Each week a local minister is asked to take a turn at writing an article for the local newspaper called Pastor's Corner. This week it was my turn and since I chose to write it on February 14th, ( Ash Wednesday) that was what I wrote about. Here is the article as it appeared in our local paper. Enjoy!
Ashes to Ashes
I am writing this Pastor's Corner on
Ash Wednesday. This is the beginning of the Lenten Season which is a
time for us in the Church for reflection, prayer and penance. I
would like to think we do that all the time but I guess you could say
that during this time in the church year we put these aspects of our
spiritual practice in sharper focus.
We will have a service later on this
evening where we will read scripture and during the service, the
people in the congregation will come forward and I will put ashes on
each person's forehead in the sign of a cross. At the same time I
will say the phrase, “Remember that you came from dust and to dust
you shall return.” There is a lot of power in that simple
statement. It reminds us of our mortality and in some ways
encourages us to make the most of the life we have been given.
The gospel reading during this service
is always the same. It is a reading from Matthew in which Jesus
tells his followers to beware of practicing their piety before others
in order to be seen by them. He tells us to practice humility in
whatever we do. The reading ends with this. “Do not store up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where
thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in
heaven where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not
break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also.”
This reading reminds me of an event we
held at St. Andrew's last night. It was our annual Shrove Tuesday
pancake supper. It is our effort to raise money for the ministry
center food pantry and we always have strong community support. We
have a group of volunteers from our parish who slave away in the
kitchen making pancakes, washing dishes and putting together plates
of pancakes and ham. I locate myself in the dining area chatting
with patrons and giving some direction to the girl scouts who
enthusiastically volunteer to wait on the customers. I ask the
people we serve how the food is and about the service they receive.
I get compliments right and left and I always thank them.
My point is that the people doing all
the work never even see those whom they are serving and yet they do
it with joy and satisfaction in knowing that they are serving the
people in their community. At the same time money is being
generated to provide food for those who use the food pantry.
During the pancake supper I often feel
like I am getting credit for the tasty pancakes and yet I never
flipped one of them. Those people who work behind the scenes are
doing the work Christ encourages us to do. This example of doing
Christ's work by selflessly serving others is not an isolated event.
It is practiced throughout Lucas County and I celebrate the fact that
I am blessed to live in a place where so many of you care so much
for each other. Christ lives in each of you.
Blessings,
Father Fred Steinbach
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
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