Jesus on Earthy Spirituality

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name. [1]
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done, [2]
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread, [3]
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. [4]

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust [5] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

THE IMPOSITION OF ASHES

During this time, you are invited to receive ashes on your forehead or the back of your hand. In Scripture, ashes serve both as a symbol of mortality and as a sign of mourning and repentance.

But neither sin nor death are the final word. 

We leave today in confidence and gratitude: Christ has conquered death, and nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

--from our Ash Wednesday service, which is here:

Ash Wednesday

6:00-6:30am       AND     6:00-6:30pm

These two half-hour services will be held in the sanctuary.

Ash Wednesday begins the season known as Lent, which begins forty days prior to Easter and is characterized by a focus on repentance, fasting, prayer, and the needs of others. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus—His suffering and His sacrifice, His life, death, burial and resurrection. This first day of Lent reminds Christians of the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:24, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." The way to Easter is the way of the cross. 

As the first step in the Lenten journey the Ash Wednesday service invites us to acknowledge
-- our mortality,
-- our sinfulness and -- our dependence upon the grace of God.

We encourage all that are able to fast on Ash Wednesday leading up to the Ash Wednesday service as the Lord's Supper is served.

A unique feature of this service is the marking of the forehead with ashes in the sign of the cross (imposition of ashes). Since the 10th century this practice has been used to symbolize the frailty of our human existence and the 'dust and debris' in our lives (thus the name Ash Wednesday).

We hope you'll join us as we begin the Lenten season looking forward to its culmination on Easter Sunday morning as we worship our risen Savior.

Ash Wednesday and Lent resources

• Mark Roberts overview article here
• Craig Higgins "Keeping a Holy Lent"  
  "The Lenten season is the spiritual equivalent of an annual physical exam; it’s a time to take stock of our lives, our hearts."
• "Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday" by yours truly
• Ashes of Affirmation, Lent and Our Worldview, by Jim Tonkowich.  My favorite line is:

"Lent is a great affirmation. It tells the truth about life—or, if you prefer, it affirms a core truth commitment of a Christian worldview: There is more to life than this world of time and space."

• Devotional for Lent, from City Church of San Francisco

6:00am and 6:00pm in the sanctuary--
We will have a simple half-hour services on Ash Wednesday.