Sermon: February 21, 2007

“The Road of Humility”
Ash Wednesday

Amy & I visited our family back home this past Sunday. We have two Jr. Hi nieces, and both are involved in a host of extra-curricular activities. This time of the year, one of them is a cheerleader, and the other plays basketball. Conversation about life involves all the events and games they are in. Our eldest niece showed us a video of her most recent cheering competition. And after telling us all about the incredible level of difficulty of this one particular cheer, the video then showed her team receiving an award. So, I asked, “Did your team win?” She said, “No, they award the first and second place team with trophies, and then everyone else gets participation medals.”

Now, this was not the case when I was in school. And while I can become very nostalgic over the way things used to be, I must also confess that I remember feeling pretty let down, and discouraged when my best effort went unrecognized.

Two roads diverged in the wood, and I —
I chose the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
—Robert Frost

I suppose its only natural to want credit for a job well done. We teach our children to take pride in their work. These days, everyone gets a trophy, everyone gets an award, and everyone deserves a little recognition. That’s the road most traveled. However, our bible readings for today begin the journey of Lent by calling us down a different road, a road less traveled.

“Return to me with all your heart,” we hear in the reading from Joel.
And Jesus calls us down the same heart-filled road where he says, “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them.

The Lenten road begins with humility.
When we walk down this road less traveled, the rewards will not be the kind the world values or gives. On this road the rewards come from God, who hears and sees in private, and is well pleased. The true heart is revealed when the praise of self is over. It is on the road of humility that the heart seeks to please only the one who sees in secret.

Amen