Saturday, March 19, 2011
my kiddos...
Since I don't facebook anymore, I thought I would post some pics of my beautiful kiddos. These are some of my favorites! We took them on a chilly day here in the Shreve, at an old abandoned barn by a lake.
"Children are a heritage of the Lord: as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth."
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Ash Wednesday
Ive never bothered to research the tradition of observing "Ash Wednesday" before. Growing up in Mobile, Al, the birthplace of Mardi Gras, I have known all about the season of Lent and of course "Fat Tuesday", which, can I just say is a complete slap in the face to God Almighty... as if to say, "yeah, yeah, we'll sacrifice something for you, but first we're gonna do exactly what we want until we fall over drunk from it." I mean, seriously, it is so disturbing that fat tuesday is even associated with a religious holiday. Its like telling God you are going to ask for forgiveness as soon as you're done snorting your line of cocaine. Whatever.
Anyhoo, back to ash wednesday. I've got questions. I mean, I get it, I understand why its done, and to be honest I admire the thought process behind it. I guess I just think, as I do of every denomination of the American church, that if so many people are TRULY observing ash wednesday and the season of lent, then why is nothing different? Im looking at myself here. There are planks in my own eye that must be removed before I have the right to talk about anyone else's repentance, which is exactly why I do not observe such holidays. The magnitude of repentance and dedication that is REQUIRED by catholic law for true observation of ash wednesday is a very serious thing. It reminds me of the old testament holy men, who grew their hair long while following closely to the Lord, and it they wandered or broke one of God's laws, they would shave their heads. That is HUGE! Could you imagine, seeing a man who you knew was following hard after Gods laws, with long hair to show his obedience, walking down the street with a shaven head. It was obvious to everyone that he had sinned and was in repentance. No masks there. No hiding behind revelry and tradition. It was out there for everyone to see. Thats how it is with the ashes, thats how it SHOULD be with the ashes. I think, if we are going to be so bold as to wear a mark on our foreheads to show our repentance, then we should actually walk in repentance, and walking in repentance (biblical repentance) would look VERY different from our normal walk. An excerpt from wikipedia explains some of the background of the tradition from a biblical perspective...
Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance and it marks the beginning of Lent. Ashes were used in ancient times, according to the Bible, to express mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent's way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults. An ancient example of one expressing one's penitence is found in Job 42:3-6. Job says to God: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. The other eye wandereth of its own accord. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (vv. 5-6, KJV) The prophet Jeremiah, for example, calls for repentance this way: "O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes" (Jer 6:26).The prophet Daniel pleaded for God this way: "I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes" (Daniel 9:3). Just prior to the New Testament period, the rebels fighting for Jewish independence, the Maccabees, prepared for battle using ashes: "That day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes" (1 Maccabees 3:47; see also 4:39). (wikipedia)
Again, are we seeing this kind of mourning and repentance? Fasting, true fasting, is fervent prayer to the Lord for something while giving up something. Of course, Im not catholic, so Im not submerged in the catholic community. Im sure if the baptist denomination had such a tradition I would see it more because I am a member of a baptist church, so Im not casting blame on all catholics. Like I said, Ive got my own planks. I guess I just feel a bit of disappointment with the notoriety of something like ash wednesday when the greatest of all holidays observed, Resurrection Sunday, has been overtaken with bunnies and eggs.
I truly admire sacrifice. I truly admire repentance, especially public repentance, which most of us have never actually done and will never do. I just find it confusing when I read excerpts like this one, which actually negates the grace of what God did for us on Good Friday and the awesome joy of what HE did for us on Resurrection Sunday...
Ashes are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice.
The distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. Christians who had committed grave faults performed public penance. On Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the hair shirts which they were to wear during the forty days of penance, and sprinkled over them ashes made from the palms from the previous year. Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms, the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins -- just as Adam, the first man, was turned out of Paradise because of his disobedience. The penitents did not enter the church again until Maundy Thursday after having won reconciliation by the toil of forty days' penance and sacramental absolution. Later, all Christians, whether public or secret penitents, came to receive ashes out of devotion. In earlier times, the distribution of ashes was followed by a penitential procession.
...First, it is the Word of God that convicts. The bible says so, and if we can fabricate something physical to "force" us into a spirit of humility and sacrifice, then stores would be selling it by the pound.
Second, THANK GOD that He never turns us away from Him. We as believers, as children of GOD will NEVER be turned away from Him because of our faults and failures. Matter of fact, Revelation tells us that He stands at the door and knocks, and ANYONE who answers, he will come in. Jesus paid too heavy a price for us to keep believing that if we mess up too bad we will fall from His graces. The cross is worth more than that. We can not work our way into heaven anymore that we can stumble our way out of it.
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe,
Sin had left a crimson stain,
HE washed it white as snow.
Anyhoo, back to ash wednesday. I've got questions. I mean, I get it, I understand why its done, and to be honest I admire the thought process behind it. I guess I just think, as I do of every denomination of the American church, that if so many people are TRULY observing ash wednesday and the season of lent, then why is nothing different? Im looking at myself here. There are planks in my own eye that must be removed before I have the right to talk about anyone else's repentance, which is exactly why I do not observe such holidays. The magnitude of repentance and dedication that is REQUIRED by catholic law for true observation of ash wednesday is a very serious thing. It reminds me of the old testament holy men, who grew their hair long while following closely to the Lord, and it they wandered or broke one of God's laws, they would shave their heads. That is HUGE! Could you imagine, seeing a man who you knew was following hard after Gods laws, with long hair to show his obedience, walking down the street with a shaven head. It was obvious to everyone that he had sinned and was in repentance. No masks there. No hiding behind revelry and tradition. It was out there for everyone to see. Thats how it is with the ashes, thats how it SHOULD be with the ashes. I think, if we are going to be so bold as to wear a mark on our foreheads to show our repentance, then we should actually walk in repentance, and walking in repentance (biblical repentance) would look VERY different from our normal walk. An excerpt from wikipedia explains some of the background of the tradition from a biblical perspective...
Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance and it marks the beginning of Lent. Ashes were used in ancient times, according to the Bible, to express mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent's way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults. An ancient example of one expressing one's penitence is found in Job 42:3-6. Job says to God: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. The other eye wandereth of its own accord. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (vv. 5-6, KJV) The prophet Jeremiah, for example, calls for repentance this way: "O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes" (Jer 6:26).The prophet Daniel pleaded for God this way: "I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes" (Daniel 9:3). Just prior to the New Testament period, the rebels fighting for Jewish independence, the Maccabees, prepared for battle using ashes: "That day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes" (1 Maccabees 3:47; see also 4:39). (wikipedia)
Again, are we seeing this kind of mourning and repentance? Fasting, true fasting, is fervent prayer to the Lord for something while giving up something. Of course, Im not catholic, so Im not submerged in the catholic community. Im sure if the baptist denomination had such a tradition I would see it more because I am a member of a baptist church, so Im not casting blame on all catholics. Like I said, Ive got my own planks. I guess I just feel a bit of disappointment with the notoriety of something like ash wednesday when the greatest of all holidays observed, Resurrection Sunday, has been overtaken with bunnies and eggs.
I truly admire sacrifice. I truly admire repentance, especially public repentance, which most of us have never actually done and will never do. I just find it confusing when I read excerpts like this one, which actually negates the grace of what God did for us on Good Friday and the awesome joy of what HE did for us on Resurrection Sunday...
Why we receive the ashes
Following the example of the Nine vites, who did penance in sackcloth and ashes, our foreheads are marked with ashes to humble our hearts and reminds us that life passes away on Earth. We remember this when we are told "Remember, Man is dust, and unto dust you shall return."Ashes are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice.
The distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. Christians who had committed grave faults performed public penance. On Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the hair shirts which they were to wear during the forty days of penance, and sprinkled over them ashes made from the palms from the previous year. Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms, the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins -- just as Adam, the first man, was turned out of Paradise because of his disobedience. The penitents did not enter the church again until Maundy Thursday after having won reconciliation by the toil of forty days' penance and sacramental absolution. Later, all Christians, whether public or secret penitents, came to receive ashes out of devotion. In earlier times, the distribution of ashes was followed by a penitential procession.
...First, it is the Word of God that convicts. The bible says so, and if we can fabricate something physical to "force" us into a spirit of humility and sacrifice, then stores would be selling it by the pound.
Second, THANK GOD that He never turns us away from Him. We as believers, as children of GOD will NEVER be turned away from Him because of our faults and failures. Matter of fact, Revelation tells us that He stands at the door and knocks, and ANYONE who answers, he will come in. Jesus paid too heavy a price for us to keep believing that if we mess up too bad we will fall from His graces. The cross is worth more than that. We can not work our way into heaven anymore that we can stumble our way out of it.
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe,
Sin had left a crimson stain,
HE washed it white as snow.
Monday, March 7, 2011
a few funny things
Sarah was baptized last Sunday! It was such a wonderful day, my heart was full of gratitude for all that the Lord has done. We allowed Madelyn (5) to stay in big church to witness the event. My mom was laughing when Sarah and I made it back to our seats for the service. Apparently, my sweet little Maddy had one thing and one thing only on her mind. When the deacons brought out the offering plates, with a jubilant voice, she said "look Ma, we get snacks!" Precious
Then yesterday, on the way to church, she is in her seat looking through her little picture bible. She says, "hey mom, I know this story." I turn around and notice the picture of Adam and Eve with the snake. "Oh really, tell me about it." "That bad snake lied to those people and made them eat that fruit that God said not to eat, then they got naked." I couldn't correct her because I was laughing so hard. Laughing, driving, calling my mom to tell her and eating peanuts is a bad combination. I was lucky I didn't kill us all as a result of my recklessness and neglect. #1 MOM!!!
That was almost funnier than Sarah's take on the story at that age. When we asked her what she had learned that day (the creation story) her response was "Adam and Eve ate some fruit and everybody died." Somewhere, lost in translation, was the message of our sin and Gods grace. But I guess everybody getting naked and dying is just more interesting when you're five?
We're working on it.
Then yesterday, on the way to church, she is in her seat looking through her little picture bible. She says, "hey mom, I know this story." I turn around and notice the picture of Adam and Eve with the snake. "Oh really, tell me about it." "That bad snake lied to those people and made them eat that fruit that God said not to eat, then they got naked." I couldn't correct her because I was laughing so hard. Laughing, driving, calling my mom to tell her and eating peanuts is a bad combination. I was lucky I didn't kill us all as a result of my recklessness and neglect. #1 MOM!!!
That was almost funnier than Sarah's take on the story at that age. When we asked her what she had learned that day (the creation story) her response was "Adam and Eve ate some fruit and everybody died." Somewhere, lost in translation, was the message of our sin and Gods grace. But I guess everybody getting naked and dying is just more interesting when you're five?
We're working on it.
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