Sermon for Ash Wednesday

Lent is a time for repentance, saying you are sorry for your sins. But one of the temptations during Lent is to say you’re sorry long enough just so you can get started doing the same things again. Giving something up for Lent or adding something on during Lent is called a Lenten discipline and it is a sucker for this temptation. It is good that we all seek to make amends for what we do wrong, to better ourselves for the sake of our family, our neighbors and our God. But, if this discipline is genuine, why do we ever give it up at Easter? Lent is a time to remember what Jesus went through, his sufferings, his temptations and, finally, his death, but it is our freedom in Christ that we are remembering as well. You don’t have to wait for Easter. You are free already.

Lent is not about giving something up for forty days in order to help you suffer enough. Jesus suffered for you and he doesn’t need you to pay him back. You are free. EVEN during Lent. ESPECIALLY during Lent. Why not try that freedom on for size and see how it suits you. As the readings remind us, the season of Lent is not to show off your piety, to tell others how grand and difficult you are going to be on yourself to make God happy. God is pleased with you because of Jesus. You are free already. What better time to remember this than Lent.

In college, I got into doing Lenten disciplines because that was the thing to do. I gave up pop, or soda as you all call it here, one year and only cheated three times! The next year, Kristy and I gave up eating out (saved us a lot of money). One year I decided to give Kristy a back rub for twenty minutes every night (dear Lord was I head over heels or what!) But, I’m going to be honest with you. By the third or fourth week, it was awful! Easter was like the day of freedom! I was so glad Lent was over! But, despite what the church calendar says, when Jesus Christ died for you he made it Easter every day! You are free already! Even during Lent. Every single day of it. You don’t have to suffer through it.

Perhaps you might consider enjoying the freedom you have in Jesus Christ this Lent rather then acting miserable. Try on this freedom and see if it suits you. You will no doubt punish yourself off and on like we all do from time to time, I don’t expect any of you to stop sinning this Lenten season, you’ll have multiple opportunities I’m sure to repent. But why not start something you don’t want to stop? Something worth continuing? Something that will build your faith in a positive way rather than making you want to vomit?

The Devil works hard enough in our lives to make us despair without us trying to pull on his tail and really tick him off. Instead of giving up ice cream to lose weight and show off how tough you are for Jesus, eat a bowl full of chocolate chip cookie day every single night and give thanks to God for the joy of being able to do it! Give yourself a reason to thank God that you won’t soon forget come Easter! Instead of volunteering for a job you hate, you might try doing something you love! The people you serve will probably be a lot happier when you show up the week AFTER Easter with a smile on your face instead of going missing in action suddenly in the middle of April. If you’d like to learn your Scripture better this Lenten season don’t force yourself to read Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy because you feel that you ought to. You may read your favorite Bible passages again and again and again until you’ve got them all memorized for your grandkids. You are free to do any of it.

Jesus didn’t suffer so that for forty days every year your life would stink! I don’t think he would appreciate it actually. Why not enjoy this freedom that he died for and take it out for a spin. Someone might actually ask you why you’re smiling so much this Lent for a change instead of being that thankful that they DON’T go to church.

When Easter comes, you probably won’t feel as relieved as you would have if you had given up watching TV or tried to stop swearing. You won’t stuff your face with chocolate or smoke like a chimney on that fine festival day. But, you might realize that Easter is a time to celebrate the freedom that you have EVERY day of your life. Not freedom in contrast with Jesus’ suffering but because of he suffered and died for you. YOU don’t have to suffer for your salvation; Jesus already did that for you. This Lent you are free already. And if you’d like to, instead of giving something up or adding something on for the next several weeks, you may try your freedom on for size and thank God he’s given you the ability to do so.

It’s traditional to simply repent on Ash Wednesday without ever hearing God’s absolution. But tonight, I’m just going to let the Holy Spirit fly and see what happens. Therefore, by God’s authority, I declare unto you the entire forgiveness of all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This Lent, you don’t have to wait until Easter, you are free already. Amen.