The people were on a roll.
Everyone was getting rich.
Great icons of the culture
celebrated human success.
Food overflowed every table.
Money changed hands at a furious rate.

Folks were quite pleased with themselves,
and God was clearly not important, outdated.
Who needed him, after all,
in such a sophisticated culture.

And, then,
when they were most cocky and self-assured,
a great and powerful army came,
the like of which has never been from of old
nor will ever be again
in ages to come.

Blow the trumpet in Zion,
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!

Sanctify a Fast,
call a solemn assembly,
gather the people,
for the Day of the Lord is coming.

This was a world-altering,
a life-changing event.

The prophet, Joel,
writing about 500 BC
from the Temple in Jerusalem,
sees how the invasion of this mighty army
- this threat from without
has caused he collapse of human institutions and confidence;

and he calls the people
to band together, to fast and pray
and to recognize that which is true
and that which is not.

that which is of God
and that which is not.

"Rend your hearts and not your clothing,"
crys the prophet.

the Jewish custom
when faced with something ungodly
was to tear one's clothing.
It was an outward sign of indignation
and grief at godlessness.

Rather, see to our hearts,
says Joel,
for there lies the problem.

In the story from the Gospel
we see the same theme.

Don't make a show of our faith
so others will think you are important.

That isn't the point.
The point is to be transformed within.
The point is to be vulnerable to change
so as to be available to God for renewal.

Tonight we gather here
in this solemn assembly
as a people under attack by armies unseen.

Icons of our culture
have been leveled
and the center of a great city
covered with ash.

Dot Coms evaporated.
Enron has fallen.
Our own bank defrauded.
Our wealth blown away in the wind,
our confidence eroded.

We have depended on a lot of stuff
that has no substance;
and we really did believe
it could sustain us,
give us comfort and security,
if not love and warmth.

Joel cries across the millennia,
Use this opportunity
to find that which pleases God.

Connect yourself with him once again,
and discover a blessing.

Jesus says,
store up not the stuff of the world
but aspire to the treasures of heaven
that do not fail.

We make a new beginning this night.

The ash on our foreheads
is between us and God.

It is not a parading of false piety
as is decried in the Gospel reading.

It is a call to recognize
that when we feel invaded and inadequate
it is a time to rely on things of god,
who is gracious and merciful,
and abounding in steadfast love.

The people of Judah in 500 BC
were faced with the invasion of a great army
the likes of which had never been seen
nor would ever be seen again, until now.

This all consuming army,
swarming the hills
so as to bring a day of clouds and thick darkness,
this great invader
which caused a shift in history
bringing mass starvation and death
and a failure of human institutions,
was a plague of Locust.
That's right, Locust - insects

Each time it is something different.

Each time it is awe-ful.
Each time it is a reminder
that ashes are real and true.
but ashes bring an opportunity
to identify and release
the distractions and burdens
which we grasp but don't need,
and which we can't bear anyway.

Today we are called
to band together, to fast and pray,
and to recognize that which is true
and that which is not.

that which is of God
and that which is not.

God awaits our change of heart,
for he is abounding in steadfast love
and in new possibilities
for life in a new dimension
with new intensity and new hope
with joy and wonder, and unconditional love
for you.

This is Ash Wednesday
What better time than now?