Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the season of repentance and spiritual reflection that prepares us for Easter. We begin this holy season with the somber reminder that we are dust by having a cross of ashes placed on our foreheads. A super fun reminder to be given the day immediately following Mardi Gras or "Fat Tuesday"!
I remember standing in front of many of you last year with ashes on my thumb and looking into your eyes as I said "Remember you are dust and to dust you will return." I hated it. I don't want to look into the faces of people I love and remind them of their mortality. But, I was also so incredibly grateful at the same time. This day is so critical in helping us in our pursuit of holiness. It is so easy to live our lives day to day and begin to feel like "Hey, things are going pretty good here. I'm a pretty good person. I've got things handled on my own." And in doing so, we forget that we are a people deeply in need of grace!
Ash Wednesday reminds us that we can do all the good we are able to, and that alone is not enough to bring us salvation. Only the love and grace of Jesus Christ does that. And that's why I love this season of Lent so much. It's an intentional time to pause the routine of our lives and turn ourselves back to God - literally to repent. We remember who we are and whose we are, and re-dedicate ourselves to living like we know it! We are people who would return to dust... if it were not for the resurrecting power of Jesus that we celebrate on Easter.
Do you want to feel the full wonder of Easter Sunday? Come to
Ash Wednesday on March 6
and spend the next 40 days (plus Sundays) remembering that you are nothing but dust without Christ.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Becca
