Calling All Phonies
Sermon preached at Church of the Good Shepherd, United Methodist, Columbus, Ohio, Ash Wednesday, February 25, 2009.
“Calling All Phonies”
Isaiah 58:1-12; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
It is quite an indictment, isn’t it? “Shout out – don’t hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet!” It gets one’s attention, doesn’t it? “Announce to my people their rebellion!” Isaiah is telling us: Sit up! Pay Attention! Listen with all your might!
Then, speaking for God, Isaiah lays out the problem: The people are complaining to God that despite their consistent fasting and prayer, they feel God is not listening to them. Isaiah has a different point of view: The people are a bunch of phonies and hypocrites.
Why? Isaiah says – you’re fasting and praying, but you still oppress your workers. You fast and pray, but you still quarrel and fight and lash out in anger. You fast and pray and genuflect and bow and wear sackcloth and ashes and make a big production out of trying to be holy and yet … and yet …
In today’s lingo, those gathered around and listening to Isaiah might well respond, “Oh, snap!”
But Isaiah goes on: You phonies! If your fasting and praying were genuine, you would be working for justice, trying to remedy oppression, and breaking yokes of bondage.
If your fasting and praying were genuine, you would be feeding the hungry – out of your own cupboard if you had to – and you’d be finding shelter for the homeless – sharing your own if you had to – and you’d be putting clothes on the naked – sharing from your own closet if you had to – and you’d find ways to remain close to your family and friends rather than pushing them away. THEN I’d know you were fasting and praying with honesty, genuineness, and a heartfelt desire to live in the light of God’s love.
“Oh, snap!”
It’s quite an indictment; and it should certainly get our attention.
There is a lot of baggage about Ash Wednesday and Lent. Some have been brought up with the tradition that what has begun with tonight’s service is a season of gloom and doom; a season of deep meditation on how awful we all are. Some, because they’ve been brought up that way, stay as far away from church as they can for the whole season. Others have been brought up with the notion that since there’s nothing about Ash Wednesday or Lent in the Bible, then we shouldn’t bother with them. That is correct – there is nothing in the Bible about this season. But neither is there anything explicit about our need to celebrate Christmas or Easter. Such traditions build up over time. The problem is they sometimes get distorted and their true meaning is lost (see the file marked “Materialism and Christmas”).
Very early in the Christian tradition, faithful followers of Jesus decided it would be important to remember the resurrection on a regular basis. Thus, Easter was born. To that we added a remembrance of the crucifixion (Good Friday), the last supper (Maundy Thursday), the entrance into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday). Marking that particular week in Jesus’ life became the central tradition in the Christian Church. Eventually, a season of preparation was added – what we now call Lent – in which Christians were to examine themselves, practice spiritual disciplines, and reconnect themselves with God. In addition, the season was a time for new converts to be trained and then be baptized on Easter and for those who had been separated from the community to make amends and return to the fellowship of the church.
In other words, one might say the original intent of this season was to strip down all the phoniness that we build up in life and “get real” with God. It was a time to return to being genuinely and thoroughly connected to God. It was a time to seek forgiveness, love, grace, and mercy. I suggest – even to those who have some negative baggage associated with Ash Wednesday and Lent – that these are good things. Even thousands of years ago, the earliest followers of Jesus knew of our capacity to deceive ourselves and try to dodge being closely connected to God. That’s why reading that passage from Isaiah became a tradition on Ash Wednesday, along with several other passages. It’s time to “get real” and to drop the phoniness that gets in the way of a genuine relationship with God.
How we ever got from that core principle to the shallow ritual of giving up our favorite candy bar for 40 days is beyond me. Well, maybe it’s not. Even Isaiah knew how good we can be at fooling ourselves. As one of my colleagues in the Columbus area said several years ago during an Ash Wednesday sermon, “If we give up eating Reese’s Cups for Lent only to find ourselves counting the days until we can eat them again, we’ve probably missed the point.” Now, if your favorite candy bar is really in the way of your relationship with God, then by all means – give it up! But give it up for good, not just for 40 days.
As you know, I am on Facebook and have had a lot of fun reconnecting with old friends and connecting together old friends and new friends. There is a movement afoot this year to ask Christians to give up Facebook for Lent. Now, there are certainly folks who are so distracted by and addicted to the internet that giving up Facebook might be helpful for their relationship with God. But mostly I think that if we have fooled ourselves into thinking that it’s Facebook that’s in the way of our relationship with God, then we have bigger problems than internet addiction. Those sorts of things kind of sound like empty rituals to me.
