If you are not familiar with an Anglican Service; Four Scriptures are read prior to the Sermon. The Scriptures for Ash Wednesday are Joel 58:1-12; Psalm 103:8-14; 2 Corinthians 5:2 - 6:10; Matthew 6:1-6 and Matthew 6:16-21.
(Sing)
Ring around the roses, ... pocket full of poses, ashes, ... ashes ... (Slow) we all fall down.
Many of us have sung this little rhyme ... with our children, .... our grandchildren ... or have at least heard the rhyme.
We have heard or sung ... a number of these old rhymes ... as young children ... yet what do they actually mean?
What is the meaning behind the Nursery Rhyme?
Well this little rhyme ... came out of an event in Europe called ... the Black Death or ... the Black Plague.
The Black Death ... was a plague pandemic that occurred in Europe in the mid 1300's.
It was one of the most fatal pandemics ... in human history; ... as many as 50 million people died, ... perhaps half of Europe's 14th-century population.
So ... what do the words of the rhyme mean?
(Sing) Ring around the roses.
Well ... One of the early signs of the black plague ... was that your face would turn pale ... and your cheeks would become very dark and rose colored.
Thus, ... ring around the roses.
(Sing) ... Then ... Pocket full of poses.
It was thought during this dark period ... that this disease ... this plague was airborne.
So ... the people were convinced ... if you placed flowers up to your mouth ... that you were breathing ... better air.
Also, ... doctors would put roses and poses ... into their pockets ... and bring it into the patients ... for them to smell ... in hopes of bringing some comfort to the dying.
Many People would carry the poses around in their pockets believing it would help ward off the Black Death.
(Sing) Ashes ... Ashes
Ashes represented ... Black pile.
During the last days of the plague ... the dying would begin to expel dry black ash.
Ashes also are mentioned in scripture.
We all know these words from the Scriptures, ... ashes to ashes, ... dust to dust.
It is inevitable ... that a priest ... will proclaim those words ... ashes to ashes ... dust to dust ... at your funeral.
(Sing) Lastly ... We all fall down.
Beloved ... with certainty ... unless the Lord returns ... we will all fall down, ... which is a simple reminder ... that death will meet us all ... eventually.
Today is Ash Wednesday ... it is the beginning of the Christian season of ... Lent.
We celebrate Ash Wednesday for a number of reasons.
It is A tradition that has passed down for generations in Christian communities across the globe.
Yet there is a real meaning behind it ... besides just tradition.
Ash Wednesday ... emphasizes a dual encounter:
Today we confront our own mortality ... and confess our sins ... and our faith ... before God ... and within this community of faith.
We focus on the dual themes of sin and death ... yet we do it in the light of God's redeeming love ... in and through Christ Jesus.
So ... Why do we use ashes?
We place ashes on our foreheads ... as a sign of mortality and repentance ... which has a rich history behind it ... in both Christian ... and Jewish cultures.
The ashes used ... are normally the burnt remains of the Palms ... that were used on Palm Sunday.
So, ... the palms that were used to celebrated Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, ... are now being used ... to remind us:
That we will all leave this life ... and that we need repent of our sins ... and to confess Jesus as both our Lord and our Savior.
The act of coming up to the altar ... and having ashes placed on your forehead ... is a way of participating in the call ... to repentance ... and to reconciliation.
If you think back to the gospel text: ... what does Christ tell us?
He tells us not to be like ... the hypocrites.
Christ is begging us ... to be humble ... in our acts of kindness, ... prayer, ... and in fasting.
God does not call us to gloat ... or to brag about the ways we glorify God.
No one likes a bragger, ... and neither does God. (Pause)
A young seminarian ... was excited about preaching his very first sermon ... in the small church ... he grew up in.
After three years in seminary, ... he felt adequately prepared, ... and when he was introduced to the congregation, ... he walked boldly ... to the pulpit, ...his head high, ... radiating self-confidence.
Yet he stumbled ... reading the Scriptures ... and then lost his train of thought ... halfway through the message.
He began to panic, ... so he did the safest thing:
He quickly ended the message, ... prayed, ... and walked dejectedly from the pulpit ... to his seat, ... his head down, ... his self-assurance gone.
Later, ... one of the godly elders whispered to the embarrassed young man, ... (Slow) "If you had gone up to the pulpit ... the way you came down, ... you might have come down ... the way you went up."
The elder's words ... were full of truth.
God still resists the proud ... and gives grace to the humble.
In our text today, ... Jesus is telling us .. commanding us ... to be humble.
To fast, ... to pray, ... and to give how?
In secret.
Jesus wants us to look at our Christian actions ... not as something to brag about ... but to be done ... for Christ has called us to do it.
To be done ... without the need of approval ... by others. (Pause)
Winston Churchill was once asked, ... "Doesn't it thrill you ... to know ... that every time you make a speech, ... the hall is packed to overflowing?"
"It's quite flattering," replied Sir Winston.
"But whenever I feel that way, ... I always remember ...that if instead of making a political speech ... I was being hanged, ... the crowd would be twice as big." (Long Pause)
Beloved ... we are called to be humble ... in our actions.
It is a common practice ... during the season of Lent ... to give something up ... for those 40 days.
For many ... it would be easy to give up something they did not like ... in the first place.
For me I could say, ... for Lent I am giving up beef liver, ... or I am giving up ... exercise!
Instead of giving up something ... think of taking up something ... that brings you closer ... to the one you call Savior and Lord.
Maybe a quite time in his presence ... just letting His love for you ... encompass you.
I remember my first year at an Anglican Church in Ohio and how the question of the day on Ash Wednesday, was, ... so what are you giving up?
Yet ... if we read this passage ... what we do or do not give up ... is not necessarily ... the real question.
Christ calls us to humble ourselves ... and when we do, ... we will be transformed more and more ... into what?
His image ... His Likeness.
If we humble ourselves ... and abide to the vine ... then his DNA ... will flow in us ... and through us.
And the fruit of the spirit ... will manifest from us.
Beloved ... Humble your spirit ... before the Lord.
Hear Gods promise from both Peter and James: BIBLE "God opposes the proud ... but gives grace to the humble." END (1 Peter 5:5 - James 4:6)
Ronald Reagan, ... recalling an occasion when he was governor of California ... made a speech in Mexico City: He shared these words:
"After I had finished speaking, ... I sat down ...to a rather unenthusiastic applause, ... and I was a little embarrassed.
The speaker who followed me ... spoke in Spanish ... which I didn't understand ... and he was being applauded ... after every paragraph.
To hide my embarrassment, ... I started clapping before everyone else ... and longer than anyone else ... until our ambassador leaned over and said ...
'I wouldn't do that if I were you.
He's interpreting your speech.'" (Long Pause)
Beloved..., as you go about these next 40 days ...please be humble in your promise ... to God.
Whether you give something up or not ... is between you and God.
This evening ... We begin this Lenten season by humbling ourselves ... by allowing a cross of ash to be formed on our foreheads.
Ring around the roses, ... pocket full of poses, ashes, ... ashes ... (Slow) we all fall down.
Yet there is another Rhyme ... that many learned as a small child that speaks to the glorious truth for those who are in Christ.
Join me if you know it. (Sing)
Jesus loves me this I know .... For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong,...They are weak, but he is strong.
Yes Jesus loves me. ... Yes Jesus loves me.
Yes Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.
Amen and Amen.
I received much insight from a sermon by Jim Parsons titled "Ashes,Ashes" and I commend it to you.
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