February 17, 2021
Sermon by Rev. Bernadette Hartsough
Today is the beginning of Lent. Lent has traditionally been a time of giving something up or taking something on. I see value in both of these practices. When I was a child my family, and my catechism class “Gave Up” something for Lent; chocolate, candy, ice cream, saying mean words. We did this year after year and every year by the fourth week of Lent, we broke the fast. It was hard but we kept trying. We had boxes that looked like a church. In the box we were to put some of our allowance in there. The money went to missionary activity in the church. I remember bringing the boxes to church on Easter Sunday. I carefully and with lots of pride put it in the collection plate. Part of our Lenten discipline as children, was to take on doing something nice. We helped out neighbors or tried to be nice to our siblings.
“Fasts” have been going on for thousands of years. The prophets in the Old Testament first described fasts as being connected to Jewish holy days. They were a way to bring people back to Yahweh. They started to become a self- centered instead of a communal practice focusing on one’s individual relationship with God.
In today’s Isaiah reading, the prophet Isaiah, speaking for Yahweh, tells what fasting means to Yahweh. This passage was written after the exile during the restoration of Jerusalem. Many groups of people came together after the exile They needed to learn to live as a community. There were those who stayed in Jerusalem under Persian rule and those who were taken into exile. Many Judeans lived in economic despair under Persian rule.
Isaiah tells the leaders, those in charge of others, to refrain from taking economic advantage of others and to provide assistance to those that needed food and shelter to maintain their dignity and health. Then Isaiah reminds ALL the people that fasting and worship in the temple do not matter to Yahweh if you do not “give up the bonds of injustice, undo the throngs of the yoke, let the oppressed go free.” He is very specific. Isaiah says, “Give up pointing the finger, speaking evil, and putting yokes around others.” Then the prophet tells them to take on, “Sharing their bread, bring the homeless into their houses, cover the naked.” Repairing the inequalities with others will restore relationships on a national level. Generosity towards others resulted in healing, communion with Yahweh, guidance, renewal, and the restoration of Jerusalem. This is what Israel needed to do to repair the breach with Yahweh. Isaiah was reminding the Judeans that their relationship to others revealed their relationship to Yahweh. Doing these things would restore their community and repair the breach with Yahweh and with each other.
Jesus knew today’s Isaiah passage. He takes this passage on fasting and expands it in the gospel of Matthew. Jesus describes how to present yourself when you fast and give alms. He asks us to be clear about why we are fasting and giving alms. Our motives, our hearts must be right, and it must be about others.
Christians in the early church took on behaviors during Lent. Some people prepared for baptisms through the catechumenate process that lasted for one or two years. The goal was to learn and take on behaviors that helped them understand Easter. Part of their preparation involved service to others in the community. As they served others, their inner, spiritual life blossomed. Their service and preparation helped them to understand the Easter joy. The Easter gift of Jesus’s resurrection. The joy that comes with unselfish sacrifice. Lenten preparation was personal and communal. Inner transformation occurred through living in community.
There seems to be a disconnect between Isaiah’s words about fasting and Jesus’s warnings of practicing piety before others. Some see the ashes on our forehead as an act of piety. But what if the ritual of ashes is a reminder to us that we will break our fasts. We will hurt others. We do not love God with all that we have. We do not love our neighbors as ourselves. We struggle between our will and God’s will for us. Most of the time we want others to think we are good, decent human beings. The ashen cross on my forehead reminds me that I am a sinner and I have a long way to go. The ashes are not about my personal piety but about my communal life. A life like that of ancient Israel and the early church. A life where fasting was done to benefit the community.
My childhood catechism class taught us how to fast and give. When I handed in that cardboard church box full of change, it was not much. Yes, we put it in the collection plate in front of everyone. It wasn’t done in secret. I understood it as a part of learning how to fast, live in community, and how to observe Lent. I think these experiences are important. They teach different aspects of the Christian life. They are an outward sign done in community. We have many outward signs, ashes, holy water, liturgy, sacraments, the sign of the cross. These outward symbols draw us back to God. They transform our inner life with God.
So, we wear our ashes not as a pious symbol but as a communal sign of our brokenness and our forgiveness. I pray that you all have a holy and blessed Lent.
