Ashes to Go

Ash Wednesday.

Here we are starting Lent 2021 when maybe it doesn’t feel like Lent 2020 ever really ended. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a season that the early Christian traditions marked as preparation for the baptism at Easter. In its long history it’s a season that calls humanity to turn back to God. Lent invites us to ask of ourselves what do we need to do to turn back to God—repent, give something up, take something on, sit and be still in God’s presence?

For each person and community it might look a little different. As we embark on that journey in this season, we start today with reminding ourselves of our fragility and mortality. In remembering that we are but dust and to dust we shall return, we are reminded we are God’s dust, we belong to God, from beginning to death, and to eternity. In this season, however you choose to walk in it, know you belong, know you are beloved.