Ash Wednesday

Last night for youth group I had the students create masks because masks are what we use to hide our true selves.  We hide our sin.  We hide our shortcoming.  Basically, we hide anything that we do not want others to see.  That takes care of the inside, but what about the outside?  That is where our masks really come in handy.  With our masks on, we can pick and choose exactly what we want others to see.  This led to the following instructions for the students; on the outside they put words representing how others see them.  On the inside they put their fears, doubts and shortcomings.  When they finished, they put their masks aside and we discussed Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness using a video from your tube based on “40” by Si Smith with the song “How He Loves” by John Mark McMillan.

Today’s New Testament prayer mentions how we are still “sometimes paralyzed in fear.”  That is when we put the masks on.  We want to hide our pain from everyone, even God, but God does not want that for us.  He wants us to be honest with ourselves and with Him.  God wants us to share those fears, shortcomings and doubts.

God know we struggle and face temptations.  Jesus struggled and faced temptations in the desert when the devil tempted Him.  Jesus showed us that we can get past those struggles and temptations by relying on God.  We ended youth group by turning off the lights, the room lit by a single candle.  In silent prayer each student came forward and placed their masks with all the fears, doubts and shortcomings at the foot of the Cross.  They placed it in God’s hands.  Won’t you?

Father, I pray that we can truly “rise up” and “follow You fearlessly.”  Go not let us fall prey to ways of the world, but instead help us to get up and not be afraid.

Amen.

Terry Van Wyk