February 23 – “Ash Wednesday connection”

 

 

I would have been facing a bit of pressure last night if I had known something before we started the Ash Wednesday service.  Seems we had a guest there.  Now she has been to worship services before, and she even joined us for our Christmas caroling over the holidays.  But I had never heard until after the service last night that she was from England.  OK, so why is that such a big deal?  We have had people visit Seaside literally from all over the world.  What's the big deal about England?

 

Well, it has to do with the service itself.  To make it a bit more palatable for people who didn't grow up with that style of worship – litanies and formalities and the like – I took the Episcopal prayer book of my own youth and updated the Ash Wednesday service.  I took out the "thee's and thou's," added some references to hurricanes and air travel, and introduced the whole thing with a teaching on the history of Lent and the origins of Mardi Gras, all surrounding an experience of receiving communion together. 

 

When I was a kid and an Episcopalian acolyte at Grace Church here in Galveston, there were a lot of things that went on in the church that I just never "got."  Oh, I memorized them all and recited all the appropriate things at just the appropriate times.  But I never really understood why we did things, other than just because we have always done them.  I guess the underlying point of having an Ash Wednesday service that explained things was to make an appeal for unity instead of diversity among denominations.  I figure if we can understand the "why's" behind some of the rituals in Christianity, then we can come closer together in worshipping Jesus as one Body, instead of spending so much time and energy quibbling over insignificant things like worship styles or organizational government. 

 

So, have you figured out the potential pressure point?  The Episcopalian church is an offshoot of the Church of England.  There was somebody present who knew what was going on.  I know.  It's kind of silly to even think about.  She seemed very much into what was going on.  And on top of that, one of our kids who attends the local Catholic high school asked me after the service if there was some kind of baseline service that we all worked with for Ash Wednesday.  She recognized the format from the chapel service at school that morning.  Eureka.  Connection.  Yes, Sydney, there is some similarity there.  Just get back to the roots.  It's all about Jesus.  Love God.  Love people. 

 

Isaiah 65:24 says, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."

 

Father, bring unity among your people.   Amen.