14 February 2024
I am writing this letter between our two Ash Wednesday masses. Lent has begun, and it feels a bit strange for Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day to share the same date. Many bystanders on the street are wearing the color red, and I am not sure if that is for the extended Lunar New Year celebrations or for Valentine's Day. Sightings of ashes are rare.
This may not be a bad thing. To be an observant Christian today requires more discipline than it did when society was marked openly by Christian symbols. Recently I heard that our state holiday of Good Friday might be replaced for a different day. There has been a lot of consternation about this, but I must admit that I am not sure why non-Christians, or even Christians, need to have Good Friday off if their plans do not include worship.
Having the state holiday does make it easier for some workers who wish to worship on Good Friday, but also, Christians who are serious about their faith will find a way to observe the death of Jesus Christ, even if they do not have the day as a holiday. Like Ash Wednesday, those who make worship a priority will find a way to practice their faith. However, another question follows. Why should Christmas be a state holiday if Good Friday is not a state holiday? If the state is serious about honoring Christians with a holiday, why would it choose Christmas rather than the central event of our faith - the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
The greater point is that Christians should not rely on the larger society, or the government, to promulgate our faith for us. If we are serious about our discipleship, we can share and grow the faith without help from the state or secular society.
As we mark the forty days and nights of Lent, it is increasingly clear to me that Christians must rely on fellow Christians to help each other in this endeavor. It is also true that a half-baked faith will very likely devolve into zero faith. The rise of the nones in society, having come from a lax Christian culture, show this to be true. The challenge for the Episcopal Church, with our love for doubt and ambiguity and questioning, is how to build something lasting for Christ out of such an ethos.
As you practice your Lenten disciplines and fasting, I encourage you to support one another at the church. I encourage you to share your stories of faith with each other. Where do you need building up? Do you still not understand the liturgy, or could your Bible knowledge improve? As well, what are your strengths, and how do they need to be shared with others? If we want the church to grow, we can no longer practice our faith in a vacuum, thinking the greater society will build us up. More importantly, if our faith is half-baked, then we need to understand we are dying on the vine, and ultimately our casualness will lead to pruning. This is not what God desires, of course, but God also refuses to control or manipulate our actions and decisions regarding the gift of free will.
As you very well know, no one will encourage or support your coming to mass but fellow Christians. Your co-workers most likely will not support your study of the Bible. Perhaps even your family might be hostile to the practice of your faith. These are age-old challenges that even happened to Jesus' disciples. As you observe a holy Lent, you will need to buffet your own resolve to do it. Simply know that God is supporting you, and the church is supporting you, and in the end, everything you do is for the glory of God. Do not worry if no one notices you, because God sees you, and God loves that you are trying to do your best.
Father Paul Lillie +
