I went to Ash Wednesday services this morning, at the heretofore-nearly-mythical hour of 7AM. For whatever reason, no one who received ashes from one of the priests seemed to have it show up very well on their foreheads. I guess what I told my black campers at KAA when they asked me whether I had any lotion still stands true: "White people don't ash." [What would I need with lotion? Meanwhile, these poor kids were waking up with chapped knees, of all things...I considered buying some out of mercy (but forgot).]
As for Lent, some friends of mine last week mentioned that they like to not only give up something but to add something positive as well. I'd already felt led to give up meat (including seafood!); I'll be adding a rosary each day to that.
I did have an odd-but-gratifying experience at the service this morning, though. I recognized a girl who I'm pretty sure is Episcopalian go up and get ashes, which wasn't that odd. I then saw her get in the Communion line and I was a little concerned, as most of us Anglicans don't really know that we're not supposed to take Roman Catholic Communion. Right before it was her turn, though, she properly crossed her arms and received a blessing instead. Hooray for cultural sensitivity!
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That reminds me of an old story.
A man died and went to heaven.
At the gates Saint Peter met him and asked him what he was.
"What do you mean?" asked the man. "I'm a Christian."
"Yes," said Peter. "But what kind? Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, what exactly?"
"What does that matter here?" asked the man, flabbergasted.
"Well, we have a different heaven for each denomination, with different services, regulations, requirements, associations, etc." replied Peter.
"But, but," stammered the man, "I thought in heaven everything would be equal. That everyone would participate freely in God because that's what God would want."
"Oh, it is very much that way here. For God and those Saints who never saw a distinction between themselves and their fellows. For everyone else you get the Kingdom of God that you were willing to live with... Now, where were we again?"
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