Sermon for Ash Wednesday, February 6, 2008, by Pastor Dave Kaul
Dear friends in Christ,
This is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The last time Lent came this early was 1913. Woodrow Wilson was president. We've just put away the Christmas decorations.
All of this is set by Easter/Resurrection day which comes on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the equinox. Since around the year 360 and a
decision by the Council of Laodicea the church has observed Lent as a time of fasting, praying and giving. The word lent means spring. It is a time of coming
alive in your faith! We're going to center our thoughts around God's amazing grace.
On this Ash Wednesday I invite you to humble yourself before the Lord.
I think of Luke's story of two men who came to church, the one was a notorious sinner and the other a religious man. The first could only ask, "God
have mercy on me a sinner!" The other told God that he was thankful that he was better than others. He tithed of his income, helped the poor, and wasn't like
this sinner."
All the other could do was pray, "Lord, have mercy on me!"
Jesus said the first left forgiven and made right with God.
The second didn't!
Humbling ourselves before God, that is to come to him confessing our sins and mistakes, admitting that we are not the center of the universe, that without his
help we can accomplish nothing, affirming that he is our strength, seeking his wisdom and guidance in our life, and then living in trusting faith is something
we all need to learn.
The story of Jonah is a short and fascinating read being a mere 4 chapters long.
Let it guide our thinking .... The prophet is sent to Ninevah to announce that the cities wickedness has come before God. He is about to destroy the place.
Our first thought is of hail and brimstone and a God size pyrotechnics display better than the 4th of July! Were God to do this, we would be impressed.
And our hearts would puff up and say, "There God got those guys! Those rats I keep reading about in the paper and see on the t.v., Robbers, murderers,
corporate tycoons and my neighbor who lives down the street." But I wonder does the thought of God destroying Ninevah frighten you enough to be cause for you to humble yourself before God? To get on your knees and pray, "Lord have mercy!"
Doesn't sound very Lutheran to me.
On the "I'm not such a bad guy" thermometer, we usually see the sins of others as greater than our own.
I wonder what God had in store for Ninevah? What if God just allowed Ninevah to live in the folly of their actions and the natural consequences of their sin!
What if God withheld his grace?
A) Have you ever told a lie? What happened? People stopped believing you, they stopped trusting you. They withdrew from you. They began to doubt you! You
began to doubt yourself!
B) What happens when a whole society is built on greed and consumption? On each person getting as much for himself? When a people stops thinking about the common good and thinks only of the individuals rights and well being? You have Exxon Mobil making more money on the backs of people like you and me than any other corporation in history. You have Enron's executives taking theirs and the little guys not being able to cash out until their retirement is gone. Would you want to live in that kind of society?
We are!
C) What if you went in the ditch of life and everyone drove right by and never helped you? Jamie went in the ditch on Superbowl Sunday. We drove to help.
She recalled with tears in her eyes how 7 people stopped and a young woman and an older couple offered to stay with her until the push out crew - Mom and Dad - showed up.
D) What if we went around complaining all the time? What if no one ever said anything positive or full of faith and optimism. What if everyone thought we
couldn't do it! That America's best days are behind her because they lacked faith in their leaders and in God? Would you want to live in a country of such
dark demeanor?
These are the natural consequences of sin. Add robbery, murder, the abuse of drugs, the pursuit of the god "pleasure", that is how one would destroy a
person, a city, a nation from the inside. God would withdraw his face and allow the natural consequences of these actions to take place! But he doesn't. He
sends the prophet to warn them that the direction they are heading isn't good.
The prophet Jonah was to announce that in 40 days Ninevah would be destroyed! Instead he goes the other way. He set sail for Tarshish. And a great storm
arose.
The ship threatened to break up. They threw cargo overboard. And Jonah was fast asleep in the bottom of the boat!
The captain woke him up asking how he could sleep? Get up and call on your god. Perhaps the god will spare us!
They cast lots to see whose god was so upset as to send so large a storm. The lot fell to Jonah!
They wanted to know why this was happening? What is your occupation? Where are your from?
Jonah answers...
"I am a Hebrew, I worship the God of heaven who made the sea and dry land!"
"What have you done?" They knew he was fleeing from God!
The sea was growing even more tempestuous!
Throw me into the sea! It is because of me that this storm has come upon you!
Nevertheless the men tried to spare him and rowed harder to get to land, but the waters rose even higher until. They prayed, "God, don't punish us because of this mans sin!"
So they picked him up and threw him into the sea and the sea ceased its raging!
