[Feb 18, 2026]“To reform the nation, particularly the Church, and to spread scriptural holiness over the land.”

Sermon at the Ash Wednesday Service

Lectionary: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Ps 51:1-17; 2 Cor 5:20b-6:10; Matt 6:1-6, 16-21

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, once defined the identity of the Methodist movement with these words: “To reform the nation, particularly the Church, and to spread scriptural holiness over the land.”

Have you heard this quote before? I believe I learned it at some point, but I had forgotten it for a long while. Recently, however, as I began reading the Book of Discipline from the very beginning, I encountered this phrase and was deeply moved. It was because I realized once again that this reformative identity is the very root of our Methodist movement.

Today, as we gather here, I want to offer this reminder to you. This is what we call “the Methodist Church.” As we begin the season of Lent, I would like to share what it means for our Lenten observance in light of these three themes.

First, we are a people who pray for the renewal of the nation. Please do not misunderstand. This is not a reflection of any specific political stance. We have seen many people get hurt, move to other churches, or even leave the faith altogether because of politics entering the church. However, the Church, by nature, is a people who grieve for the world. We are those who witness the corruption of the world, feel heartbroken as people drift away from the Lord, and pray for God’s mercy upon the sins that prevail in our society.

If we look at the biblical significance of the forty days of Lent, as I mentioned in last Sunday’s sermon, we must take note of Nineveh’s forty days of repentance. When Jonah cried out to that great city, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown!” the people humbled themselves before the Lord, sat in ashes, and repented. And because of God’s mercy, they were not destroyed. Praying for the world is exactly like this. It is not merely repenting for individual sins. It is confessing our social sins before the Lord and seeking His mercy. It is humbly confessing that we, too, are part of this world, existing within it and sharing in the weight of its sins. During this Lenten season, I hope that not only our church but many churches will restore this practice of praying for the world.

Second, we believe that this reformation of the nation begins with the transformation of the Church. John Wesley did not look for the reform of the world through political action alone. Again, please do not misunderstand—he did not deny the utility of politics. However, he believed that the most certain way to set politics right was through the transformation of the Church. When the Church restores its identity and mission as salt and light, the world will see the Lord through them. Therefore, during this Lenten season, we must pray that the Lord will renew our churches. This should be a prayer for the order of our inner worlds and spiritual growth, for the mission and stewardship of the church, and for all churches to be of one mind in healing the world.

Third, we are called to fill the land with scriptural holiness. For the Church to be the salt and light of the world does not mean simply having a “big mouth” or loud proclamations. The Church is a sacramental presence sent into the world as God’s instrument. Consider that when the Lord said, “You shall be holy to me; for I the Lord am holy,” that holiness was not meant to be purely individual. In modern English, the second-person “you” can be either singular or plural, so this distinction isn’t always visible. But in the King James Version, it is clear: “And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy.” Therefore, our holiness is a communal holiness. Because we are sent into the world, our individual transformation and social holiness are realized together in the Lord as we live out His holiness in that space.

Some might ask: “I know what you mean. But what does this teaching have to do with the observance of Lent?” As we know, the spiritual goals of Lent are to reflect, repent, and renew. These can all be summed up as the reformation of our faith. From the example of Nineveh, we have confirmed that we are to join the procession of prayer with hearts that grieve for the world during these forty days. And if we have such hearts, we will also pray for the renewal of the Church during this time. Finally, we will encourage one another to live out this Lenten observance so that it becomes a time of manifesting the Scriptural holiness in the world.

The ashes we place on our foreheads today are not merely a confession that we are fragile beings who will return to the dust. These ashes are a marker of those who pray while sitting in the dust, holding the nation and the Church in their hearts. Beneath these ashes, we must rise as new beings who thirst for “scriptural holiness.” May the grace of the Lord be abundant upon you and me, and let us come before the Lord with one heart, resolving to be “Holiness unto the Lord” as we stand before these sacred ashes.