As the world often does, it has provided us with more evidence of the failure of the human spirit, the invasion of Ukraine, to remind us that the ultimate result of our human sin is always war. We all face our own  battles with sin individually, so it’s to be expected that we would propagate this sinful violence  against each other … even to the point of violent warfare against our brothers & sisters of God of other nations. Which brings us to Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday comes once a year, and marks the beginning of a spiritual journey that will span forty days, from today until the light of Easter. It is a sacred intimate time between each of us and God, to confess our sins and accept our fallibility. When accept the reality of our own sinful nature, then we become open to help. And the help we need is found only in God’s love for us, delivered through the life and death of His Son and our savior, Jesus Christ.

Thus, Ash Wednesday is the beginning of a forty-day journey into God’s love for us. Each one of us. Personally. .

Because we had to cancel our Ash Wednesday service for this evening, here is a way to experience the same spirit of unity and fellowship that we feel when we’re together. Today, let us ALL take some “away time” to pray ourselves through these 3 worship resources. With each other – in spirit.

Choose your own time. Pick your own place. I promise, God will be wherever you are. And read and reflect on these resources as you wish.

A STATEMENT ON THE WAR IN UKRAINE
From Shane Claiborne

The first time the word “sin” appears in the Bible is when Cain kills his brother Abel. That is the inaugural murder, and we’ve been doing it ever since.                                                                     Every time we kill, God hears the blood cry out from the ground. Violence is always sinful, and it is always evil. We must stand against the violence in Ukraine. We must also commit to respond to this sinful violence without returning it in kind, for violence only fuels the fire of hatred, resentment, and fear.                                                                                                                      We cannot love our enemies as Christ commands, and simultaneously prepare to kill them. It was Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who scolded Peter as he resorted to violence, saying to Peter, “Live by the sword, die by the sword.”                                                                                                And yet we continue, again and again, year after year, to live by the sword and die by the sword.                                                                                                                                                                    There is another way.                                                                                                                                  We who believe in peace must be as courageous and as organized as those who believe in war. Peacemaking does not mean passivity. Peacemaking is the active resistance of violence, but not on its own terms. Peacemaking is about interrupting injustice without mirroring injustice, resisting oppressors without becoming oppressors, neutralizing enemies without destroying them.                                                                                                                                   Blessed are the peacemakers for they are the children of God.

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A PRAYER FOR US ON ASH WEDNESDAY

“Marked By Ashes” – Walter Bruggemann

 Ruler of the Night, Guarantor of the day . . .

This day — a gift from you.

This day — like none other you have ever given, or we have ever received.

This Wednesday dazzles us with gift and newness and possibility.

This Wednesday burdens us with the tasks of the day, for we are already halfway home

halfway back to committees and memos,

halfway back to calls and appointments,

halfway on to next Sunday,

halfway back, half frazzled, half expectant,

half turned toward you, half rather not.

This Wednesday is a long way from Ash Wednesday,

but all our Wednesdays are marked by ashes —

we begin this day with that taste of ash in our mouth:

of failed hope and broken promises,

of forgotten children and frightened women,

we ourselves are ashes to ashes, dust to dust;

we can taste our mortality as we roll the ash around on our tongues.

We are able to ponder our ashness with some confidence, only because our every Wednesday of ashes anticipates your Easter victory over that dry, flaky taste of death.

On this Wednesday, we submit our ashen way to you —you Easter parade of newness.

Before the sun sets, take our Wednesday and Easter us,

Easter us to joy and energy and courage and freedom;

Easter us that we may be fearless for your truth.

Come here and Easter our Wednesday with

mercy and justice and peace and generosity.

We pray as we wait for the Risen One who comes soon.

– From ‘Prayers for a Privileged People’ 2008.

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THE “JESUS PRAYER” — A PRAYER TO CARRY IN YOUR POCKET FOR LENT

This Lenten season, let us adopt this ‘Jesus Prayer” as our daily … hourly … even minute by minute prayer, training our hearts for the next 40 days to learn to pray this prayer unceasingly.

“The Jesus Prayer”

Lord Jesus Christ                                                                                                                                       Son of the Living God                                                                                                                                        Have Mercy on Me                                                                                                                                         A Sinner

(A pocket size version of the Jesus Prayer will be available Sunday in church)

Forty days to prepare for a resurrection. Let us begin together, today.

In His name, by His will, we can,                                                                                                                                   Pastor Bob   

Ever since I’ve come to Arthur, I feel more and more “grounded” in the rhythm of nature. How can I not? I mean … so many farms & so many farmers! And I love it. I can see why it’s always been said that it’s on the farm where you can get really close to God. And if you’re close to God, then you’re surrounded by love.

And isn’t that the way it is around here. If you want to feel some love, either a) go to a farm quickly, or b) get in touch with a farmer or his wife … and just ask. On the farm there’s a lot of love to go around. I wonder why that is. And then I wonder why it isn’t like that everywhere.

So, my brother Bruce Condill, a farmer himself, shared this article with me, and guess what … I love it. And I think some of you might too. But be sure to read slowly … and take time to feel the love. And ponder this: Couldn’t it be like this … here?

Faith, Hope & Love to All … but most of all Love,                                                                               Pastor Bob <><

“To Love a Farm”                                                                                 By Meredith Bernard, Progressive Farmer Contributor

So many hours. So much toil. So many resources. So much labor. So many missed social events and family trips. So much heartache when an animal dies or a crop fails. So many early mornings and late nights. So much investment for often so little gain. So many what ifs, why nots, how comes and if onlys. So much uncertainty and very few assurances. So many variables so out of our control.

How can one possibly love a farm? Because a farm gives so much more than it takes.

So much pride in feeding your own family and countless others. So many memories doing the hard things together. So much joy in what some see as mundane but you see as miraculous. So many days spent making a life, not a living. So much value in what’s ultimately priceless. So many life lessons that no book could ever teach. So much faith in the greater good and our God, who holds it and us all together.

> To love a farm is not for the faint of heart, though some days it takes all we’ve got to keep our hearts strong, minds focused and feet moving. It’s the hard days of farming that make the good days all the more worth it.

> To love a farm is to push past fears, embrace change for the promise change can bring and learn from the mistakes of yesterday to make tomorrow better.

> To love a farm is to cherish a life not many get to experience yet so many benefit from.

> To love a farm is to find where patience and perseverance produce a bounty of hope.

> To love a farm is one of the greatest privileges and sweetest blessings I’ve ever known.

Meredith Bernard tends farm and family, and writes, takes photographs and celebrates life from North Carolina. Follow her on social media @thisfarmwife and visit her website at thisfarmwife.com