From today’s reading...
Blow the ram’s-horn in Zion! Order a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, call the people together, summon the community, assemble the elders, gather the children, even infants at the breast! Call the bridegroom from his bedroom and the bride from her bower! Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, stand weeping between portico and altar, saying, ‘Spare your people, Yahweh! Do not expose your heritage to the contempt, to the sarcasm of the nations! Why give the peoples cause to say, “Where is their God?”’ Then, becoming jealous over his country, Yahweh took pity on his people.” Joel 2:15-18
Ahh, the good ol’ days, when communities would come together for solemn assemblies. (No, the Super Bowl is not a solemn assembly. Neither is Spring training nor March Madness. Yeah, yeah, Mardi Gras is fun and all…but you know there ain’t a dang thing solemn about those couyons during the weeks leading up to yesterday! But I digress.)
Ahh, the good ol’ days, when communities would come together before God and repent and seek forgiveness.
It’s never too late to bring the good ol’ days back.
They say it takes 21 days or 30 days to build a new habit.
Why not start a new 40-day routine today with Ash Wednesday?
If it was good enough for Moses (Exodus 24:18, Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 9:9, and again Deuteronomy 9:18) and Jesus (Luke 4:2, Matthew 4:2, Mark 1:13), why isn’t a 40-day fast good enough for us?
It is good enough for us, so begin today, because it’s the only way to...
Stay the course.
Keep the faith.
Endure.
Now go sell something.