ASH WEDNESDAY – Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Psalm 103; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 – 9 March 2011 – A homily given by The Rev. Peter A. Munson for St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, Boulder, Colorado
Where Is Your Attention? Lent Is About Falling in Love
INTRODUCTION – What Lent is not…
According to Jesus, the spiritual life is not about you and I doing things so that the attention of others will be drawn to me and to you. “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them…” (Matthew 6:1) Neither is Lent about that.
So what is Lent – and the spiritual life, generally – about?
It’s about falling in love!
It’s about falling in love with God.
• Joel 2 – Return to the Lord with fasting, with weeping, with mourning
• Psalm 103 – Bless the Lord, O my soul… keep his covenant and do his commandments
• 2 Corinthians 5 – Be reconciled to God
• Matthew 6 – Pray… to your Father who is in secret; and fast… without disfiguring your face
It’s about falling in love with another person.
• 2 Corinthians – Serve others by showing kindness, genuine love, and by offering truthful speech
• Matthew 6 – Give alms without even thinking about what you are doing
• Matthew 6 – Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven – that means invest in your relationships with others
It’s about falling in love with yourself, in the best possible way.
• Psalm 103 – What do I need to confess? (to God or to someone else?)
• Matt. 6 – Self-examination of my motives… what is my intention?
• Matt. 6 – Am I out for treasures on earth or treasures in heaven?
• It’s about treating yourself with care and respect, and not being so hard on yourself – not about self-deprivation just for the sake of self-deprivation
What do I most need to learn right now, in this season of Lent – about loving God, about loving others, about loving myself? What disciplines will I add (or return to) that will help me hear God’s voice… that will help me fall in love again?
What are some Lenten disciplines or habits that you have found helpful in the past?
• Daily quiet, prayer (centering prayer)
• Reading of scripture
• Fasting – from what? (Food, criticism)
• Giving (of money, self, time)
• Walking, exercise
• Confession
• Being proactive re: reconciliation (e.g., asking for forgiveness, calling someone you haven’t spoken to in a long time)
• What might you take on? (Appreciating/expressing gratitude, service)
How can you enter into this discipline – whatever it is – with a spirit of joy and passion… in a way that you fall in love with God, with another person, with yourself – all over again?