In the weeks prior to beginning Lent I am reading and preparing for our
Adult Education Series entitled Forgive and Get Your Life Back. This
series was written by an Episcopal priest, Dennis Maynard, who has been in
the pastoral ministry for many years. As I have read, marked, learned and
inwardly digested this series I have been struck by his honesty and, also,
by his insight into how difficult it is for most of us to forgive. Some of
us have huge issues with forgiveness, but, most of us have small hurts and
dings that taunt us during our daily living. This series is for people who
strive to lead a faithful Christian life and understand that, for us,
forgiveness is not an option. Christ does not ask us if we will forgive,
Christ asks us when we will forgive.
Ash Wednesday is always a meaningful service for me. As the ashes of
mortality are pressed into my forehead and as I impale them on the forehead
of many who come for these services I am reminded that death comes in many
forms. There is the physical death that we will all experience, but, before
that death we will experience many emotional and spiritual deaths along the
way. If we are to be faithful Christians we will have to allow experiences
that have hurt us and wounded us in the past to die and to open the doors of
our tomb. The ashes are not only a symbol of our own physical mortality –
they are a symbol that we are willing to let those issues, emotions and
tragedies die and to give ourselves permission to go on living.
Ash Wednesday is a particularly holy day for all Christians and
especially for the more liturgical churches. All Saints’ is offering three
services on Ash Wednesday, February 6, in order that all who are willing
might attend one of these services. I cannot stress enough how important
this service is to the beginning of a good Lent. The services will be at:
7:00 AM
12:00 NOON
7:00 PM
If we cannot make one of these services then we need to examine your
schedule because we are way to busy for our own health-physically and
spiritually. If we are going to be out of town every Episcopal or Anglican
church will have an Ash Wednesday service and I encourage you to attend that
service.
As the priest says at the invitation to a Holy Lent:
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a
holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and
self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. (BCP 265)
I invite us all, during this time of reflection to put at rest those things
in our life that have bothered us for way too long and to be reborn into the
light of Christ.
Forgive and Get Your Life Back will be held on Sundays, beginning
February 3 beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the parish library. The series will
also be repeated for those who cannot attend on Sunday Mornings on
Wednesdays from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
In Christ,
LaRae +
