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Thoughts on Ash Wednesday

2/18/2015

1 Comment

 
Today is Ash Wednesday, and for the first time ever, I decided to attend an Ash
Wednesday service aboard the ship. Protestant churches (at least all the ones I’ve been to) 
don’t tend to make too big of a deal out of this particular occasion (after all, Good Friday 
and Easter are the real reasons why we celebrate this season), but nevertheless it did feel 
pretty good to be humbly reminded of the start of the Lenten season. Our chaplain began 
the service by reading from Matthew 6:1-8, which in my opinion was a very ballsy move. 
On a day that is devoted to outward observances, he decided to slam the part-timers with 
a reminder that rubbing smudges on your head does not make you a good Christian. If I 
didn’t respect the chaplain before, I certainly do now.

I was meditating on that thought later when I happened to notice this link posted in my 
facebook news feed by a friend. Mildly curious, I decided to read along and see what the 
Catholic perspective on this matter was. By the time I was midway through the article, I 
had to resist the urge to throw my monitor across the room. If you actually take the time 
to read it, you will certainly notice some very troubling language. Allow me to give you a 
small excerpt (with emphases added).

------------------------

“To foster the spirit of penance and of reparation for sin, to encourage self-denial, and 
to guide us in the footsteps of Jesus, Church law requires the observance of fast and 
abstinence (CCC 1249-1253).

1. Abstinence: All persons who have already celebrated their 14th birthday are bound to 
abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent.

2. Fasting: Everyone, from the celebration of their 18th birthday to their 59th birthday, is 
bound to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Voluntary fasting on other weekdays 
of Lent, especially on Wednesdays and Fridays, is highly recommended. Fasting is 
generally understood to mean eating one full meal each day. Two other partial meals, 
sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken; but together they should not equal another 
full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids are allowed...”

While the avowed intent of these prescriptions is to foster a spirit of repentance and self-
denial, the implementation of so many rules and restrictions reeks to me of Pharisaic 
legalism. I once wrote a post about the importance which Jesus placed on honoring man-made rules concerning religious observances. As you can clearly see from Matthew 12, 
such rules carried virtually no weight with Jesus at all. Any organization composed of 
human beings is, by default, filled with sin and error. Why anyone would allow a church 
to claim such sacrosanct authority over their life is simply beyond me.

---------------------------

As I continue to read The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I’m becoming 
more and more impressed by his resolutely Christocentric doctrine. Bonhoeffer believed 
that any person, group, organization, or nation who claimed “immediacy” (meaning 
loyalty) over God must be despised for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus Christ, Bonhoeffer 
said, was and is the ONLY mediator who stands between us and a holy God, and his 
sacrifice alone is what gives us forgiveness of our sins. Anyone else who would call for 
our loyalties must be made to understand that their approval or disapproval is worthless 
in the eyes of a truly Christ-centered believer. In Bonhoeffer’s own time this battle for 
immediacy was made manifest in the form of a government which required that the 
Fuehrer be worshipped above any other religious figure. Rather than quietly acquiesce 
to the new “German-Christian” movement started by the Nazi regime, Bonhoeffer and 
many other principled clergymen came together to form the “Confessing Church,” an 
anti-Nazi church movement, which eventually caused Bonhoeffer and many of his friends 
and family to be shipped off to concentration camps.

No human being, whether they wear a pointy hat, a white collar, or an American flag, 
is allowed to claim your loyalty. Jesus Christ alone is the King of Kings and the Lord 
of Lords, and he does not share his glory with anyone. If your relationship with God is 
moving in the right direction, you should have no fear standing up to the earthly forces 
which would seek to intimidate you into bowing in obedience. Paul himself said, “I 
consider all things a loss for the sake of knowing Him who saved me.”

Finally, on a positive note, I was very happy with the results of the Ash Wednesday 
service for one very important reason. Even though I couldn’t care less about the outward 
appearance of piety, it still felt somewhat nice (in an awkward kind of way) to know that 
every person I passed by today was staring at my forehead. Some tried to tell me that I 
had dirt on my head. Others, who may have recognized the symbol, simply gave me a 
knowing glance. In any case, I had a wonderful conversation piece which did in fact lead 
to several spiritual conversations throughout the rest of my day. Of all the labels that 
one might choose to wear in life, whether they are patriot, anarchist, conformist, anti-
authoritarian, or any other, there is in fact only one label that will set you apart on the day 
of God’s judgment: Christian.
1 Comment
debbie maybee
2/19/2015 04:32:00 am

Thank you John for your newest blog. Interesting insight.

Reply



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    I'm J.R., a US Navy veteran and Linguist. This blog is devoted to insights and experiences I've gained over the years.

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