Today is Ash Wednesday. That ancient rite that marks the beginning of Lent. We will gather in Churches, announce our willingness to repent, and receive a cross of ashes on our foreheads. For some, Ash Wednesday is that day when we pledge to forego a favorite food, limit our social media time, or try to eliminate a bad habit. In truth, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a sacred journey. A journey that we have been called to walk. The cross of ashes on our foreheads symbolizes a call on our hearts. We all seek to journey to that Cross. To be conformed to the likeness of Christ. To deepen our love of God. Ash Wednesday begins a journey of preparation to receive the Cross of Christ. A time of prayer, reflection, self-examination, and forgiveness. Each person walks a different journey to the Cross. And each person seeks a different healing from that Cross. Ash Wednesday is not simply a day in the Church year. It is a sign and a symbol of God’s grace offered freely to a broken humanity. Moreover, it is a solemn reminder that our dependence is always on God. It is a dependence that allows us to journey to the Cross of our Lord. Now that is genuinely Good News. Blessings, Pastor Tom Joel 2:12-14 Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? Comments are closed.
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October 2022
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