Fasting, praying and weeping on Ash Wednesday

Tonight, I want to talk about three things. Ash, Joel and Sin.

Putting ash on your forehead is a pretty odd thing to do. I remember when I was at school and we had a special service for Ash Wednesday which was popular for at least two reasons. Firstly, you got time out of lessons and Secondly, you got to go around all day with a dirty smudge on your forehead. What more could a schoolboy want?

So, where does tonight’s strange service come from? Ash Wednesday and Lent have for centuries been part of the Church’s preparation for Easter. Ash Wednesday used to mark the public repentance of what the prayer book refers to as ‘notorious sinners’ and in years gone by Lent has been used as an opportunity for teaching new believers before baptism. More recently the Church has found that an act of repentance and a special time of prayerfulness and self denial is good for the whole Church as we prepare to remember Jesus’ death and resurrection.

So, as we gather here tonight we are in good company. Not only from the past but also from around the world. Where Christians are using a whole host of differing prayers and actions to remember that we are imperfect and rely solely upon the grace and mercy of God.

Many of these services will be active, noisy and colourful. All characteristics that might well make us feel uncomfortable, in our anglo-Saxon corner of the world. We don’t like to show our emotions, certainly not when it comes to something as personal as faith- God forbid!

However, you don’t have to spend long reading the Bible to see that it is littered with actions that have special meanings; the feast of Passover, the temple ceremony, the odd actions of the prophets, Jesus’ healings, the last supper and the sending out of the disciples to preach and baptise. All of these are ways in which people of faith have used everyday things to worship God. And that is what we are doing tonight. We are using this ash, as a sign of our sorrow before God. As we are invited to fast and pray and weep.

So, let me move on and talk about Joel- our Old Testament reading. Joel was a prophet who lived in Jerusalem around 340 years before Christ and his preaching is driven by a sense of disaster.

Israel had recently suffered a terrible plague of locusts, that had stripped the crops bare and led to a famine. For Joel this was a warning that the ‘Day of the Lord’ was coming.

Now Israel had understood the ‘Day of the Lord’ as the time when the nation would be saved from its enemies but Joel turns this on its head, saying that the Day of the Lord will actually be a day of judgement when Israel will be punished for its rebellion against God. And so we read, ‘Sound the alarm, the day of the Lord is coming, a day of darkness and gloom.’ And in response Joel tells his hearers to fast and pray and weep.

So what has this alarming story to do with us? Have we rebelled against God? Have we been warned? Do we face potential disaster? I believe that the answer to each of these questions is yes. And I am sure that as each of us think about the state of our world we could easily choose examples of inequality, violence and injustice.

The recent shootings of black teenagers in London speak of poverty, broken families and the impact of drugs in our inner cities. Alternatively, earlier this week Christian Aid launched their climate chaos campaign, drawing attention to the catastrophic effect of climate change on poor communities around the world. Meanwhile our government seems keen on spending at least £40 billion replacing our nuclear deterrent. Weapons that destroy cities, killing millions of people and poisoning whole regions for generations to come.

Now each of these are huge issues. But they do all connect with us as individuals. The decisions we make at the ballot box, in the supermarket, with our money and in our relationships all play a part in shaping our broken world. And so tonight we are invited to fast and pray and weep.

I spoke earlier of violence, inequality and injustice. These are all words that appear in the Bible but can be summed-up in one word. Sin. Which bring me to the third theme tonight.

Too often we think of our sins as individual mistakes that we make in our personal lives for which we should say sorry- and we should. But we need to have a bigger understanding of sin. Because whether we like it or not, we are part of world which although beautifully made by God is also affected by sin.

The fifth century Bishop and theologian Augustine called this ‘original sin’. Let me sketch out his thinking. At creation we were given God’s eternal grace. However, because of Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, we are imperfect and confused within ourselves. Our chief sin is that of Pride in failing to see God as our Creator. And so we are left to be driven by our own selfish desires. In this state of weakness we can only, ‘see through a glass darkly’ and so are led into specific sins.

A feature of Augustine’s thinking is the truth that as well as being personal- sin is also social and structural. Because as imperfect human beings we also create cities and societies that are imperfect. Indeed when you look at our world it is not difficult to see that pride, greed and fear are often powerful motivations.

Joel spoke of the Day of the Lord coming as an army of judgement. As Christians the Day of the Lord comes in Jesus crucifixion where we see God’s judgement combined with his love. And so as we approach Easter we are approaching the Day of the Lord. A day when God doesn’t send an army to the rebellious city- but his Son. A son who flings his arms wide upon the cross as God reaches out in love to his fallen creation.

Now you may not feel that we are all going to hell in a hand cart. You may feel that the chorus of, “We’re doomed, we’re all doomed!” is over the top and that quite tonight all I am doing is rubbing your faces in it.

But the thing is- and this is the important bit- that once we give up desperately trying to be good on our own account- we begin to give God’s Spirit a chance to work in us. Once we realise the seriousness of Sin we can also appreciate the breadth and depth of God’s overflowing love revealed in Christ. Once we stop desperately clinging to God we will realise that he has gently been holding us all along.

So this year, begin Lent by knowing that you will probably break your fast, that you may well not finish your improving book and that by the end of it you will still be dissatisfied with your prayer life. But in God’s gracious economy that is just fine. As Psalm 51 says, “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

And so tonight I invite you to lay aside your anglo-Saxon sensibilities to fast, pray and just maybe shed a tear.

Amen.



With thanks to Famous potatoes for the top photo: Famous Potatoes.

Stop the guns, South London

Between 3-6 February this year, three black men including a fifteen year old boy were killed in Peckham, south London. Despite huge investment and overall falling crime statistics, Police admit that gang membership is on the increase. Indeed, the latest anti-gun campaign targets 11-16 year olds.

