Ash Wednesday

Here is an exerpt from tomorrow's sermon:

We as the body of Christ are not as some would contend, an oasis in the desert, we are a desert in the oasis*.  A place amidst the sickeningly sweet buffet of empty calories: double-shot half-caf no foam mochachinos, iphones, 401k’s, the you-deserve-a-break-today deep fried culture of the self-obsessed.  We in the diabetic coma of self absorption are at times vaguely, silently aware that we have gorged on the promises of the American Dream yet are left hungry.  This Coke classic, Coke zero, Diet Coke nursemaid has left us stuffed and totally empty.  We come here to this odd place amongst odd people to do the odd thing of being told that we are dust and to dust we shall return.  Even the Botox turns to dust, even the pilates lengthened muscles, the 12 essential vitamins and minerals and the bottled water.  We are told that we can live forever with the right combinations of exercise, diet, and elective surgery.  But we know in those inevitable moments of disquieting silence that the oasis is not all it’s cracked up to be and again we enter the desert where we can no longer turn from the inevitable dust.  This desert in which the seemingly impossible happens, namely that destructive self centeredness is transformed into cruciform living.  This reconciliation to God, this returning is not to a blissful, heavenly paradise of harps and angels but is to the desert through which we follow the Lamb to be slain.  Today on this desert adventure we begin with the Wednesday of our mortality …we are dust and we end on the Friday of God’s mortality and to dust we return.  Again and again.  Dust and return.  Life and renewal.  Pain and Carnaval**.  Ash Wednesday which some people complain is “too depressing”  …. yes God forbid something not be happy clappy in this death-denying culture.

*HT: Peter Rollins (How (Not) to Speak of God)
**HT: Kester Brewin (Signs of Emergence)

Comments

[Phyllis Mathis]

this is poetry. fabulous. thank you. i may have to quote you.
p.s. i got here thanks to kathy escobar

[Jan]

love this.

Hope it was amazing in real life.

[Jason Okrzynski]

I am envious I was not there to hear it. Beautiful work friend!