Ashes: Lenten Song and an Offering

Special thanks to "bunnits" over at Art In The Wind, who not only told me about this song, but also tracked down the lyrics and sent them via email. The song is "Ashes" by Pat Conry.

1. We rise again from ashes, from the good we’ve failed to do.

 We rise again from ashes, to create ourselves anew.

 If all our world is ashes, then must our lives be true,

 an offering of ashes, an offering to you.

 2. We offer you our failures, we offer you attempts,

 the gifts not fully given, the dreams not fully dreamt.

 Give our stumblings direction, give our visions wider view,

 an offering of ashes, an offering to you. 

 3. Then rise again from ashes, let healing come to pain,

 though spring has turned to winter, and sunshine turned to rain.

 The rain we’ll use for growing, and create the world anew

 from an offering of ashes, an offering to you. 

 4. Thanks be to the Father, who made us like himself.

 Thanks be to his Son, who saved us by his death.

 Thanks be to the Spirit who creates the world anew

 from an offering of ashes, an offering to you.

While this plays, I am reflecting on that which may be "given up" for Lent.  If the abstinence of the substance or activity is given up, it is called sacrifice.

And if the mere act of not succumbing to a temptation is given up (which is likely not in our best interests anyway), why is it then termed "sacrifice"?

It seems that sacrifice has many depths...pausing to consider.

Please visit Floss at the blog where she has sponsored a theme of writing during Lent.  Her left sidebar links to others who are writing on the theme of "A Pause in Lent".  Reading others' thoughts does give pause. Reread the second verse of Ashes; my favorite.

Silk Painting continues

First posted here with an excellent tutorial on painting with silk dyes referenced here (including steam setting the dyes), this picture is the fifth dining room chair seat now finished.  The size before covering the seat was 25" x 25", with a bit of waste allowed on all sides for wrapping around the sides of the cushion.

A Pause in Lent

For Christians, the Lenten season is a time for reflection.  The forty days of Lent generally represent the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert in prayer and spiritual anticipation of his Passion, Death and Resurrection.

However, the Apron Senorita says...

The 40 days of Lent, which precedes Easter is based on two Biblical accounts: the 40 years of wilderness wandering by the Israelites and our Lord's 40 days in the wilderness at which point He was tempted by Satan.  Each year the Church observes Lent where we, like Israel and our Lord, are tested. We participate in abstinence, times of fasting, confession and acts of mercy to strengthen our faith and devotional disciplines. The goal of every Christian is to leave Lent a stronger and more vital person of faith than when we entered.

 Words and images, thoughts and reflections going along with the Lenten season include the Cardinal Virtues (and theological virtues) of:

Valour
Generosity
Liberality
Diligence
Patience
Kindness
Humility

...as suggested in Floss's blog.  She is inspiring others to write on this theme of A Pause in Lent during the coming weeks.  Please check her out; she has quite a following, writing from France.

For a post on a Lenten theme the day after Ash Wednesday, I refer to Philip Yancy's book What's So Amazing About Grace? when he writes about Bill Moyer's documentary film on the hymn "Amazing Grace". Moyers was sitting with Jessye Norman in her dressing room prior to a concert in London in Wembley Stadium.  She was scheduled to sing this song as the closing act which was to conclude a twelve hour concert for rock music fans.  This is from page 282 of the book:

"..(the crowds was) already high on booze and dope...The crowd was restless.  Few recognize Jessye Norman as the opera diva.  Alone, a capella, she begins to sing, very slowly the opening verse...A remarkable thing happens in Wembley Stadium that night.  Seventy thousand fans are singing along, digging far back in nearly lost memories for words they head long ago. 

When we've been there then thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We've no less days to sing God's praise

Than when we first begun.

Jessye Norman later confessed she had no idea what power descended on Wembley Stadium that night.  I think I know.  The world thirsts for grace.  When grace descends, the world falls silent before it.