A Meditation for Ash Wednesday – On Our Way to Easter
Dirt!
Black fine dust!
Ashes!
The ground we walk on!
A reminder – We belong to God
God made us from dust of the ground
God breathed into us the breath of life
We became a living soul!
A reminder – Our sins
Our willful rebellion against God
Black as the dirt that reminds us!
A reminder – Mortality!
Bluntly – death.
Ours.
From dust to dust.
So much in those little clay bowls.
Looks like only so much black, powdery ash
But, it declares loudly
A theology of life.
Creation – God love us
Sin – Even now God still loves us
Recreation – Love in a Cross and resurrection.
It’s Ash Wednesday.
The congregation marches forth with slow step and repentant heart
They receive the ashes on their forehead, a smear this way and that
A Cross
With the words from the preacher: “You’re a creature of God!”
“God loves you!”
Suddenly, the Lenten journey begins
But . . . it begins knowing full well the Victory of EASTER
Knowing full well that God loves us
The smear – The reminder
Creation . . . Sin . . . but LOVE that will not let us go!
We will look at the Bible passages that picture Jesus with his face
Set like a flint, on the road to Jerusalem
Blind Bartimaeus, “Son of David, Have mercy on me!”
In the Upper Room, “Take Eat, this is my body . . .”
Judas slipping away into the night – betrayal!
Agony of Gethsemane!
The horrors of the crucifixion
“My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?”
“It is finished! Into Thy hands, I commend my Spirit.”
We will understand the dark journey to Calvary better.
Perhaps! But, we will have gone the whole way already knowing Victory.
The Angel – “He’s not here, he’s risen, go tell his disciples.”
The 2 on the Road to Emmaus – “Did not our hearts burn within us . . .”
Thomas – “My Lord and my God.”
Peter – “Lord, you know that I love you!”
JESUS – “You will be my witnesses . . .” “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”
ASH WEDNESDAY – a holy time, for sure!
Dirt, ashes, ground we walk on – that’s us! But, we’re so much more!
We’re creatures of God
We’re “breathed into” with His life-giving breath
We’re ones for whom Christ died!
Amen! Hallelujah! So let it be!
About the Author
G. Byrns Coleman is a retired Professor of Religion and Chair of Department of Religion & Philosophy, Wingate University, Wingate, NC . He is also a member of Wingate Baptist Church .
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