We Wonder
We Wonder
Feb 26, 2020
February 26: Ash Wednesday
Play • 15 min

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent. Today is Ash Wednesday, the very beginning of the season that helps us get ready for Easter. Just as Israel wandered in the desert for forty years, and Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days, we will spend the next forty days walking with Jesus toward the cross.


“Lent” is also an old English word for “springtime.” This is the season when the earth begins to come back to life after winter. Ice melts, the earth thaws, and things that were dead begin to bloom and grow again. During Lent, we name the things in our hearts and in our world that are dead, and we wait to see how God will raise them to new life with Jesus. Join me, as we watch, and wait, and hope in God.


Today is Ash Wednesday: the day when we remember that we are like ashes. Without Jesus, we are like fires that have gone out.


Scripture passage: Psalm 51:1-6, 10-17


I wonder if I have ever felt like a blown-out candle, or like cold ashes that can’t spark to life? What do I want to say to God about that?


I wonder if God is still close to me when I feel far away? I wonder if I can trust that faithful love is always waiting for me?


David says to God, “you will gladly accept a heart that is broken because of sadness over sin.” I wonder: what things do I see in myself and in the world that break my heart? Can I trust God to be kind to my sad heart?


Lent happens in springtime: the earth that was frozen and dead blossoms into life again. Dry, helpless seeds are planted in the ground, and plants push up out of the ground. Jesus goes into the grave, and is raised to new life. It is a time of sadness for all that is wrong in us and in the world, and also of hope that it can all be made new. Can I ask God to come close to me in the sadness? Can I ask God’s Spirit to whisper words of hope to me in the dark?


Closing Prayer:


Open our lips, O God, and our mouths will proclaim your praise. Create new hearts in us, O God, and renew us and our world. Give us the joy of your saving help again, and sustain us with your Spirit who breathes life.


In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.


Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; other songs are “Trace”, by Roary and “Hold to the Light,” by Brooke Annibale.


Also: a huge, heartfelt thank you to our patrons Debara and Mary for making this episode happen!


You can help us create more beauty and wonder by supporting us as a monthly patron: go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can help this podcast grow!

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