Ash Wednesday
Last year, in my Ash Wednesday weekly update article I asked the question “Why would anyone want to have ashes smeared on their heads or hands while someone says, ‘you are dust and to dust you shall return.'” Why would we want to be reminded of our mortality, our vulnerability to the passing of time? For some, that is a difficult truth that we might prefer to ignore, focusing our attention on more positive affirmations. Focusing on the positive is a healthy practice most of the time. However, some difficult truths never quite disappear from our awareness when we ignore them.
The awareness of our mortality is one of those truths that is always there. If we never turn and face it, it can diminish the meaningfulness of life. In addition, we can’t shut our awareness of death off without dulling our curiosity about what lies beyond death. Ash Wednesday is the day, the moment, when, gathered as a community of believers, we look directly at our mortality together. Only after that can we claim that death has no power over us. Together, we recognize our connection to something greater than self, greater than death—the life found in the oneness of Christ.
I hope you will join us tonight at 7 pm in the sanctuary. I look forward to sharing one of the most important services of the year together.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jen
|