The Lord provided a big fish to swallow up Jonah. He was in the belly of the fish for 3 days and nights.
Then he began to pray.."God, I am in distress, I have gone down into the depths, my life is ebbing away, may my prayer come to you in your holy temple,
what I have vowed I will pay. Deliver me.. "
And God commanded the fish to spit him up on dry land.
God gave Jonah a second chance. "Go to Ninevah and proclaim 40 days more and Ninevah will be destroyed." This time He went to Ninevah and walked throughout the city and proclaimed, "40 days more and Ninevah will be destroyed."
And the people believed God, they began to fast and humbled themselves before the Lord.
The king heard it and humbled himself. He took off his royal robes and dressed in sack cloth and sat in ashes. He proclaimed that no animal or person
should eat or drink anything and call on the name of the Lord. Perhaps God will relent and change his mind and turn from his anger so we do not perish!"
Look at that man's trust and belief in a merciful God.
He humbles himself before God and begs God's forgiveness and mercy.
When we confront a problem or obstacle, our first thought is to find a solution instead of acknowledging that all things lie in God's hands and turn to
him in prayer. Our first thoughts are of corrective measures instead of coming before the Lord asking for his aid.
We think it is all up to me. But it isn't. If we pray to him from the belly of this fish, the seat of our mistakes, this mess of a life, if we will come to
him in the heart of this great nations cities, if we would seek God and desire to do his will, God would hear us.
Listen to the response ..." When God saw what they did, how they had turned from evil, God changed his mind about the calamity and did not do it!"
God's grace is amazing. He desires to forgive us. He wants to heal and restore our joy! He loves us with an everlasting love. This Ash Wednesday 2008,
humble yourself before him, and you will find his love and mercy and grace."
Jonah knew this was going to happen. He became angry with God because he didn't destroy the city as Jonah had promised. He looked foolish! God's grace
doesn't make sense to us. We hunger for justice. God's first thought is of mercy. I think of the wisdom,
"You can always tell a real friend. When you've made a fool of yourself he doesn't think you've done a permanent job!" Perhaps that is why old Lutherans
loved to sing, "What a friend we have in Jesus!"
Let us pray ...
"Create in me a clean heart o God, and renew a right spirit within me, cast me not away from your presence, restore to me the joy of your salvation."
This is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The last time Lent came this early was 1913. Woodrow Wilson was president. We've just put away the Christmas decorations.
All of this is set by Easter/Resurrection day which comes on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the equinox. Since around the year 360 and a
decision by the Council of Laodicea the church has observed Lent as a time of fasting, praying and giving. The word lent means spring. It is a time of coming
alive in your faith! We're going to center our thoughts around God's amazing grace.
On this Ash Wednesday I invite you to humble yourself before the Lord.
I think of Luke's story of two men who came to church, the one was a notorious sinner and the other a religious man. The first could only ask, "God
have mercy on me a sinner!" The other told God that he was thankful that he was better than others. He tithed of his income, helped the poor, and wasn't like
this sinner."
All the other could do was pray, "Lord, have mercy on me!"
Jesus said the first left forgiven and made right with God.
The second didn't!
Humbling ourselves before God, that is to come to him confessing our sins and mistakes, admitting that we are not the center of the universe, that without his
help we can accomplish nothing, affirming that he is our strength, seeking his wisdom and guidance in our life, and then living in trusting faith is something
we all need to learn.
The story of Jonah is a short and fascinating read being a mere 4 chapters long.
Let it guide our thinking .... The prophet is sent to Ninevah to announce that the cities wickedness has come before God. He is about to destroy the place.
Our first thought is of hail and brimstone and a God size pyrotechnics display better than the 4th of July! Were God to do this, we would be impressed.
And our hearts would puff up and say, "There God got those guys! Those rats I keep reading about in the paper and see on the t.v., Robbers, murderers,
corporate tycoons and my neighbor who lives down the street." But I wonder does the thought of God destroying Ninevah frighten you enough to be cause for you to humble yourself before God? To get on your knees and pray, "Lord have mercy!"
Doesn't sound very Lutheran to me.
On the "I'm not such a bad guy" thermometer, we usually see the sins of others as greater than our own.
I wonder what God had in store for Ninevah? What if God just allowed Ninevah to live in the folly of their actions and the natural consequences of their sin!
What if God withheld his grace?
A) Have you ever told a lie? What happened? People stopped believing you, they stopped trusting you. They withdrew from you. They began to doubt you! You
began to doubt yourself!
