Ash Wednesday

How will you observe Ash Wednesday? For that matter, how will you observe the entire season of Lent?

In the community in which the local church I serve as pastor is located, there is an established practice of seven congregations coming together for community-wide worship and fellowship on each of the Wednesdays during the season of Lent every year. This means that each of the seven congregations takes a turn hosting this event during the seven Wednesdays of Lent. Two of the congregations are United Methodist, two are Presbyterian, two are Baptist, and one is a congregation of the Christian Church (American Restoration Movement). This practice has continued every year for more than three decades now. I will be attending the service today, which is being hosted by First Baptist Church of Monroe.

It is interesting to observe the season of Lent in this way. The worship services start at noon, and the luncheons follow at 12:30 PM or very shortly thereafter. This requires major preparation on the part of the host congregation. For example, the congregation I serve begins to organize weeks in advance. Then, Monday of the week we are hosting is shopping day for the food. Tuesday is a major day of preparation when at least a dozen volunteers come to the church for a few hours to do much of the food preparation and to set up the room for the meal. Then on Wednesday morning most of the same volunteers plus a few more come and spend more hours for the final preparations of the meal. My main job as host pastor is to get the people out of the worship service and headed down to the fellowship hall at 12:30 PM sharp!

There is much that is good about this practice. I will refrain from commenting about that which is not so good because, after all, if I were to comment, someone would perceive that I am complaining and insist that I move my “Be Complaint Free” wristband that I am wearing during Lent to my other wrist!

Speaking of the wristband, that is another way that I and many others in the congregation which I serve as pastor are observing Lent this year. We are endeavoring to fast from complaining during Lent. The wristband is a tool or an aid to help us with this discipline. If we catch ourselves complaining or if someone else catches us complaining, we are to move the wristband to the other wrist. Ideally, we hope to keep the wristband on the same wrist as long as possible!

When I first announced this invitation/challenge to our congregation on a Sunday morning weeks ago, someone spoke up and said, “But that’s nearly impossible!” Here’s an interesting development that took place this past Sunday: that same person came up to me after the worship service and requested a wristband from me! I’m still smiling!

Oh, if you want to read something really funny, check out this post about the wristbands written by a member of my congregation yesterday on her blog site: Be Complaint Free. Hey, I am not falling into the trap of complaining about what Linda S. wrote!

A third way that I and others in my congregation will be observing Ash Wednesday today is preparing and serving today’s meal at the Park View Community Mission in Lynchburg. The menu includes pinto beans, corn bread and mashed potatoes. It’s a high carb special, perhaps one that would have been more suitable for Fat Tuesday, but the meal is served on Wednesdays, not Tuesdays, and the items on the menu were suggested to us months ago when we served a meal there the last time.

Prior to serving the meal at 5:30 PM, some of the guests we will be serving start gathering at 5:00 PM for a time of worship. We will sing some songs, then I will offer the traditional imposition of ashes after a brief explanation of why this is being offered.

I’d say that gathering with others for two occasions of worship, serving in hands-on mission, and fasting from complaining is an excellent way to observe Ash Wednesday and a most appropriate way to begin the season of Lent.

Comments? Questions? Please post them to this blog site, but I would suggest that you refrain from complaining, especially if you are wearing one of the “Be Complaint Free” wristbands; the complaint police will track you down!

Grace Upon Grace,
Pastor George