ashwednesday

Selfies. If you are on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you have no doubt seen thousands of these images. And they aren’t just from teenagers. From celebrities to your neighbors down the street, selfies are everywhere. It has become an art form unto itself, transitioning from photos made in a bathroom mirror to those taken at creative angles in perfect lighting. There is a certain vanity associated with selfies, and naturally we want to look our best. What used to require time with Photoshop or other software can now be done in your smartphone. After the photo is taken, we can tinker with it, applying filters and special effects, text and other features to catch the eye. All of these possibilities are tempting, of course, because we want selfies to be impressive and garner comments and “likes” from our friends and fans. In fact, our obsession with this has gone so far that some people have two accounts on social media platforms like Instagram: their public Instagram, with those carefully crafted lifestyle images, and a private, “finsta” account, which stands for “fake Instagram,” and is a place you can just be unfiltered and silly for your friends, without pressure for likes or followers. Now, before you write this off as only being a trend with the younger generation, think about your own “outtakes.” Not every photo you take becomes one to go on the literal walls of your living room or on a Christmas card. The reality is our selfies and pictures, or whatever else we share with the world, are usually carefully curated to put our literal best face forward, in hopes that others will be impressed.

But Rev. Barbara J. Essex reminds us that “Although we can make ourselves look flawless in a selfie, we can’t fool ourselves into thinking that it’s an accurate depiction of real life[i].” Behind each well-composed selfie, there are the outtakes, sometimes a bit more true to who we really are. These are often rejected or deleted images, concealing the flaws we try to hide. But even our best filtered tricks won’t make them disappear from reality. Essex reminds us that while we live in a world of selfies now, the appeal to vanity is timeless. She suggests that, given the opportunity in biblical times, David would have been the king of selfies[ii]. As he rose into power, so did his ego. The story of David goes well beyond the shy boy with the sling who took out Goliath. As an adult, we see David making bold decisions, most of which raise a few eyebrows. Psalm 51, which we read just a few moments ago, is often considered his confession, with a preceding note in many Bibles that reads something to the effect of “a Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.”

Barbara Essex offers that Psalm 51 reminds us that “we are never as perfect as we think².” In the psalm, David prays for a pure heart with urgency. All the filters and edits are removed, and his own humanity is laid bare before God. Of course, God already knows what his true selfie looks like, for God has created us and knows us intimately. But in this prayer of confession, David is able to humble himself and put everything on the line, in the hopes that there will be grace and mercy, all while knowing what he actually deserves is judgment and punishment. In these verses, David asks for a re-set from the inside out, captured in the well-known verse 10, “create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” David isn’t just concerned here with his reputation or external appearance. He is concerned with making what is inside of him right with God. He knows he can’t do it on his own. He needs help from the creator to restore him to this previous state and cleanse him from his sins. He’s asking God for a re-boot, a system restore, longing to return to those factory settings that bring him into close relationship with the one who called him from the fields as a shepherd. Suddenly, his selfie looks a bit more like a Lenten one – one that is more real and authentic, and opens him to the possibility of change for the better.

As we begin the season of Lent tonight, we are called into a 40 day journey of self-reflection and repentance. It is tempting to make our self-reflections more like selfies; to shine them up, and make them more presentable to others. After all, we’re not that sinful, are we? It becomes easy to justify or gloss over our missteps, particularly when we are surrounded with problems and sins in our world that are much greater. But Lent isn’t about comparing our selfies to others. It’s about comparing our selfies to the one God gave us in the very beginning when we were created in God’s image, and realizing how far we are from the people God calls us to be. Our Lenten selfies feature ashes on our foreheads. “Remember, you are dust, and to dust you shall return[iii].” The journey to restoration and forgiveness lies in our ability to acknowledge who we are, and asking God to help us change. Our worship tonight reminds us of the first step – confession. Confession allows us to clean up our profiles and edit ourselves in real and lasting ways so that our inner lives align with our outer presentations.

This is the call of the prophet Isaiah, who urges the people of God to engage in real, authentic, true worship, rather than mere idolatry. Isaiah reminds us that our quest for holy living is not about putting on a show for others and serving our own interests. Rather, it is about a humility that comes from stripping away our pretenses and being more authentic in our relationship with God, and with each other. The images on Isaiah’s feed are those that speak to justice: sharing bread, welcoming into your home, clothing the naked, and meeting the needs of the afflicted. That’s where the best pictures are made.