Jesus is getting at the same thing in the gospel lesson. “Whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do …. And when you pray do not be like the hypocrites for they love to stand and pray so that they may be seen by others …. And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting.”
Oh, snap!
So, it’s Ash Wednesday: “Calling all Phonies!” Don’t jump into this season with empty gestures and rituals. Don’t approach the next six weeks with the idea that we just need to find some simple thing to give up so we can say we did something. Instead, I challenge us all to a more courageous approach:
Do a thorough self-examination: What is the one thing in your life which pulls you away from living as the beloved child of God that you are? Why not try tackling that for six weeks and see where you’ve come out on Easter Sunday? Broaden the possibilities beyond just “giving something up” for Lent. What about trying to repair a broken relationship in your life? What about seeking to understand thoroughly a great social issue that causes hurt feelings and ill will – and then work to change it for the better? What about seeking treatment for substance abuse? What about exploring the wide variety of forms of prayer?
Those are just suggestions – you have to find your own way. Only you know what it is that stands between you and God this day. But I implore you – I implore us all – to approach this time in the church’s life with all the genuineness and authenticity that we can muster. Let’s not adopt a ritual or make an empty gesture just to fulfill expectations, but rather let us reconnect to God at such a deep level that our lives are changed forever.
When we do that – with all our heart, mind, strength and soul – then it shall be for us as it was promised to Isaiah’s people: When we do this, then our light shall break forth like the dawn … we shall be like a spring of water whose waters never fail … our ancient ruins shall be rebuilt and we shall raise up the foundations of many generations and we shall be called repairers of the breach, the restorers of streets to live in.
Drop the phoniness. Don’t engage in empty gestures. Instead, look deeply into your life. And seek to restore a connection to God in the place that is most broken.
Amen.
“Calling All Phonies”
Isaiah 58:1-12; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
It is quite an indictment, isn’t it? “Shout out – don’t hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet!” It gets one’s attention, doesn’t it? “Announce to my people their rebellion!” Isaiah is telling us: Sit up! Pay Attention! Listen with all your might!
Then, speaking for God, Isaiah lays out the problem: The people are complaining to God that despite their consistent fasting and prayer, they feel God is not listening to them. Isaiah has a different point of view: The people are a bunch of phonies and hypocrites.
Why? Isaiah says – you’re fasting and praying, but you still oppress your workers. You fast and pray, but you still quarrel and fight and lash out in anger. You fast and pray and genuflect and bow and wear sackcloth and ashes and make a big production out of trying to be holy and yet … and yet …
In today’s lingo, those gathered around and listening to Isaiah might well respond, “Oh, snap!”
But Isaiah goes on: You phonies! If your fasting and praying were genuine, you would be working for justice, trying to remedy oppression, and breaking yokes of bondage.
If your fasting and praying were genuine, you would be feeding the hungry – out of your own cupboard if you had to – and you’d be finding shelter for the homeless – sharing your own if you had to – and you’d be putting clothes on the naked – sharing from your own closet if you had to – and you’d find ways to remain close to your family and friends rather than pushing them away. THEN I’d know you were fasting and praying with honesty, genuineness, and a heartfelt desire to live in the light of God’s love.
“Oh, snap!”
It’s quite an indictment; and it should certainly get our attention.
There is a lot of baggage about Ash Wednesday and Lent. Some have been brought up with the tradition that what has begun with tonight’s service is a season of gloom and doom; a season of deep meditation on how awful we all are. Some, because they’ve been brought up that way, stay as far away from church as they can for the whole season. Others have been brought up with the notion that since there’s nothing about Ash Wednesday or Lent in the Bible, then we shouldn’t bother with them. That is correct – there is nothing in the Bible about this season. But neither is there anything explicit about our need to celebrate Christmas or Easter. Such traditions build up over time. The problem is they sometimes get distorted and their true meaning is lost (see the file marked “Materialism and Christmas”).
