Homily for Ash Wednesday

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Just in case anyone’s laboring under a false assumption:

getting ashes doesn't mean you’re holy.
As a matter of fact  -- getting ashes means you’re not holy...

Ashes are for sinners,

for people like you and me who often do the wrong thing:
sometimes in small ways and sometimes in big ways,

but still, we’re people who want to do things the right way…

Ashes are for people like you and me who screw up,
who forget what's really important,

who let things slide - even a lot - even big things;

but we’re also people who want to do a much better job…

Ashes are for folks like you and me who sometimes hurt other people,
who sometimes hurt even the people we love

- and we’re people who want to heal the harm we’ve done…

Ashes are for imperfect, broken people - like you and me;

people who want, who pray to be mended and made whole…

Ashes are for people like you and me who take too many short cuts,
who stretch the truth, who don’t always play fair;

and yet who want to be honest and just…

Ashes are for people like you and me

who don’t pray as often as we could, as sincerely as we should,

with the trust we ought to have;

and yet we truly want to grow closer to the Lord…

Ashes are for people like you and me

who sometimes speak when we should keep quiet

and sometimes say nothing when we ought to speak up;

even though we desire the courage to speak with integrity…

Ashes are for people like you and me

who sometimes prefer the fake or the pretense

to what’s genuine and authentic

whie we search for what’s real and of God…

Ashes are for people like you and me

who try to love some folks too much

and who fail to love folks at all:

we’re people who want to love and be loved…

Ashes are for people like you and me

whose desires are sometimes selfish, proud, lusty…

but we’re also people who desire to be generous, humble, pure…

Ashes are for people like your and me who too often and too easily

let things get the best of them,

things like bias, prejudice, envy and pride,

anger, fear, selfishness and jealousy:

and yet we’re people who want to be forgiven and washed clean…

Ashes are sinners, people like you and me.

And no, getting ashes doesn't mean we’re holy.

As a matter of fact  -- getting ashes means we’re not holy.

Getting ashes on my forehead is labeling myself:  SINNER!

Coming to church and getting ashes
probably won't turn our lives around overnight
but being here and getting ashes could be a step,

just one step, even a small step,

in a new direction, in the right direction,

in a direction better than the one we’ve been walking…

Getting ashes today might put me on the path
I know I want to follow
but sometimes have a hard time finding,
and often stray from it, once I find it…

Getting ashes today just might be the beginning
of mending my relationship with God,
my relationships with some people in my life,
or my relationship with myself...

Getting ashes this Wednesday might help me
take an honest look at things in my life:
things that need attention,
things that need letting go,
things that need changing,
things that need healing, mending and reconciling…

Ashes are for people who want to do the right thing

and walk the right path

but who just can’t seem to do that on their own:

ashes are for people like you and me

who always need God’s help and strength and grace…

Ashes are for people

who want to give God and themselves

another chance at a new beginning...

So even if it's been a long time
since the last time you got ashes  - or if you come every year -
we’re all here today to pray,

to get our foreheads smudged,

to label ourselves as sinners
and to take a first step on a path
we’ve been wanting to walk

and walk more faithfully…

And since I know that come tomorrow
we’ll find a dozen of reasons

for each of us to forget what we did herw today,

let’s pray that the Lord will give us a nudge, a shove,
a kick in the butt or whatever we might need

to take yet another step and another and another,

every day, all through Lent…

Ashes are for people like us,

who want to walk through Lent to the joy of Easter

with minds and hearts renewed

in the love and grace that come only from God.

May the ashes we receive today mark us as sinners,

sinners in need of mercy,

the mercy Jesus offers us every day

- and especially in this holy season of Lent.

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