One of the biggest difference-makers, I’ve learned, between an ok photo and an amazing one is lighting. My friend Jackie, whose selfies are always gorgeous, repeats a very practical tip to do this: get in front of a window! The natural light coming in will often dramatically improve your appearance and make for the best shot. Isaiah gives much the same advice; by engaging in sincere discipleship, we find ourselves in God’s light, that light that breaks into our world like the dawn, that comes even in the darkness[iv]. In the selfies of our lives, God’s light is perhaps the best filter we could find ourselves in. With God’s grace and mercy, our sins are forgiven, and those imperfections and transgressions are wiped clean. The one who created us down to the very last detail, and who sees all that we are, and in spite of our imperfections and shortcomings, calls us good and loved. God’s filter is one of resurrection, that good news and promise for new life in the dawn of Easter morning and the empty tomb. And that is where we’re headed.

But first, before we see those glossed up images, we must face the reality of our current selfies, raw and imperfect, in desperate need of revision and editing. And so tonight, I invite you to sketch out some of what that looks like. Inside your bulletin you will find an insert with a silhouette outline, ready for your “Lenten Selfie.” As we enter into a time of silent reflection, write or draw the truest selfie you can make of yourself. Later, you will have the opportunity to bring these forward, placing them into the fire pit as a symbol of the ashes they will become, before receiving the symbol of ashes on your forehead. For now, spend time in reflection and personal prayer. Focus less on the physical attributes, and more on words or phrases you need to lift to God in confession. Search in the darkened, cobwebbed corners of your persona and bring them into God’s light, dirty as they are. Don’t worry about what others around you might say or think. In this time of prayer, there will be no re-tweets, no likes, no comments from peers, only the conversation you have with God in the silence of these moments. Be honest, be free, be open to receiving God’s mercy. That is what confession is all about.

~sermon by Rev. Elizabeth Lovell Milford, Heritage Presbyterian Church, March 6, 2019 (Ash Wednesday)

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[i] http://www.pcusa.org/news/2014/1/31/honest-selfie/

[ii] Personal Notes from sermon on Psalm 51 by Rev. Barbara J. Essex, given at the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) Annual Event, January 30, 2014, San Jose, California.

[iii] Genesis 3:19

[iv] See Isaiah 58:8, 10

One of the realities of living in a consumer-driven culture such as ours is that inevitably at some point, we end up purchasing something and then realizing, for whatever reason, that we need to return it. From unwanted or duplicate gifts to things that don’t fit to products that are defective, life leads us to the customer service area and the return line. And, as long as you’re not in too much of a hurry, it’s a pretty good system. One of the keys to a successful trip, and to not holding up the line, is to know something about the store’s return policy. Receipts can be a saving grace, but if you’ve lost that little strip of paper, stores can now look up your purchase if you used a credit card. Without some record, you might be stuck with the lowest retail price from the past 90 days, the opportunity for an exchange, or simply store credit. Reading the fine print, a store’s return policy gets quickly complicated. If you’ve made your purchase online, you add another layer of complexity, even if they have retail stores nearby. Sometimes the long lines and hassle can make you wonder if it’s even worth it to make the return, or if you should just cut your losses and keep what you have.

Our experience with returns might help us as we begin the season of Lent. This is a time when we’re called to closely examine our lives and seek to be more faithful followers of Christ. In doing so, we are likely to find aspects of our lives that need to be changed or eliminated entirely – exchanged or return, if you will. Consider it standing in line for God’s customer service – a 40 day line (not including Sundays) where you think more about what it is that you are carrying, and prepare to lighten the load at the counter. To make this analogy work, we have to understand God’s return policy. To do so, we turn to Scripture.

