SPECIAL DAYS: Ash Wednesday

February 13, 2002 - LESSONS: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2; Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

SERMON TITLE: Out of the Ashes

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  1. The phoenix is a bird from ancient Greek, Egyptian and Arabian mythology that lived in Arabia and was sacred to or a servant of the sun god of ancient Egypt.
    1. The phoenix is described as a heron in Egypt, but is usually depicted as a peacock or eagle like bird with red and gold plumage.
    2. There can only one phoenix could exist at one time and every 500 or 1461 years when it felt it's end coming the phoenix would build a nest to be used as a funeral pyre.
      1. The old phoenix is then consumed in flames and burned to ashes.
      2. A new phoenix would then rise from the funeral pyre.
    3. This process is said to symbolize the rising and setting of the sun.
      1. The new phoenix would embalm the ashes of it's predecessor in an egg of myrrh.
      2. It would then fly with it to the City of the Sun and place it on the alter of the sun god.
    4. The phoenix symbolizes immortality, resurrection and life after death.
      1. Depictions of a phoenix have appeared in Egyptian, Greek, Hindu and Chinese art and writings for a very long time.
      2. It also later appeared in medieval Christian writings as a symbol of death and resurrection.
      3. It's flight has been said to represent the capacity to leave the world and its problems behind, flying towards the sun in clear pure skies.
    5. The Phoenix - out of the ashes new life.
  2. There is an old expression: "It tasted like ashes in my mouth."
    1. Life has a way of being like that.
    2. It sometimes not only tastes like ashes, it can become ashes.
  3. I was stationed at the Navel Radio Station in Winter Harbor, Maine.
    1. We received an emergency call.
      1. The home of one of the Chief Petty Officers was on fire.
      2. We jumped into the station's fire truck and headed for the scene.
      3. We had all had fire fighting training.
        1. It was for a ship's fire.
        2. The principles were the same.
    2. I remember the feelings that I had as I hooked up a fire hose to the hydrant close to the fire.
      1. Attempting to hurry.
      2. Fumbling with the coupling
      3. Finally getting it attached.
      4. Turning on the hydrant.
    3. All the volunteers fought the fire as best we could.

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    1. You remember feelings that were shared by all the crew, civilian and navy.
      1. The emotion in fighting the fire.
        1. Standing holding a three inch hose battling the all-consuming fire.
        2. It had got quite a start, we were. Civilians and military, all volunteers.
      2. It was a relief when the fire was out.
        1. You looked at the devastation.
        2. You wondered what could be left.
      3. The emotions that were shared as we walked through the building after the fire was out.
        1. It was a somber, and even sad experience.
        2. Especially as we helped remove what could be salvaged.
    2. What was more significant was what developed later as time passed and a new home was built.
      1. The chief talked about a new appreciation of life.
      2. It brought he and his family closer together in a renewal of vows and purposes.
      3. A new consciousness of the value of things, material things developed.
    3. We were a closer knit community, because we had helped, supported and cried with one another.
  1. It is amazing what can come out of the ashes of life.
    1. What was discovered is that the building of values and relationships was more important than the material.
      1. It took a kind of repentance.
      2. It took a type of conversion.
    2. We do not need a crisis to be able to experience the same feelings.
    3. We do not need a disaster to develop the same kind of community.
    4. What we need is simply a sensitive awareness of God and life.
      1. These are, in a sense, contrasts.
        1. It is the contrast between what we may know that God desires and what we want.
      2. It is the contrast between what we may know how what God wants us to be and what we want to be.
      3. It is the contrast between what we may know of how God wants us to do and how we want to do.
    5. What God desires is to help heal us.
      1. We go to the physician for our physical needs.
      2. We go to a counselor for our mental needs.
      3. God is the physician of the soul.
    6. We can insure the salvation our souls.
      1. Salvation is a matter of repentance.
      2. Salvation is a matter of forgiveness.
      3. Salvation is a matter of taking one step at a time.
    7. It is important to know where we are stepping and how our steps may impact on our lives.

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  1. I remember another story about a home on fire.
    1. The fire fighters knew there was a man inside.
      1. They were desperate to rescue him.
      2. They could not get in the door where he was.
    2. When, finally the fire was out, they found the man barricaded behind the door.
      1. He had not done so deliberately.
      2. He had tried to save so much that the door could not be opened.
      3. He lost his life.
  2. As Paul has written:
    1. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
    2. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God...
    3. 6:1As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.
    4. 2For he says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you."
    5. See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!

3We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, 7truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see--we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything. 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10 (NRSVA)

    1. We can rise out of the ashes a newer person.
      1. We are in may ways the same old person.
      2. But we are being renewed.
      3. Not the Phoenix, but a child of God.

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