By Susan Bates
“Nanna, what is Ash Wednesday?” queries a small voice from the back seat. I am blessed with opportunities to share Christianity by composing 1-minute elevator speeches for grandchildren. Our Wesleyan quadrilateral suggests four ways to reflect on our faith: scripture, experience, reason and tradition. A good structure for quick lesson plans! Inquisitive young ones have laser-like focus, but move on to the next thing quickly so we might leave more than a single aspect of answers to later sessions.
Lent, a season of reflection, repentance and sacrifice, begins with a full stop tradition. We give up something that symbolically or substantively keeps us from God. We remember Genesis 3:19 “for dust you are and to dust you shall return” and observe an ancient mourning ritual, marking ourselves out to others as Christians. One year two wiggly Cub Scouts and I were left to tidy up the sanctuary while the congregation exited to a sparse Ash Wednesday supper. After clearing pews and aisles, we came to the large leftover bowl of ashes and oil. We practiced donning ancient mourning while talking about times when we are sad, and how it can help to share with others. Happily, their mothers and most of the adults were supportive when we soberly arrived in the kitchen with an empty bowl and dirty faces.
The sadness of smeared ashes might not yet resonate with little ones still playing cheerfully by decorating themselves with food, stickers and Band-aids. However, they do experience loss no matter how hard we try to protect them from sadness and fill their days only with joy. We do all have to give up beloved people and possessions, habits and beliefs as we move on in life. Faith, reason and our Methodist traditions can help us through tough times now and as we age.
So, with 36 seconds left for questions and hopefully follow-up lessons through more years: “Ash Wednesday is the day we think about, and say goodbye to, things and thoughts and feelings we need to leave behind. We need more space for the good days ahead. You will need time for new friends, new games, new sports. For example, we were all so excited about your baby teeth; they were so cute and you learned how to eat with them! But now you will have to sadly say goodbye, to make room for the new bigger teeth growing into their places. Both won’t fit.”
Psalm 51: 1-3, 10
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgression. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
St. John member Susan Bates is a Certified Lay Servant..