​Ash Wednesday: But who do you say…

Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” (Luke 9:18-20)
 
Tonight at Potluck Church we will eat pancakes.  Just pancakes.  Okay, maybe there will be some fun fruit toppings and syrups, too.  When we gather for this first day of Lent, we don’t bring a dish. Traditionally pancakes are eaten on Shrove Tuesday (yesterday) as a way of getting all of the fats and rich foods out of one’s home before the fasting time of Lent. Except all of our Potluck gatherings are feasts—even during Lent, and so to stop and simply have pancakes cooked for us allows Ash Wednesday to be a day of simplicity and focus. We’ll begin our Lenten journey together this night with a meal that returns us back to a basic food--bread. 
 
Lent is a season to ponder the question Jesus asked the disciples—“But who do you say that I am?” Maybe as we eat the pancakes, we will remember again and find our own answers to the question.