Very early in the Christian tradition, faithful followers of Jesus decided it would be important to remember the resurrection on a regular basis. Thus, Easter was born. To that we added a remembrance of the crucifixion (Good Friday), the last supper (Maundy Thursday), the entrance into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday). Marking that particular week in Jesus’ life became the central tradition in the Christian Church. Eventually, a season of preparation was added – what we now call Lent – in which Christians were to examine themselves, practice spiritual disciplines, and reconnect themselves with God. In addition, the season was a time for new converts to be trained and then be baptized on Easter and for those who had been separated from the community to make amends and return to the fellowship of the church.
In other words, one might say the original intent of this season was to strip down all the phoniness that we build up in life and “get real” with God. It was a time to return to being genuinely and thoroughly connected to God. It was a time to seek forgiveness, love, grace, and mercy. I suggest – even to those who have some negative baggage associated with Ash Wednesday and Lent – that these are good things. Even thousands of years ago, the earliest followers of Jesus knew of our capacity to deceive ourselves and try to dodge being closely connected to God. That’s why reading that passage from Isaiah became a tradition on Ash Wednesday, along with several other passages. It’s time to “get real” and to drop the phoniness that gets in the way of a genuine relationship with God.
How we ever got from that core principle to the shallow ritual of giving up our favorite candy bar for 40 days is beyond me. Well, maybe it’s not. Even Isaiah knew how good we can be at fooling ourselves. As one of my colleagues in the Columbus area said several years ago during an Ash Wednesday sermon, “If we give up eating Reese’s Cups for Lent only to find ourselves counting the days until we can eat them again, we’ve probably missed the point.” Now, if your favorite candy bar is really in the way of your relationship with God, then by all means – give it up! But give it up for good, not just for 40 days.
As you know, I am on Facebook and have had a lot of fun reconnecting with old friends and connecting together old friends and new friends. There is a movement afoot this year to ask Christians to give up Facebook for Lent. Now, there are certainly folks who are so distracted by and addicted to the internet that giving up Facebook might be helpful for their relationship with God. But mostly I think that if we have fooled ourselves into thinking that it’s Facebook that’s in the way of our relationship with God, then we have bigger problems than internet addiction. Those sorts of things kind of sound like empty rituals to me.
Jesus is getting at the same thing in the gospel lesson. “Whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do …. And when you pray do not be like the hypocrites for they love to stand and pray so that they may be seen by others …. And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting.”
Oh, snap!
So, it’s Ash Wednesday: “Calling all Phonies!” Don’t jump into this season with empty gestures and rituals. Don’t approach the next six weeks with the idea that we just need to find some simple thing to give up so we can say we did something. Instead, I challenge us all to a more courageous approach:
Do a thorough self-examination: What is the one thing in your life which pulls you away from living as the beloved child of God that you are? Why not try tackling that for six weeks and see where you’ve come out on Easter Sunday? Broaden the possibilities beyond just “giving something up” for Lent. What about trying to repair a broken relationship in your life? What about seeking to understand thoroughly a great social issue that causes hurt feelings and ill will – and then work to change it for the better? What about seeking treatment for substance abuse? What about exploring the wide variety of forms of prayer?
Those are just suggestions – you have to find your own way. Only you know what it is that stands between you and God this day. But I implore you – I implore us all – to approach this time in the church’s life with all the genuineness and authenticity that we can muster. Let’s not adopt a ritual or make an empty gesture just to fulfill expectations, but rather let us reconnect to God at such a deep level that our lives are changed forever.
When we do that – with all our heart, mind, strength and soul – then it shall be for us as it was promised to Isaiah’s people: When we do this, then our light shall break forth like the dawn … we shall be like a spring of water whose waters never fail … our ancient ruins shall be rebuilt and we shall raise up the foundations of many generations and we shall be called repairers of the breach, the restorers of streets to live in.
Drop the phoniness. Don’t engage in empty gestures. Instead, look deeply into your life. And seek to restore a connection to God in the place that is most broken.
Amen.
Comments
I am actually giving up part of Facebook for Lent...that part being...playing Facebook Detective.
I really think it is getting the way of my relationship with God...i.e...giving my imagination too much firepower on things that are entirely in God's hands.
I went to Ash Wednesday service last night, pretty moving, but surely not as moving as singing The Lord's Prayer after communion the first Sunday I was at King Ave.!
As I said in the sermon, if it's in the way of your relationship with God, then you should take action.
BTW, we sing the Lord's Prayer after Communion here at COGS now, too. It was such a beautiful thing, I couldn't let it go!
It has been a longtime since I have heard a Don-sermon and I needed that! Thank you :)