Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Christians wear ashes to show that they want to change to get ready for Easter. Are they supposed to be in the shape of something, it looks like a smudge to me? Its supposed to be in the shape of a cross...like the one that Jesus died on. So you think you are special because you are wearing ashes on your forehead? No just the opposite, it shows that without God we are just ashes, it is our way of admitting just how much we need God. So how are you going to change, are you going to get all holy on us? Im just trying to be what God wants me to be...a good person. I hear you guys give up stuff for lent too, what for? Giving up stuff...like snacks, watching television, staying off the cell phone or computer...its kinda like an exercise that makes us stronger. So you cant have fun for how long? I can still have fun; Im just not going to be doing some stuff for forty days...that is how long it is to Easter. Then you can go back to being your old self? No the point; is hopefully I will be a better version of myself! Brothers and Sisters, that pretty much sums it up in a way that tells the honest truth about this day. we gather here today in the Internet church as to come to God as a child that admits that without His love we are nothing, but just ashes. This is the way that we come before God. We show that we are so much in love with him that we are trying to change in ways that will draw us closer to him, and his Son Jesus Christ. Yes, this is what the dirt on the forehead means; this is the story of Ash Wednesday. Let us gather here online today in love and relationship, looking for Gods strength and Gods grace. Let us all work to become better visions of ourselves that truly represent the Kingdom relationship of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Let us all gather online in childlike innocence, prepared to claim our inheritance that Jesus Christ suffered for, died for, and was resurrected for. Amen Pastor Tim
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 17:16:52 +0000
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