The prophets have a lot to say about returns. In fact, it’s one of their most popular words of instruction to the Israelites. “In Hebrew, this verb means ‘to arrive again at the initial point of departure.’ Here it suggests that one had been originally with God, had moved away from God, and was not returning to God[i].” Return is an about face, a change in direction, and a reorientation to the world. It is a word of hope and a word of covenant, trusting that returning to God will bring about restoration for God’s people. Joel follows this understanding of return, calling God’s people to it in the text we read tonight. Throughout this short book, he suggests that Jerusalem has forgotten who God is, and calls upon God’s people to rediscover the identity of the one true God. Verse 13 reminds God’s people of the true divine nature. This description is ancient – going all the way back to promise of God to Moses in Exodus 34 after the people had created a golden calf. It is the perfect, concise example of God’s return policy: that God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.” All of our questions about returning to God rest on this truth.

Joel speaks of return in the context of imminent disaster, perhaps a natural one with a plague of locusts. The beginning of our reading tonight indicates something looming on the horizon, which Joel attributes to calamity brought about by “the day of the Lord.” Something big is going to happen. One commentary refers to this text as “an alarm bell in the darkness of the night[ii].” Joel’s language would immediately register with the Israelites in Judah; it is a call to attention and to action. Given this policy, we are called to get our items, and ourselves, in order quickly. Don’t just leave your returns on the kitchen counter or lost in your trunk, a procrastinated item from the errands list. Pay attention to them and get it done. This is the work of return. This is the work of Lent. Lent is about letting go of those things that get in the way of our relationship with God and with others. It is about sorting through all the “stuff” that we have in our lives and make decisions about what should stay and what should go. This is why some people “give up” things for the season, and others take on new practices or focus on things in a new way.

But more than just “giving something up” for a season, I think our passage tonight asks what do you have to return to God? Those things in your life that you would like to change, but need help to make it happen. Those things that just aren’t working for you to grow in the ways you know God is calling you to. Those things you wish you hadn’t bought into and would like to give up. Those things that you simply have too much of and don’t really need. Take inventory over these next 40 days, and don’t be afraid to bring them to God for return. There’s no limit on what God will take back. In fact, God invites us to bring it all – even the things we are too embarrassed to talk about. God is always ready and waiting, open 24 hours a day if you will, to hear us.

Sometimes, the return process includes naming why we are returning or exchanging a particular item. Some of the options include: didn’t fit (too big or too small), wasn’t what was expected, changed my mind, the product was defective, and so on. This naming is important for us to do in Lent. It helps us do more than just identify our sins – it calls us to understand where they came from in order to make the changes needed to hopefully avoid repeating them in the future. It enables God to work with us and make us into new creations. It’s God’s exchange process at work, a process that utimately isn’t dependent on anything we have done or can do, but reminds us that we are solely reliant on God’s love and grace. In the midst of what is very difficult and sobering work, this is good news. God not only takes back our returns, no matter what – God works in us to make us right with God once again. Returning to God, as Joel outlines in verse 13, is more than just a transactional return; this is a process of transformation.

Lent calls us to read the fine print God’s return policy. It allows us to test it out, carefully and thoughtfully. We do so confident in who God is. And if the words of prophets like Joel aren’t strong enough to convince us, there is one more guarantee in place. In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s grace was revealed to the whole world. In Christ, the promises of God from the very beginning were sealed forever. In life and in death, we belong to God. This is what we gather to remind ourselves of tonight, receiving crosses on our foreheads to indicate whose we are, symbolized in ashes to remind us of our own mortality and our utter dependence on God for all things. We get in line, not only to confess our sins and humble ourselves, as covering in ashes symbolized in the days of the prophets, but also to return ourselves to the one who created us from nothing, and loves us through anything.

The return line begins here, tonight. Bring what you have, who you are this evening, and know that you can continue to return what you need to over this season of Lent and beyond. There is no return too big or too small. There is no return that God will not accept. For God already knows everything we could possibly bring, and has chosen to love us anyway. So come, Return to the Lord. Trust that God is gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and always ready for your return. Amen.

~Rev. Elizabeth Lovell Milford
Ash Wednesday, February 14, 2018

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[i] Dianne Bergant, “Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, Exegetical Perspective,” Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 2, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008).
^[ii] Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary based on the NRSV, Year C. Charles B. Cousar, Beverly R. Gaventa, J. Clinton McCann, Jr., James D. Newsome, editors. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1994)

Ash Wednesday Sermon – Selfies – Psalm 51:1-17

Ash Wednesday Sermon – God’s Return Policy – Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

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