My bad

Today is Ash Wednesday.

In a word it is a day for accepting responsibility for our own actions.

Or as the Reverend Dean Taylor said in his Ash Wednesday message it's the beginning of us saying "my bad".

We have four choral scholars who join our choir for practice and worship each week.  They are a real blessing and boost to us - not to mention they add a touch of humor.

When one of them misses a note (a rare occasion to be sure)  we see a hand go up - an acknowledgement - "my bad".  Most of us don't have a clue when we sing the wrong note, don't count correctly or "sing too loud". 


However, it's something that we all should do.  When we make a mistake we should first of all claim it, say we are sorry or as Scripture puts is "repent", then move on - "forgetting that which is behind".

As Father Dean pointed out this morning, the word for this is "confess". And when we repeat that prayer before we take the bread and wine that are offered, we "confess" our sins - some things we have done and some things we have not done and we ask God to have mercy on us and forgive us.

Father Dean reminded us that this is the time that we recognize our mortality, repent of our sins, and return to our loving God. We recognize life as a precious gift from God, and return our lives towards Jesus Christ. The point of the matter is that it is the time for us to commit to change our lives so that we might be more like Christ.


When that's the case we'll have fewer times that we have to say - "My bad".

And fortunately no matter how many times we have to say that - the answer will always be - "You are forgiven".