Author: Pastor Aleese Kenitzer

If it feels strange to you for Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday to fall on the same day, you’re not alone. It’s not often that the two coincide. And on the surface, it would seem as though the two have nothing in common. Ash Wednesday is commonly a day of fasting from extravagence, and Valentine’s Day is about pulling out all the stops with flowers, candy, and fancy meals. And going a bit deeper, Ash Wednesday is a day that we remember our mortality, our sin, our frailty, and our brokenness, while Valentine’s day focuses on life and love and happiness. 

So can ashes and candy hearts really go together?! Maybe. Hear me out. 

During Lent, the invitation is given for us to “return to the Lord your God” (Joel 2) and to “be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20). We do that through confession, fasting, prayer, giving, and repentance. All things that we need to do as we live in relationship with God and one another. But those things are only a healthy spiritual discipline if those things turn us back to the love of God and turn us to love our neighbor. If those things only make us navel-gaze, bemoaning our sinful selves, those practices are not doing what they were meant to do. And, if our Ash Wednesday observance ends only with confession and repentance, and we never allow ourselves to receive the grace, forgiveness, and love of God, we’ve missed the mark. Because even on Ash Wednesday night, as ashes are marked on our brows as a reminder of our mortality and our sin, those ashes will be made in the sign of a cross: the sign of God’s abounding love who is slow to anger and relents from punishing (Joel 2:12-13). 

So as you come to Ash Wednesday this week, if you’re coming from other Valentine’s Day festivities, so be it. And, if your mind is on “love,” then so be it. Because at the core, Ash Wednesday is all about love…a love that goes deeper than the surface. For through Jesus Christ, God is offering you more than a Hallmark card and a box of conversation hearts; rather, God is offering you his faithfulness, his steadfastness, and his mercy in a way that no greeting card could ever capture. 

Have you not known? Have you not heard? Caitlin Clark became the all-time leading scorer in Big 10 history and the No. 2 all-time scoring leader in division 1 women’s basketball history last Thursday. 

Have you not known? Have you not heard? Last Friday, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, meaning that spring is right around the corner. 

Have you not known? Have you not heard? Two weekends ago our very own Kelsey Allen received platinum and third overall for her dance solo, and Hannah Booth’s hip hop Whoville team won first overall at finals. 

Have you not known? Have you not heard? 

Each of these things have happened fairly recently, even if a week ago for some of ’em. And some things – unless you stay caught up with every news agency, every weather app, every social media post, and what every kid in our congregation is up to these days – were likely new news to you. 

But in our Old Testament reading from Sunday, when Isaiah speaks to the Israelites, beginning with the “Have you not known? Have you not heard?” in reference to all the things that God had already done, none of what Isaiah is saying would’ve been new news to the people. Isaiah is simply reminding the Israelites of God’s promises from the beginning of time, and Isaiah is reminiding them of God’s continued promise to protect and provide for them as a people. 

And yet, for the Israelites, all of that would’ve seemed like new news to them. Because finding themselves in exile in a foriegn land, they felt as though God had abandoned them. So for God to provide for them? This wasn’t only new news…but on the verge of unbelievable news. 

For us today, when we read promises of God from Scripture, our first inclination may be to believe them and claim them firmly as our own. But , when we find ourselves challenged, when things aren’t panning out as we expected, or when the economy, or a person, or even the church fails us, it may be easier than we think for God’s promises to sound like unbelievable news. Because with everything going on in our lives, in our world, and in our church, could God possible do anything anymore to bring about something new? 

That’s the question the Israelites struggled with. And, if we’re honest with ourselves, I think that’s the question that we sometimes struggle with as we look at our lives, the world, and even the church. But the promise that comes through the prophet Isaiah is that even when we can’t believe God’s promises on our own, God will continue to act. And God will continue to remind us of God’s ever-present faithfulness.

So have you not known? Have you not heard? God has not given up on you, nor this world, nor the church. So take heart, because God is about to do a new thing. 

