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March 1, 2009, Fist Sunday on Lent, All Souls' Episcopal Church

Remember, O man, that dust thou art, and to dust shalt thou return.

On Wednesday, the first day of the Season of Lent, we gathered here in this church where we were marked with ashes and were reminded of an essential truth about our human nature in the words: “Remember, O man, that dust thou art, and to dust shalt thou return.” In the Book of Genesis we are told that when God created man, he formed his body from the dust of the ground, from the soil, or humus. The word “humus,” h-u-m-u-s, is where we get the term “human.” In soil science, humus refers to the degraded organic material in soil, the result of a process known as humification. Humus not only refers to soil, it is in a sense the life-force of soil. As such, the dust of the earth has long been seen as both a source of life and as a symbol of our common humanity. In essence, what we are saying on Ash Wednesday is, “Remember O human, that humus thou art, and to humus shalt thou return.” As a symbol of our common humanity, the dust of the earth also is a symbol of our mortality, and as such was used as a sign of mourning. And so, when Bildad, Zophar, and Eliphaz showed up to comfort their friend, Job who had suffered such great affliction, they covered themselves in the dust of the earth, and sat with him for seven days in silence, united with him in his grief.

      As Christians, we believe not only that we are creatures created by a creator, but that God will one day renew all of his creation in resurrection. And yet, before we can know that resurrection, we must first know the humility appropriate to our humanity, and before we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we see the first spring-like sign of our own resurrection, we must first humbly and faithfully follow him on the journey we know as Lent.

      Our Lord Jesus begins his journey following his baptism in the Jordan River. There, he hears his Heavenly Father’s voice proclaim, “Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Later in our Lord’s ministry, on top of a holy mountain, the disciples Peter, James, and John, would hear the Heavenly Father make a similar proclamation as Jesus was transfigured before their very eyes while Moses and Elijah appeared alongside of him. Both Moses the law giver and Elijah the prophet in their lifetimes traveled to the desert wilderness where they fasted and prayed forty days and forty nights. Our Lord Jesus, who by his sinless life and the perfect self-offering of his death fulfills the law and the prophets, makes a similar forty day fast in the desert wilderness.

      Our Lord’s forty day fast in the wilderness marks the beginning of his earthly ministry; a new beginning and a new testament for his people. When his people made their new beginning in the desert wilderness, led by Moses, they journeyed forty years in a time of trial and preparation on their way to a land of promise. During that time, the people surrendered to various temptations. They complained about a lack of bread, even asking if God had brought them all that way just so they could starve to death. They murmured their displeasure with God, as if God was somehow answerable to them, and should be subjected to some kind of test. And finally, they committed idolatry, worshipping a false god, preferring a creature over the creator. In his forty days fast, our Lord is tested by the devil who tempts him to commit the very sins the ancient people had committed. But, where the people had failed in their lack of faith, our Lord Jesus triumphed in his faith. Our Lord Jesus truly made a new beginning. Now, in the Season of Lent, we are called to follow our Lord Jesus in prayer, self-denial, fasting, and self-examination. In the name of our Lord Jesus and his church, we call you to the observance of a Holy Lent.

      In order to help us as we make this journey, I’d like you to turn to the General Confession in our Communion service. Since Lent is a time for self-examination, it might be instructive for us to examine at least the first half of this confession. We begin by addressing “Almighty God,” the “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” You see, our knowledge of God as well as the way we see ourselves in relation to him as our Father is shaped and defined for us by our Lord Jesus Christ. The confession reminds us that God is the “maker of all things,” and the “judge of all men.” We do not regard God only as a “first cause,” an “unmoved mover,” or the ground of all being, although he is certainly that. We also know him as the judge of all men. We worship a God who holds us accountable. (I’ll repeat that. We believe in and worship a God who holds us accountable.)

      The Confession goes on to say: We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness which we from time to time most grievously have committed. To “bewail” is to express sorrow. We not only acknowledge our sins, we are sorry for them. Notice as well that we call them sins. We are not sugar-coating anything. A sin denotes a moral failing; a fault. We’re not merely admitting that we “made a mistake,” or that we “made a poor choice,” or that we had a “momentary lapse in judgment.” What we’re saying is that it was our fault. We are taking moral responsibility. Notice as well that we refer to sins and “wickedness.” The word wickedness denotes a state or a condition. So, we are not saying something like, Look, I know I messed up, but I’m a good a person; I know I acted dishonorably, but I’m honorable, you can trust me. What we’re saying is that when we sinned, we did what we did because it was our own fault; we did what we did because we were selfish, or we were arrogant, or we were greedy, and that not only does our behavior need to change, we need to change.

      Finally, we should note that we refer to the fact that we have sinned in “thought, word, and deed.” I do not need to dwell on how it is that we sin in word or in deed. I think that is clear enough to most of us. How do we sin in thought? Well, if an impure thought or a disgraceful thought pops into your head, that’s one thing. However, if you choose … and it is a choice … to dwell on that thought, then that is quite another matter.

      Of course, there is a larger context in which we are to understand how are thoughts belong to God. St. Paul tells us to be “renewed” in the spirit of our minds. He is speaking of the fact that Christians have a new mindset; a new way of understanding the world, and our place in it. Christians see the world through a spiritual frame of reference informed by our faith in God through Jesus Christ. This mindset tells us who we are and what is expected of us. It defines our purpose. When we fail to live according to that vision, we sin in thought.

      Finally, we should understand all this in another way as well. We need to take custody of our thoughts. The fact is that words and deeds begin as thoughts. And so, in the words of a sermon I read recently, I would encourage you this way: “Don’t believe everything you think.” I repeat, don’t believe everything you think. Don’t give credence to every idle thought that pops into your head. Let me give you an example of what I mean. A wife says to her husband, or a husband says to his wife: “Is that what you’re going to wear?” It’s a simple, straightforward question, but so often it’s met with the response: “Why, what’s wrong with it?” So often, we infer criticism where none was implied. “Well, I just know that’s what she meant. No you don’t. Don’t believe everything you think. You may think you’re being singled out for criticism. You may think you’ve been insulted. You may think you’re being cheated. Don’t believe everything you think. Thoughts become words, and words are hard to take back. Words lead to deeds which we may regret. And so, we repent in our confession of thoughts, words, and deeds.

      Lent is a journey leading to Holy Week and then to Easter, and so it is a journey of renewal. In making that journey, let us examine our lives with a rigorous honesty. Let us examine our deeds. Let us examine the words we use. And yes, let us examine our thoughts, and let us be renewed in the spirit of our minds. Once again, I bid you to the observance of a Holy Lent.

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