In this Section:

March 9, 2011

Sermon for Ash Wednesday

March 9, 2011

Mr. Peter Doddema, Seminarian

 

I.  (from the collect for Ash Wednesday)

  • Almighty & everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made…

 

II.  Wake up!

A.  Isaiah 58.1-12

  • A people very concerned with doing, doing, doing religious deeds, but missing out on the essence of the Shema:
  • Love the Lord your God with your veryness
  • Love your neighbor as yourself.
  • What if they were loving their neighbors as themselves?  What a self-indictment!

B.  Psalm 103.1-4 

  • Joy in God; rejoicing & injunction to wake up!
  • Injunction to the soul – the piece of God implanted by God individually w/in each of us – to focus on how good God is to it.

C.  2 Corinthians 5.20b-6.10

  • Jesus is become sin so that I can be the billboard / poster child for God’s salvific action.
  • Injunction to wake up & not miss the hugeness & life-changing impact of God’s grace.
  • “I have listened to you…I have helped you”
  • we have amazing meaning to God
  • Jesus, Son of God – broken (and that shamefully) on the cross so that you & I, in our humanity, could be restored to full relationship with God
  • This absolutely underscores our value to God.
  • (2 Cor. 4.7) treasures in earthen vessels:
  • in spite of our weakness / frailty we are filled with the Spirit.

II.  What does this mean for us today?

  • God calls God’s people to be awake to how much God loves and values you.
  • In light of that, for Lent:
  • How am I caring for myself?