This past Sunday, we heard the story of the very first thing Jesus does as he begins his ministry in the Gospel of Mark: Jesus teaches in a synagogue, with authority, and he casts out an unclean spirit possessing an individual. 

Almost every time this story – or a story like this that references “unclean spirits” or “demons” – comes up in our lectionary, it’s tempting to think that today there are no such things as “unclean spirits” or “demons.” That’s just something that shows up in the Bible, right? Right? 

Well, with as much as “demons” and “the devil” have been personified in pop culture throughout the years (and often have not accurately reflected Scripture), it’s tempting to dismiss any mention of “unclean spirits” and “demons.” But, the truth is that just as we confess that we’ve been filled with the power of God’s Holy Spirit – filling us with life and breath – it’s also possible for each of us to to allow other spirits – spirits that are not of God, and spirits that lead us away from what is life-giving for ourselves and for others – into our lives, our society, our church.

What are those “other spirits”? Well, those spirits might come in the form of fear, holding us captive and making us freeze rather than living fully into who God created us to be. Those spirits might come in the form of comparison, making us believe that we aren’t good enough, or that we’re better than others. Or those spirits might come in the form of escapist behaviors and habits, keeping us away from what God has to reveal to us, and away from the fullness of God’s life. 

Point being: there are many other spirits that are not of God that have the potential to fill us, our world, and even the church. The list could go on and on. Though we are people made in the image of God – infused by God’s Holy Spirit – we are also broken people. And much like the individual in our Gospel reading from Sunday, sometimes we too need to ask Jesus to see us – to see what we perhaps are unable to see within ourselves – and we too need to ask Jesus to cast out that which we can’t cast out on our own so that we, and all God’s people, can be healed, restored, and made whole.

I understand…this message might not be the first thing you want to read as you get going with your work week. But, if we disregard any spirit that is not of God, and if we deny Jesus the opportunity to see us – all that we are – we can’t fully embrace the healing, the liberation, and the freedom that God do dearly desires to offer us. 

So this week, consider bringing yourself to Jesus and asking Jesus to reveal to you if there is something filling you, or the world, or the church that goes against God’s Spirit of life. Some of those things that fill us very well may be things that we need to lay aside, and instead turn ourselves to God’s Spirit. But some of those spirits we just may need to ask Jesus to cast out of us, of our world, and of the church so that we, and all God’s people, might be restored to wholeness.  

Have you ever been accused of “selective hearing”? Meaning, you’re somehow able to hear some things but not others? 

If you haven’t been accused of it, I’d venture to guess that you know what I’m alluding to. Sometimes we only hear what we want to hear from a conversation, and sometimes we only listen when we want to listen. 

It happens. Listening takes time, effort, and energy, and attention. And while sometimes we may intentionally ignore what another is saying, sometimes we don’t get the message because we don’t have the capacity to do so. 

So when it comes to listening to God, how would you rate your ability to listen? Is your listening a bit on the “selective” side? Or, do you only hear from God – and Scripture – what you want to hear? Or, do you only listen when it’s convienent for you?

Much like listening to those around us, listening to God also takes time, effort, energy, and attention. Scripture testifies to this – much like we heard this past Sunday from 1 Samuel 3. But, as we heard in that story, what God has to say might not always be the easiest thing to hear. While God’s Word may be a word of comfort (for it is intended to be that as well!), at times God’s Word might challenge us, might present us with a truth that we need to confront, or might put before us a call to speak truth in a situation where we don’t know if it’ll be received or not. 

So when God’s Word becomes something that asks a bit more of us – more time, more effort, more energy – do we still listen? Or, is it easier to turn on the selective hearing and pretend we didn’t hear that Word after all? 

Along with the rest of us, I’m just as guilty of being selective in what I choose to hear from God. But in all times and places, God has promised us that God’s Word to us will be what is best for us, and for all creation. 

