Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the homily I shared with the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church for Ash Wednesday. The gospel text was Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 .  The first time I heard the expression, “Go big or go home,” was my senior year of seminary. A dear friend mentioned how during a children’s sermon at her internship site, when she was talking with the kids about how God wants all of us, this young man explained it as “Go big or go home!” It really struck all of us who heard my classmate relate this story. Today’s gospel lesson is like two bookends with a bunch of information between them. The first verse is the first bookend. Then Jesus talks specifically about different faith practices and how they should and should not be practiced. Finally, the second bookend surround the words in between with the final verse regarding the treasure of our hearts. Before Jesus gets into the nuts and bolts of various aspects of piety, in the first verse he spells out the gist of the entire teaching, ...

For the first time in anyone's memory, we held a community Ash Wednesday service. This was a cooperative effort of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Lutheran churchs. The response was overwhelming. This will now be an annual event. We three pastors each preached a short homily following each of the scripture texts that were read. I preached on the Isaiah text . Here is the message I shared: At first glance, it’s easy to see why this portion of Isaiah is read on Ash Wed.      It’s about fasting, which is a discipline some folks practice during Lent      This reading is about right and wrong fasting and worship           But the heart of the message goes far deeper “God was disturbed by Israel’s lack of social justice. Their fasting had become [a public show. It was] a means to boast of their righteousness rather than live out a faith where one cares for one’s neighbor” (Dr. Keith Wagner...

Special thanks to Dan Clendenin at Journey with Jesus for sharing this poem by one of my favorite theologians, Walter Brueggeman. Marked by Ashes Ruler of the Night, Guarantor of the day . . . This day — a gift from you. This day — like none other you have ever given, or we have ever received. This Wednesday dazzles us with gift and newness and possibility. This Wednesday burdens us with the tasks of the day, for we are already halfway home      halfway back to committees and memos,      halfway back to calls and appointments,      halfway on to next Sunday,      halfway back, half frazzled, half expectant,      half turned toward you, half rather not. This Wednesday is a long way from Ash Wednesday,    but all our Wednesdays are marked by ashes —      we b...

Gospel in the dirt | Faith & Leadership

A great article to help us in our Lenten journey. Ash Wednesday: Practice Truth-Telling

Over breakfast I was looking though the latest issue of The Lutheran and came across this article. Story by Glen A. Bengson 'But God can' Ash Wednesday reminds us God renews, reforms, revives our lives I had baptized 4-year-old Sarah and her brother some months before and was visiting the family to see how things were going. “Has Sarah mentioned anything about the experience?” I asked her mother. “Oh, yes,” she answered. “She said the pastor made a cross on her forehead. I told her, ‘But you can’t see it now.’ “‘But God can,’ replied Sarah.” When the ashes of Ash Wednesday welcome us into the disciplines of Lent and Christian life, we begin that 40-day journey of repentance and renewal confident that, indeed, “God can.” God can bring life out of death. God can join water and word, bread and wine, repentance and forgiveness, and cross and community to fashion a new beginning and a new people in Christ. God can renew and reform and revive my life because of Je...