Why all the ashes...

The Anglican News Service has a good article concerning Lent and Ash Wednesday. Here is an excert...

....While ashes may signify and remind, they also invite. They invite us to repentance. They invite us to turn again to God and to receive new life. Isaiah brings glad tidings to the people of Israel, “to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning.” Ashes are not the end but are just the beginning. They begin a season that moves us through silence and longing into a season of joy and resurrection....

You can read the entire article here. Have a blessed Lent.

Do not be conformed...

I've been focused this morning on the words from St. Paul's letter to the Romans...Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God...

I spoke these words out loud as I said Morning Prayer in the church. I sat down and thought a little about what Paul meant. Was he talking about our life style, our schedules, and our busyness. Did he mean to include only our morality and ethics in his list of things non-conforming.

I thought for a moment about my own life and work. Do I look any different from anyone who has tried to conform themselves to this world? Are there aspects of my life where I am intentional about not conforming to the way things are? I considered for a moment my prayer life. Sometimes I'm deliberate about praying the daily office. But some days, my only prayers tend to be those said under my breath as I race to a meeting. Its then that I'm all to aware of the need for grace.

My contemplation on these holy words was broken as my cell phone rang. (I had forgotten to turn it off before I started saying the morning office.) I was momentarily upset at myself for not turning it off, but the call was from a friend wanting to invite my wife to the mothers group she attends. I realized then and there that even in our conformity to this world, God still speaks. He speaks to us above the noise and den of this world, sometimes using the very noise of this world as His instrument. He speaks to us about relationships, and how important they are to us all. Relationship with Him and with each other. And in one way, I guess I'm not being conformed to this world, by using an instrument that fosters individuality and autonomy (computers and the internet) to talk about building personal relationship with other people and with God.

Back Online

It is so good to be back online and reconnected to the world wide web. I say that with some sincerity and some sarcasm. It is hard to believe that 10yrs ago almost no one knew about the internet...and nowadays, everyone is connected to it. So much so that my father-in-law has actually bought 2 cars on e-bay. How crazy is that!

It has taken a few weeks to settle in to my new work and surroundings at All Saints--Portsmouth. But things are going well and I'm now back online. And what a good day to begin posting. Today is the feast of Candlemas. AKA the Purification of St. Mary. It is the day we celebrate Mary's coming to the Temple to be pronounced ritually clean, following the birth of her son, Jesus.

For us modern folk, this ancient ritual looses much of its meaning in translation. However, it is during this event that Simeon takes the baby Jesus in his arms and proclaims...Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word. For my eyes have seen thy salvation which you have prepared before the face of all people. To be the light to lighten the nations and the glory of your people Israel...

What a great reminder of what being connected is really about. One can only imagine Simeon's emotions as he held Jesus in his arms, and in the infant seeing all the hope of his people and his generation fulfilled in the baby. In the midst of being back online, I have to ask myself what is being connect really about.