So as we venture into the season of Epiphany, as much as we receive the invitation from Jesus to “come and see,” I also invite you to come and listen. For God is still speaking. And God’s Word is still circulating through us, through the church, and through the world to restore all things according to the vision of God’s Kingdom. 

Ever have a week where you try to get ahead, but it just doesn’t work? 

If you’re anything like me, that’s been the story of last week. Knowing that we were getting our first dump of snow on Tuesday, I worked from home. Meetings went virtual and rather than work in the office, I opted to get ahead on other work that needed my attention. But then on Tuesday night, Family Faith Night was cancelled. “So be it,” I thought, “now I can use that time to work on our congregation’s annual report.”  With word that there was another winter storm coming by Friday, I used my Thursday to the fullest – taking care of anything that needed in-person attention and shifting any remaining music lessons to that day. But still, even on Friday, as several inches of snow fell, still I approached the day as if everything would be “fine” by Saturday and Sunday. Everything could return to what was planned, right? But then it took time for me (and the entire state) to be plowed out and frigid temperatures set in. 

Sound familiar, at all?

Last week, almost all of my best intentions landed in a deviation from the original plan. So finally, by Sunday morning, I heard from somewhere within me prompting me to say to God: “Alright, God. This week hasn’t been anywhere close to what I thought. So what do you want of me? Where do you want my attention?”

Truth be told, I could’ve – and maybe should’ve – asked that question on Friday. Or, on Wednesday. Or, even on Tuesday. I had plenty of time to ask God how God wanted me to not only approach my day, but also what I was called to do, and what I was called to be in God’s presence. 

But I didn’t. At least, not right away. 

And yet, in this crazy week we’ve had, it’s also made me realize that it’s not just during times of changed plans that we have the opportunity to ask God: “what do you want me to do, now?” Rather, we have that opportunity each and every day as we approach what is before us. Because while we might thnk we have a magical plan of exactly what we should do, should focus on, or should give ourselves and our time to, God might have something else in mind for us. 

So as we attempt to get into a semblance of a normal rhythm after the new year, and after snow and ice and cold, consider asking God: “what do you want of me? And where do you want my attention?” The response may not be immediate. And it may take a moment to pause long enough to hear God. But if we ask, we might be surprised by the answer. And, we might be surprised by the life God has for us.

By now, many of us have moved on from the holidays. Christmas decor is carefully stowed away for another year and we’re ready to look toward what is to come in 2024. 

But before we completely put everything away from Christmas, call to mind what it’s like for a young child to open a gift on Christmas morning. My experience has been that young children don’t care about “politely” opening a gift. They tear into it, doing whatever is necessary to get to the gift as fast as most physically possible. 

Hold that image, and hear again two verses from our Gospel this past Sunday:“And just as [Jesus] was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.'” (Mark 1:10-11)

The heavens were torn apart. In the original text of Mark’s Gospel, it’s clear that this “tearing” was not just a simple rip. This “tearing” was something that was dramatic. Which, as we travel through the coming year of focusing on Mark’s Gospel, we’ll find that according to Mark’s perspective, God’s actions are often quite bold and decisive. When God acts in Mark, something happens. 

So back to our passage about Jesus’ baptism, I had to wonder that when God torn apart the heavens, this was not some gentle process like how an adult would open a Christmas gift. This was something done in haste so that God could come to earth, and come to God’s people, as fast as physically possible. 

I believe that, still today, God is tearing through barriers that we erect to come to us. And, I believe that, still today, God is breaking into our lives and our world in ways we perhaps would’ve never expected. But, are we open to percieving what God is doing? And, so we want God to break in? God’s activity will always, always lead to life. But, it also may lead to some disruption in the process; for newness and rebirth doesn’t just “happen.” And yet, it will only be by the action of God that we, and all the world, will be reformed into God’s glory. 

So as we start another year, challenge yourself to pay attention to where God is breaking in. For just as God came to Jesus in his baptism, God still comes today to anoint us with God’s Spirit, and God still comes to make all things new.