Walking around Peckham, you can see that much has changed in recent years. The area has witnessed one of the largest redevelopment programmes in western Europe. £300 million has been spent on building 2,000 new homes, a sports centre, a leisure centre and an award winning library. New public and private housing stand side by side in attractive cream brick. Wide roads are designed to take tramlines that will allow people to get easily into central London.

Looming over the neighbourhood, however, are huge water towers that once formed part of the notorious North Peckham estate. Designed to separate people from cars, the walkways in the sky soon became unliveable and un-policeable. By the time of the murder of Damilola Taylor in November 2000 the estate was already being demolished. Six years on, Peckham had hoped that it had lost the ghetto image.

However, the events of this month have put Peckham back in the headlines. On Saturday 3 February Javorie Crichton was stabbed to death. The next day Chamberlain Gwemba was shot dead and another man wounded. The following Tuesday, gunmen stormed into the home of 15 year old Michael Dosunmu and shot him dead as he slept. Police suspect this last incident was a tragic case of mistaken identity.

In response, a community meeting was called this week. Over 250 attended with others unable to get in, listening in the car park outside. The meeting was chaired by local community activist, Decima Francis. Decima runs the From Boyhood to Manhood Foundation, hosted by the Trinity College Centre on the Camberwell/Peckham border.

The project has an 80% success rate in reintegrating excluded young black men into mainstream education. Knowing many in the room, she was able to chair the meeting with authority and a prophetic air that allowed her to challenge questioners- “What will you do for Peckham?”

Local people spoke of the two sets of lives being lived in Peckham, hard working day people who take their children to school and go to work- often holding down several jobs. And the night people whose ‘day’ starts at 11.00pm. Decima spoke of her own Pentecostal faith and invited people to pray for Peckham between 11.00 and 4.00. Judging by the response, there were many people in the room that pray.

Whilst a few questioned the Police and some called for investment the comments that gained the most support spoke of the need for good parenting, positive role models and a commitment to education.

“You have to support young people out there in being positive. To be positive about who you are and what you can contribute. I believe in Peckham but you have got to be pro-active with these young people and let them know that they have a positive alterative.”

An older lady spoke of having been burgled as she slept. Seemingly close to tears, she pleaded “I beg the parents to look after their children and pray for them, in Jesus name I pray that they will not go astray. Look after your children!”

A teenage girl said, “Parents- don’t be naïve. Think about what your children are doing. Especially if you are religious, while you are praying your kids are out on the street. Where are the parents? They should be taking an active interest in their children’s lives.”

A mother summed-up the views of many as she said, “It is hard being a single mum and when you have to give your address and people know that you are from SE15 the handbags go away and people look at you differently.”

Reflecting on the recent killings she said, “There but for the grace of God go I and every mother who has a son.”

With thanks to BBC News for background information
Video from stoptheguns.org

Thoughts on the Transfiguration of Christ

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.


Anyone who has been hill walking will remember the unnerving experience of the mist rolling in. As you plod towards the summit you may fail to notice the clouds descending on distant hill tops. You might even shrug off the darkening sky and cooling air. Too late you look up to discover layer upon layer being added to the mist until hills, contours and trees disappear. Suddenly you are left with the your travelling companions, the damp moss beneath your boots and the gloom.

Your options? Retrace your steps down the hillside, stick to the path and take it slowly or take compass bearings between walkers every few yards. As a challenging Duke of Edinburgh Award trip taught me, a particular trap to avoid is taking bearings on sheep, that have a habit of moving.

The story of the transfiguration is just such an experience of mountaintops, cloud and fear. It is also a story that is far too familiar to us. Indeed, if we are really to enter into this cloud with the disciples, it must again become a strange and disturbing story.

As we ascend this mountain together we stumble over rocks, we wonder where on earth we are being taken and feel ourselves weary from our daily lives. Harder still, having arrived at the summit, we must allow ourselves to be enveloped by this terrifying cloud and to gaze upon the face of Christ as it is transfigured by prayer.

Peter’s response to the scene is a typical example of his misguided enthusiasm. As we shake our heads at his folly we too are presented with the question, ‘what is the appropriate response to glory?’ As an activist I find myself descending with the disciples demanding to know how such a vision can lead to silence? Yet the command from the cloud is not to heal and proclaim the Kingdom as has happened in Galilee but to “Listen to Him”.

The story of transfiguration is an invitation to attentive silent prayer as the proper response to glory. Too often we know that our prayer can be hurried, rote or a grudging act of will. Indeed, this is not an unfamiliar sensation as we here at Westcott approach our Lenten diet of BCP. I am reminded, however, of the story of the Cure d’Ars, quizzing the peasant who silently spent hours in Church. The peasant replies, “I look at him, he looks at me and we are happy together.” The Cure observes that the peasant had learned to pray without breaking the silence of intimacy with words.

At first reading, there seems to be little missionary insight in a mountaintop scene that leaves the disciples dumbstruck. Surely there must be engagement and communication as we involve ourselves in God’s mission? Indeed we can easily be left reeling as we flick through the resources and strategies currently promoted. Like Peter’s offer of DIY, however, we can easily confuse our highest hopes for the otherness of God’s missionary purposes.

As Stephen Cottrell reminds us the only basis for mission is for the Church to be a place of prayer. Through prayer we look upon the face of Christ and discover ourselves to be the beloved of God. The promise of this story is that like Christ our faces too can be transfigured by prayer. So to can the situations that we face as we allow them to be illuminated not by the sodium lighting of our earthly strategies but by the eternal glow of the God’s love revealed in Christ; “Listen to Him!”