Ash Wednesday…

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Not all Protestants observe Lent but as a Presbyterian, I do. I didn’t grow up with this tradition but as an adult, it has a lot of meaning for me. David is still recovering from a medical test this morning so I went to our church Ash Wednesday service alone tonight. I never fail to be moved by this short service and receiving the imposition of ashes.

Lent is a season of penitence and a good time for inward focus. It’s traditional to give up something during this time, as well as to observe some type of fast. In recent years, in addition to giving up something, I’ve also added something, like increased daily Bible reading, for instance. This year I’ve given up a couple of food items and will be doing daily Bible readings from The Message. In addition, I’m doing something a bit difficult to explain but I’ll try.

There are a couple of people in my life who have been a source of, shall we say, disquiet? They both blog and way too often their anger, manipulation and passive-aggressive attitudes are expressed in their writings. I know they’ve gossiped about us to other relatives, too. I shouldn’t even bother to read them but since, on several occasions, they’ve made oblique (or even blatant) references to us or other family members, I have felt compelled to “see what they’re up to”. Yes, I’m nosy; I’ll admit it. 😉 However, I’m sick and tired of it all. And what better way to handle it than to “give them up for Lent”? This is going to be hard for me because I will be wondering what they are saying but it’s time to turn them over to God. I’m hoping that during this season of Lent I will finally succeed in my efforts to completely let it go. They will answer for themselves and as someone I much admire recently wrote, “what other people think of me is none of my business”.

(* In case you’re wondering, these people have told me plainly that they do not read anything I write online. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have shared any of this.)

So, moving on…

Here is the Litany of Penitence we recited in church tonight. I find it very meaningful to be a part of a congregation sharing in something like this.

Holy and merciful God,
we confess to you and one another,
and to the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth,
that we have sinned by our own fault
in thought, word, deed,
by what we have done,
and what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength.
We have not love our neighbors as ourselves.
We have not forgiven others as we have been forgiven.

Have mercy on us, O God.

We have not listened to your call to serve as Christ served us.
We have not been true to the mind of Christ.
We have grieved your Holy Spirit.

Have mercy on us, O God.

We confess to you, O God, all our past unfaithfulness:
The pride, hypocrisy, and impatience in our lives,

we confess to you, O God.

Our self-indulgent appetites and ways
and our exploitation of other people.

we confess to you, O God.

Our anger at our frustration
and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves,

we confess to you, O God.

Our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts,
and our dishonesty in daily life and work,

we confess to you, O God.

Our negligence in prayer and worship,
and our failure to commend the faith that is in us,

we confess to you, O God.

Accept our repentance, O God,
for the wrongs we have done.
For our neglect of human need and suffering
and our indifference to injustice and cruelty,

accept our repentance, O God.

For all false judgments,
for uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors,
and for our prejudice and contempt
toward those who differ from us,

accept our repentance, O God.

For our waste and our pollution of your creation
and our lack of concern form those who come after us,

accept our repentance, O God.

Restore us, O God,
and let your anger depart from us.

Favorably hear us, O God, for your mercy is great.

We ended the service with the hymn, “What Wondrous Love is This”, which is one of my favorites:

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