Ladders and Lent

Ash Wednesday
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
16 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
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I attended the children's service today for Ash Wednesday and it was a wonderful, unforgettable experience full of priceless moments that only children can provide. Before sharing our Gospel reading for the day, Rick asked one of the children what she prayed about and she responded "It's a secret." How appropriate! Rick was also cheerfully informed, by a four year old, that Rick found army crawling around the front of the church difficult because he's so old. Oh, children - PRICELESS!

At the begining of his sermon, Rick wanted to prepare the kids for the above icon, Saint John Climacus' "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" by explaining that it may be a little scary. One child pointed at the stained glass window to her left, a depiction of Christ on the cross, and said "is it that"? A little surprised by this astute little learner, Rick reassured her that it is not that scary. "Actually, that's probably the scariest thing we have in church, this is much less scary." The Ladder of Divine Ascent is a wonderful icon depicting, in most part, our spiritual journey to God and all that encompasses. It symbolizes the struggle of climbing and progressing in our spiritual lives despite gravity and the little demon-like creatures with pitchforks trying to make us stumble, slip, and fall. If you want to know more, Wikipedia does a pretty good job: John Climacus. This icon will be on display at my church for all of the Lenten season and I hope to pray with it more.

The children added so much and drew my attention to even the simplest things in our service that I take for granted. More on the reading later, I just didn't want to forget some of what those kids added to the day!