From Second Corinthians chapter five:
"For our sake God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
Ash Wednesday comes to us this week, February 22nd. For those who are familiar, there is time given during the worship for you to come forward, kneel at the altar rail, and receive an ashen cross on your forehead. You will hear these words:
"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
You may recognize the first picture. Mt. St. Helens, 1980. Powerful forces thrusted hot ash far into the sky.
The next picture shows a handful of that floury, powdery ash. Seemingly good for nothing. Artists from the Pacific Northwest have used ash like this to create curious and amazing works of art.
Next is a pencil sketch by someone with the name "Horseman". This is his interpretation of "Jesus wept."
Life comes from ash. According to Sadao Shoji and Tadashi Takehashi (professors at university in Japan), "Volcanic ash soils begin to form with rapid restoration of vegetation soon after ash deposition and create a productive and comfortable environment. They also have various important functions such as accumulation of large amounts of organic carbon and nitrogen, plentiful storage of water, water quality improvement, and preservation of paleoenvironment and archaeological artifacts."
Dear friends in Christ, we have a Lord who turns our explosive, corrosive, effusive ash into an artistic sketch of life. In so doing he comes near, so near in fact that he becomes our sin. And when that happens, we are freed to become the righteousness of God. Step into Ash Wednesday boldly and humbly. There is an ashen cross for you. Thanks be to God.
Adapted from the prayers of the Church for Ash Wednesday 2012 (Evangelical Lutheran Worship)
We remember all those who have returned to dust, with whom we are one in the body of Christ (especially those we name in our hearts now..). Remind us again that your death is for us the death of death, and give us faith to live with courage. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
What shape is the sketch Christ makes with your ash?
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