Ashes to Ashes
Today is Ash Wednesday. Depending on who you are and how you grew up it may mean something different. To me Ash Wednesday signifies redemptive curiosity, wholeness and brokenness as we live in community with one another. It represents the bold, all-encompassing, and unconditional love that God has for each of us and all of us. Growing up in a Lutheran church we also celebrated Ash Wednesday, though there it meant something a little different. To them it means three things: sinfulness, mortality, and redemption. When Lutherans receive ashes the phrase used is "You are dust and to dust you shall return". There is something humbling about that phrase. To me it tells about how ultimately we will return to the earth in death. It always made me wonder, "What about life and living? Why do we seem to celebrate death so much?" Perhaps there is something beautiful to be found in reflecting on death during this season. At Highlands here in Denver the phrase said