Ash Wednesday 2020

 Ash Wednesday 2020

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  God separated the earth from the waters and it was good.  God formed humankind from the dust of the earth, and breathed into the human’s nostrils the breath of life, the Holy Spirit, and the human became a living being.

From the beginning human life has depended on the earth, the dirt, the dust, the ash.  We come from the earth, are made of earth, and are one with earth, with dirt, with dust, with ash.

Through the ages, ashes have been used in many cultures and religions as a sign of humility and repentance.  People smear ashes or dirt on themselves as a sign of how low they have sunk.  It is an outward sign of what is going on inside.  When people feel they have sinned, hurt someone or violated someone’s trust, they can show that they are aware of their sin, that they want to own up to it, by marking it on their body, especially on their face.  Rather than keeping it a secret, hiding it inside, they put it out there where everyone can see, and they can make amends for their mistake or error.

There is no life without dirt.  There is also no life without water.  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep—the waters.  The second day, God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters. And it was so.”

As Jesus came up out of the waters of his baptism, he heard these words, “This is my Son, the beloved.  With him I am well pleased.”

When a person is baptized, the pastor marks a cross on their forehead with oil and says, “You are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.

On Ash Wednesday we mark another kind of cross, right where the pastor anointed us at baptism.  This time we hear the words, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

From our birth, God makes us good.  We are God’s good creation, earth creatures into whom God has breathed the spirit of life.  As members of society we soon become tarnished by collective sin.  Before we speak a word, we participate in sinful community, abusing God’s earth, part of systems of oppression and greed and violence.  We learn that this is just the way it is.  We’re told to accept it.  We feel helpless to change it.

In our faith we find language for our relationship with God and understand our value and worth.  We also learn the language of accountability for our actions and individual and collective sinfulness.  We receive in our baptism, washing and a reception into God’s family.  We are called to live God’s values, to resist the damaging forces of this world, to respond to God’s love and forgiveness with joy and boldness, living an obedient