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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion Wednesday, February 25, 2004 40 Days |
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Frontline Devotion for Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2004, by Penny Risen
Bible text:
James 4: 8, 10
When a filmmaker prepares to shoot a movie, he or she composes what is called a
storyboard. Often crude sketches posted on a bulletin board or clipboard, the
storyboard resembles a comic strip without dialogue. It shows step by step,
scene by scene, just how the plot will evolve: Who’s in each shot, and what
action takes place.
It also helps keep a movie on schedule. As each piece of the story is shot,
directors and cinematographers say they savor crossing off the storyboard. When
the movie’s production inches toward its end, I doubt these film folks actually
shout, “Cut! Print it!” as they do in those Hollywood classics, but you get the
idea.
Sometimes scenes are shot out of sequence, and everyone from the actors to sound
crew can refer to this careful, handcrafted plan to know what has come before
and what will happen next. But those disjointed chunks from the storyboard do
get put back in order in the editing room. The filmmaker’s grand plan is
fulfilled.
Our calendar or seasons of the Christian church are much like a storyboard:
We always know what’s coming next, be it contemplative or joyful, and that God’s
love and grace are unchanging. No matter how stressed or disjointed we think our
lives have become, God’s plans for us remain intact.
Because today is Ash Wednesday, we as Christians know that after the 40 days of
Lent great sorrow and great joy are ahead in the plot. We begin to see the story
unfold toward Jesus’ tragic scene on Calvary. We also know that the bright image
of the empty tomb on Easter holds great hope for us.
Many of us will make time to pause, to kneel in church, and accept ashes on our
foreheads. Others might regard Ash Wednesday observance as something “extra”
that we needn’t do. This tradition actually is not in Scripture, and doesn’t
commemorate anything special that happened exactly 40 days before the
crucifixion. Imposition of ashes to represent our penance was adopted in the
A.D. 900s, after Christianity was well established. (To read more about Ash
Wednesday, follow
this link.)
I pose to you a few questions an actor might ask, looking at a storyboard for a
scene ready to shoot: What’s the motivation? Why should I be in this scene
called Ash Wednesday? Who stands beside me? Is it required or relevant as part
of the plot?
Cue the short, but heart-felt Letter of James 4, verse 8: ”Draw near to God,
and He will draw near to you,” and verse 10: “Humble yourself before the Lord,
and He will lift you up.” I admit that I’m a willing player: I need Ash
Wednesday in my life to remind me of both these things, and to place me in the
drama that is Christ’s.
This story of Lent would not need to exist without you and me. God knew when He sent Jesus as a baby to Bethlehem how His Son’s story on earth would unfold: With Jesus’ suffering and death for us. He had no sins but ours. So, beginning today:
We can draw nearer to God and ask His presence with us as we examine our lives, our faith and our mortality.
We can answer God’s promise of mercy and redemption by humbling ourselves and pledging to repent.
We can acknowledge His love by showing that we belong to God, by kneeling and accepting ashes in the sign of the cross.
I’ve kept Ash Wednesday on my life’s storyboard. I know how the 40-day drama ends and according to God’s grand plan, it’s beautiful!
Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, I wandered away and you were willing to take me back. I will humble myself and accept ashes as a symbol that I am your penitent child. Help me to bring your story to others who cry for mercy and understanding. Amen.
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