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Ash Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Pastor Dena Williams

Joel, one of the “minor prophets” from the Old

Testament has words for us today.

Joel is a true prophet of God.

True prophets of God do not foretell the future.

Joel’s prophecy does not foretell the future.

His words warn and call and encourage his hearers to

bring forth the Kingdom of God.

Joel does not tell us what will happen next.

Instead, he calls us to repentance and righteousness,

so that what does happen next,

what we do in word and deed

will be that which brings forth the Kingdom of

God . . .

or not.

It’s up to us.
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The prophet begins with a warning of the coming day

of God’s army of judgment:

Blow the trumpet in Zion

sound the alarm on my holy mountain!

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,

for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near—

a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and thick darkness!

Like blackness spread upon the mountains

a great and powerful army comes;

their like has never been from of old,

nor will be again after them in ages to come.

Fire devours in front of God’s army of judgment,

and behind them a flame burns.

Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,

but after them a desolate wilderness,

and nothing escapes God’s army of judgment.

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Like warriors they leap upon the city, they run upon the
walls;

they climb up into the houses,

they enter through the windows like a thief.

The earth quakes before them,

the heavens tremble.

The sun and the moon are darkened,

and the stars withdraw their shining.

The Lord utters his voice at the head of his army.

Truly the day of the Lord is great, terrible indeed—who can

endure it?

So, the prophet Joel describes God’s day of judgment.

His picture of God’s judgment demands our respect,

makes us afraid,

calls us to repentance and righteousness.

Joel’s prophecy, his effort to shape the future,

to bring about God’s kingdom does not end here.

After this stern warning,

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the prophet calls us to repentance.

Yet even now, says the Lord,

return to me with all your heart,

with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

rend your hearts and not your clothing.

Return to the Lord, your God,

for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,

and relents from punishing.

Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,

and leave a blessing behind him,

that he will restore the crops needed for the people to make

a grain-offering and a drink-offering for the Lord, your God?

Joel’s message?

It’s not too late.

It’s not too late to escape the wrath of an angry God.

The way to bring forth God’s Kingdom,

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to avoid God’s anger,

is through repentance.

The prophet calls us to repent, to return to God with

all our heart,

to examine our hearts, to rip our hearts in two.

Look inside, look deep,

cast away all that is evil and angry and vindictive,

throw away your need for power and control,

rid your heart of envy and meanness,

tear open your heart and empty it of all that is not

Godly.

Then the prophet reminds us of God’s goodness—

that our God is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Abounding in love . . .

Then, the prophet says, then, who knows?

The Lord may fill your heart with good things,

with love,
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with bountiful harvest,

with enough love that there will be something good to

offer to God,

with enough love that there will be love to give away,

love to give away to God,

love to share with all people.

God’s call to repentance is a call to love God.

But that is not enough.

God’s call to repentance is a call to love all people.

Who knows what God can do when we truly repent?

Now the prophet Joel gives instructions to the priests

and ministers.

Here, the prophet writes,

here is how leaders call the people to repentance.

Blow the trumpet in Zion;

sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly;

gather the people.

Sanctify the congregation;

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assemble the aged;

gather the children,

even infants at the breast.

Even let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her
canopy and gather with the people.

Between the vestibule and the altar

let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep.

Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord,

and do not make your heritage a mockery,

a byword among the nations.

Why should it be said among the peoples,

“Where is their God?”

So, God calls the priests, the ministers

the leaders of the congregation,

to gather the people in solemn assembly,

to gather all the people

and to plead with God on their behalf.

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God calls the priests and ministers to offer prayers

for mercy on behalf of the people.

God calls the priests and ministers to plead with God

to fill the hearts of the people with love and love
alone.

This is where our assigned reading for Ash

Wednesday ends.

There’s warning of judgment,

a call to repentance,

a call to priests to assemble and pray for the people.

Here the lesson ends.

But it doesn’t really end here.

There’s more.

There are words of comfort and hope and deep, deep

blessing and love.

But these words were not assigned to be read on Ash

Wednesday.

We were not meant to hear words of blessing and

love on this day.

I, though, will not end the reading of the Prophet Joel

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here,

where it is assigned to end.

Why? Why won’t I leave you with warning of God’s

judgment,

with a call to repentance or else?

Why won’t I leave you as I am assigned to do in

darkness?

Why won’t I leave you with the despair that the

prophet’s words bring?

Because I love you.

Because God loves you.

Hear, then, the end of the prophecy from Joel.

Hear what comes after the warning, the call to

repentance.

Hear the words of a loving God:

Then the Lord became jealous for his land,

and had pity on his people.

In response to the repentance of his people the Lord said:

I am sending you grain, wine, and oil,

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and you will be satisfied;

and I will no more make you a mockery among the nations.

I will remove the northern army far from you,

and drive it into a parched and desolate land,

its front into the eastern sea,

and its rear into the western sea;

its stench and foul smell will rise up.

Surely he has done great things!

Do not fear, O soil; be glad and rejoice

for the Lord has done great things!

Do not fear, you animals of the field,

for the pastures of the wilderness are green;

the tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and vine give their full
yield.

O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the Lord your God;

for he has given the early rain* for your vindication,

he has poured down for you abundant rain,

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the early and the later rain, as before.

The threshing-floors shall be full of grain,

the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has
eaten,

the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army,

which I sent against you.

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,

and praise the name of the Lord your God,

who has dealt wondrously with you.

And my people shall never again be put to shame.

You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,

and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other.

And my people shall never again be put to shame.

Then afterwards I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

your old men shall dream dreams,

and your young men shall see visions.

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Even on the male and female slaves,

in those days, I will pour out my spirit.

Here . . . ends the lesson. Thanks be to God!