Sermon by Rev. Bernadette Hartsough
Today is the beginning of Lent. Lent has traditionally been a time of giving something up or taking something on. I see value in both of these practices. When I was a child my family, and my catechism class “Gave Up” something for Lent; chocolate, candy, ice cream, saying mean words. We did this year after year and every year by the fourth week of Lent, we broke the fast. It was hard but we kept trying. We had boxes that looked like a church. In the box we were to put some of our allowance in there. The money went to missionary activity in the church. I remember bringing the boxes to church on Easter Sunday. I carefully and with lots of pride put it in the collection plate. Part of our Lenten discipline as children, was to take on doing something nice. We helped out neighbors or tried to be nice to our siblings.
“Fasts” have been going on for thousands of years. The prophets in the Old Testament first described fasts as being connected to Jewish holy days. They were a way to bring people back to Yahweh. They started to become a self- centered instead of a communal practice focusing on one’s individual relationship with God.
In today’s Isaiah reading, the prophet Isaiah, speaking for Yahweh, tells what fasting means to Yahweh. This passage was written after the exile during the restoration of Jerusalem. Many groups of people came together after the exile They needed to learn to live as a community. There were those who stayed in Jerusalem under Persian rule and those who were taken into exile. Many Judeans lived in economic despair under Persian rule.
Isaiah tells the leaders, those in charge of others, to refrain from taking economic advantage of others and to provide assistance to those that needed food and shelter to maintain their dignity and health. Then Isaiah reminds ALL the people that fasting and worship in the temple do not matter to Yahweh if you do not “give up the bonds of injustice, undo the throngs of the yoke, let the oppressed go free.” He is very specific. Isaiah says, “Give up pointing the finger, speaking evil, and putting yokes around others.” Then the prophet tells them to take on, “Sharing their bread, bring the homeless into their houses, cover the naked.” Repairing the inequalities with others will restore relationships on a national level. Generosity towards others resulted in healing, communion with Yahweh, guidance, renewal, and the restoration of Jerusalem. This is what Israel needed to do to repair the breach with Yahweh. Isaiah was reminding the Judeans that their relationship to others revealed their relationship to Yahweh. Doing these things would restore their community and repair the breach with Yahweh and with each other.
Jesus knew today’s Isaiah passage. He takes this passage on fasting and expands it in the gospel of Matthew. Jesus describes how to present yourself when you fast and give alms. He asks us to be clear about why we are fasting and giving alms. Our motives, our hearts must be right, and it must be about others.
Christians in the early church took on behaviors during Lent. Some people prepared for baptisms through the catechumenate process that lasted for one or two years. The goal was to learn and take on behaviors that helped them understand Easter. Part of their preparation involved service to others in the community. As they served others, their inner, spiritual life blossomed. Their service and preparation helped them to understand the Easter joy. The Easter gift of Jesus’s resurrection. The joy that comes with unselfish sacrifice. Lenten preparation was personal and communal. Inner transformation occurred through living in community.
There seems to be a disconnect between Isaiah’s words about fasting and Jesus’s warnings of practicing piety before others. Some see the ashes on our forehead as an act of piety. But what if the ritual of ashes is a reminder to us that we will break our fasts. We will hurt others. We do not love God with all that we have. We do not love our neighbors as ourselves. We struggle between our will and God’s will for us. Most of the time we want others to think we are good, decent human beings. The ashen cross on my forehead reminds me that I am a sinner and I have a long way to go. The ashes are not about my personal piety but about my communal life. A life like that of ancient Israel and the early church. A life where fasting was done to benefit the community.
My childhood catechism class taught us how to fast and give. When I handed in that cardboard church box full of change, it was not much. Yes, we put it in the collection plate in front of everyone. It wasn’t done in secret. I understood it as a part of learning how to fast, live in community, and how to observe Lent. I think these experiences are important. They teach different aspects of the Christian life. They are an outward sign done in community. We have many outward signs, ashes, holy water, liturgy, sacraments, the sign of the cross. These outward symbols draw us back to God. They transform our inner life with God.
So, we wear our ashes not as a pious symbol but as a communal sign of our brokenness and our forgiveness. I pray that you all have a holy and blessed Lent.