B) What happens when a whole society is built on greed and consumption? On each person getting as much for himself? When a people stops thinking about the common good and thinks only of the individuals rights and well being? You have Exxon Mobil making more money on the backs of people like you and me than any other corporation in history. You have Enron's executives taking theirs and the little guys not being able to cash out until their retirement is gone. Would you want to live in that kind of society?
We are!
C) What if you went in the ditch of life and everyone drove right by and never helped you? Jamie went in the ditch on Superbowl Sunday. We drove to help.
She recalled with tears in her eyes how 7 people stopped and a young woman and an older couple offered to stay with her until the push out crew - Mom and Dad - showed up.
D) What if we went around complaining all the time? What if no one ever said anything positive or full of faith and optimism. What if everyone thought we
couldn't do it! That America's best days are behind her because they lacked faith in their leaders and in God? Would you want to live in a country of such
dark demeanor?
These are the natural consequences of sin. Add robbery, murder, the abuse of drugs, the pursuit of the god "pleasure", that is how one would destroy a
person, a city, a nation from the inside. God would withdraw his face and allow the natural consequences of these actions to take place! But he doesn't. He
sends the prophet to warn them that the direction they are heading isn't good.
The prophet Jonah was to announce that in 40 days Ninevah would be destroyed! Instead he goes the other way. He set sail for Tarshish. And a great storm
arose.
The ship threatened to break up. They threw cargo overboard. And Jonah was fast asleep in the bottom of the boat!
The captain woke him up asking how he could sleep? Get up and call on your god. Perhaps the god will spare us!
They cast lots to see whose god was so upset as to send so large a storm. The lot fell to Jonah!
They wanted to know why this was happening? What is your occupation? Where are your from?
Jonah answers...
"I am a Hebrew, I worship the God of heaven who made the sea and dry land!"
"What have you done?" They knew he was fleeing from God!
The sea was growing even more tempestuous!
Throw me into the sea! It is because of me that this storm has come upon you!
Nevertheless the men tried to spare him and rowed harder to get to land, but the waters rose even higher until. They prayed, "God, don't punish us because of this mans sin!"
So they picked him up and threw him into the sea and the sea ceased its raging!
The Lord provided a big fish to swallow up Jonah. He was in the belly of the fish for 3 days and nights.
Then he began to pray.."God, I am in distress, I have gone down into the depths, my life is ebbing away, may my prayer come to you in your holy temple,
what I have vowed I will pay. Deliver me.. "
And God commanded the fish to spit him up on dry land.
God gave Jonah a second chance. "Go to Ninevah and proclaim 40 days more and Ninevah will be destroyed." This time He went to Ninevah and walked throughout the city and proclaimed, "40 days more and Ninevah will be destroyed."
And the people believed God, they began to fast and humbled themselves before the Lord.
The king heard it and humbled himself. He took off his royal robes and dressed in sack cloth and sat in ashes. He proclaimed that no animal or person
should eat or drink anything and call on the name of the Lord. Perhaps God will relent and change his mind and turn from his anger so we do not perish!"
Look at that man's trust and belief in a merciful God.
He humbles himself before God and begs God's forgiveness and mercy.
When we confront a problem or obstacle, our first thought is to find a solution instead of acknowledging that all things lie in God's hands and turn to
him in prayer. Our first thoughts are of corrective measures instead of coming before the Lord asking for his aid.
We think it is all up to me. But it isn't. If we pray to him from the belly of this fish, the seat of our mistakes, this mess of a life, if we will come to
him in the heart of this great nations cities, if we would seek God and desire to do his will, God would hear us.
Listen to the response ..." When God saw what they did, how they had turned from evil, God changed his mind about the calamity and did not do it!"
God's grace is amazing. He desires to forgive us. He wants to heal and restore our joy! He loves us with an everlasting love. This Ash Wednesday 2008,
humble yourself before him, and you will find his love and mercy and grace."
Jonah knew this was going to happen. He became angry with God because he didn't destroy the city as Jonah had promised. He looked foolish! God's grace
doesn't make sense to us. We hunger for justice. God's first thought is of mercy. I think of the wisdom,
"You can always tell a real friend. When you've made a fool of yourself he doesn't think you've done a permanent job!" Perhaps that is why old Lutherans
loved to sing, "What a friend we have in Jesus!"
Let us pray ...
"Create in me a clean heart o God, and renew a right spirit within me, cast me not away from your presence, restore to me the joy of your salvation."