Ash Wednesday

I was quite moved by God at our Ash Wednesday Worship last night. We have three worship stations that were described in the bulletin as follows:

Station One: Ashes to Ashes
You may receive ashes on your forehead or wrist as a sign of repentance and belonging to Jesus.

Station Two: Remember Your Baptism
Dip your hands in the water. Reflect on the meaning of your baptism. You might confess your faith in Jesus by reflecting on or reciting the baptismal questions: Who is your lord and savior? Do you trust Him? And do you desire to be a faithful member of his church wherever you may be?

Station Three: Holy Communion
Come to the table, and partake of the bread and wine by way of intinction. Break-off a piece of bread, and dip it in the cup. Remember the Lord's death and resurrection. Remember that He is coming again, and we will feast with Him in Glory.

I was at the Ashes to Ashes station and placed ashes on foreheads and wrists while reminding people, "You are dust and to dust you will return." It touched my heart deeply and reminded me how much I love the members of the church. I had a profound sense of my mortality and the mortality of those I anointed with ashes. We are all finite beings and each of us will return to the earth one day. I was also very moved by remembering one of the prayers from our Christian funeral service - " You only are immortal, the creator and maker of all.
We are mortal, formed of the earth,
and to earth shall we return.
This you ordained when you created us, saying,
“You are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
All of us go down to the dust;
yet even at the grave we make our song:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia."

That prayer is powerful. We are mortal but we have a sure and certain hope in life with God beyond the grave, through Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

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