Ash wednesday sermon slides 2016
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Jesus' disciples did not understand what Jesus was telling them, and they were afraid to ask him about it. How often do we not raise our hand in class because of pride? This sermon explores how to let that pride go and make every situation and opportunity to serve and learn.
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Ash wednesday sermon slides 2016
- 4. But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Mark 9:32 (NRSV)
- 5. a. We are polite and don’t want to interrupt the teacher. b. We don’t want to look STUPID!
- 9. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” Mark 9:35-37 (NRSV)
- 15. Every situation is an opportunity to learn and Every person is our teacher.
- 16. Remember that you are dust, And to dust you shall return
- 17. Wednesday Services “The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus,” taught by Pastor Adam Hamilton. Acts of Service • NOISY OFFERINGS will support children through these two ministries: • Our Abandoned Children Ministry – funds to provide housing for eight children in Haiti • Grace 4 Rakai – funds will help build a school for children in Rakai, Uganda • PACK MEALS at Feed My Starving Children every Friday during Lent (or join us just one Friday) as we pack life-saving meals for children around the world. • SHOE CUTTING PARTY will be held at each Wed. night Lenten Supper as we cut fabric to make shoes for children in Africa through Sole Hope Ministry. Spiritual Practices • Join us for Lenten Suppers on Wednesday February 17-March 16. • Use the Lenten Devotional Guide.
Editor's Notes
- Have you ever had that moment when you were in class, or in a meeting at work, and the teacher, or your boss, says something and you have no idea what he or she said? What do you do in that moment? Do you raise your hand and interrupt the class or meeting? The disciples struggled with this in the first part of our text.
- Jesus explained the plan. We saw this past weekend that he spelled it out clearly for them. Let me quickly recap, in case you weren’t here. Jesus asked the disciples “who do people say I am?” Peter gave the correct Sunday school answer and said, “You are the Christ.” Then Jesus explained that the Christ must go to Jerusalem, be betrayed, beaten, executed, and die. Then he will rise again. Peter rebuked Jesus, because this is not how he imagined the Christ to be.
- Then we learned that the rest of the Gospel of Mark is all about Jesus teaching us, through his words and his actions, the answer to this question. “Who is the Christ?” That is our theme for Lent this year. In our text today, Jesus explains it again. This is the Christ. He is going to Jerusalem. There he will be betrayed, arrested, beaten, and executed. Then he will rise again. On the weekend we saw that Jesus told the disciples that if they want to follow him, they must take up their own cross and follow this same path.
- Here, in Mark 9:30-32, he tells them again, and they look at each other like, "Do you have any idea what he's talking about?" So, the disciples are in that classroom and the business meeting with us. Do they raise their hand? Would you?
- Most of us would not. Why? Here are two possible reasons we would not raise our hand. We do not want to disrupt the leader's flow of thought, out of respect for the leader. We don't want to look stupid.
- There's a word for that. Pride. If we are honest, the main reason we are not willing to raise our hand is because of pride. Insert classic man joke.
- We're like Moses' wife in this cartoon [graphic] I wonder if that is what led to the next section of the story. At first glance it seems like such an abrupt shift between these two sections. In verses 30-32 they are afraid to ask, then in verses 33 - 37 they are busted for arguing about who is the greatest.
- What connects both of these texts is pride. "Hey, I'm not going to ask him, because I get it." "You are so full of it. You don't get what he's talking about any more than the rest of us." "of course I do. I'm way smarter than you. I don't need to ask." I don't know. It could have happened that way. What we do know is that they were in a definite struggle over who was greater than the other.
- So Jesus pulls them aside and says two strange things: If you want to be great, you must be a servant of all. If you welcome a child, you welcome me.
- As I was meditating on this whole text, it made me think about an important lesson I've learned over the past five years. I don't know if you'll remember this, but one year ago I stood right here, preaching on Ash Wednesday, and told you about the humble pie I had just been served. Last January I thought I would be done writing the dissertation for my Ph.D. and be done with the defense in April, and graduate in May. I turned in my first draft and ended up having to rewrite it twice. I didn't defend until June, and I had to wait until this coming May to walk and receive my official degree. That was a very humiliating and discouraging moment, but I'm so glad that it happened. Here's what I learned from my PhD program: I don't know much.
- When I started the program I thought that knowledge looked like this. [graphic] My brain is like a milk jug.
- I have this much knowledge. When I'm done with the Ph.D. I will have this much knowledge. I quickly realized that it looked more like this. [graphic]
- My jug was completely annihilated and I found that I am swimming in a vast see of information of which I will only ever be able to grasp a drop.
- Learning isn't about acquiring the answers. It is about learning how to better ask questions and be involved in the dynamic process of the interactions of life and ideas.
- We could boil it down to a proverb, it might go like this. If you view every moment of life as an opportunity to learn, then you will never fail, and everyone is your teacher. I think this might be what is going on in our text today. If we approach life like we have it all together, like we hold the power, or the knowledge, or the chips, then we have everything to lose, and everyone is a threat. But, if we approach life like we are servants to all, like there is something to learn in every situation and every person, then everything and everyone is valuable. A group of us leave for Haiti on Friday morning. I feel so privileged that my daughter and I get to go on this trip. I can't wait to see what we learn from the people there.
- Many times when we come to Lent it can be a really heavy moment. We hear the words, "you must deny yourself, take up your cross and die. You must become last. You must fast and pray and do all kinds of acts of service" And it's like this heavy burden. Then we hear the words that will be spoken as the ashes are smeared on our foreheads. "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return." Really? Could we be any more depressing? Ah, but this season it seems to be ringing differently in my ears. These are some of the most liberating words we can ever hear. The truth is that we are dust. This story isn't about us. We don't have to be the hero of the story. We don't have to have all the answers. We are valued members of the human race and we are invited every day to learn and grow. We are all wonderfully messy hunks of dirt that God has created so that we can learn and grow.
- So here is my Lenten challenge for you. Don't be afraid to raise your hand and ask questions. Don't be afraid of anyone, no matter how different they may be from you. Because you can learn something, and that person is valuable in what they offer. Treat everyone you meet as though they deserve your service. Here are some really practical ways that you can walk this journey during Lent this year. Choose a service project Noisy offerings are going to support children in Raiki and Haiti Sole Hope shoes during Wednesday night suppers Feed My Starving Children all of these projects are practical ways that we can welcome Christ by welcoming the children. Engage in Lenten Devotionals grab a printed copy at the Welcome Center Download and print your own copy from the Website use it in a group your family a ministry team a group of friends Join the online discussion group at Grace Learning Center.