Feeding Hills Congregational Church
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
The practice of faith
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
"So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
"And whenever you fast, do not look somber, like the hypocrites, for they mark their faces to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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Ash Wednesday…the chance to remember that we aren’t perfect. Or for some of us, to linger in that fact that is a little bit too close to the surface all year long. So let us go on a hunt together, to take stock of our hearts, to see where our treasure lies.
Our Gospel reading can make us quite uncomfortable. As your pastor, I do pray in public, and share this activity with hypocrites who “love to pray standing in synagogues and on street corners for people to see them,”. We do at times share the good work we do with the community, in hopes of stirring them to action. I believe this scripture speaks to the intention and attitude, so in truth neither of these things bother me. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Do you hear the invitation in these words? God is inviting us into this secret place, this still intimacy with God.
And I know that in my life, going to a still quiet, secret place to spend time with God doesn’t happen often enough. Prayer is time spent in God’s presence. And yet, it is easy to rationalize the lack of this by saying that prayer is a way of living, conscious that we live, and move, and have our being in God. Deep in my heart, there’s a longing for the kind of intimacy with God I have experienced at different times in my life. Even just remembering it nourishes, grounds and centers me in my living. While this is tempting, life is demanding, and there’s never enough time!
On Ash Wednesday, we remember that we are dust and to dust we shall return. Knowing that our time living is limited should spur us on all the more to desire time with God.
Life is fleeting, fragile and uncertain. And it’s hard to turn away from the joys of our lives. I don’t want to give up the “thrilling” things I do just to fulfill some traditional practice of observing Lent…can you hear my sarcasm? Yes, life is frail and fleeting. Yes, we shall all return to the dust. Does the limited amount of time we have make this life more precious? There is beauty in each passing moment, if we stop to see it. God’s presence is revealed over and over, minute by minute, encounter by encounter, if we only stop to see it.
Our gospel reading this evening closes with a stark reality. Your heart will always be where your treasure is. And what do we treasure? As a church? Is it the building? Is it the people? Is it the service toward others beyond our walls?
Where is our treasure as individuals? In our homes and bank accounts? In our stuff that we accumulate? In our cars, in our relationships? Here’s the tricky thing about treasure…We can tell we treasure by our attitudes. And the outcome of our attitudes is our actions. Do you want to know what you treasure? Look at your behavior, your actions, both in public and when no one is watching.
This season is a time to consider what we treasure, holding the frailty of life close. As we move into this season of Lent, may we reflect together on how we live, love and find our very being in the treasures of God. MAY IT BE SO.