Lent Reflection Day 1: Dust

Pastor Tiffany Hollums decided that each day during Lent, she would choose a word to prayerfully reflect upon. A volunteer suggested reading the lectionary texts and then choosing a word that stood out from those passages. She is sharing those reflections here and hopes to inspire our readers to join in her journey.

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”

Readings:

• Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

• Isaiah 58:1-12

• Psalm 51:1-17

• 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

• Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Reflection:

This hit me tonight as I was leading in the Ash Wednesday service in a powerful, visceral way: dust…ashes…death. I guess I’d always thought of ashes from burning paper or a campfire….but this year with the death of my Pop, ashes…..it took my breath away. We are walking these 40 days on a path with Jesus to his death. To consider our mortality and to be willing to die to ourselves. Do we say these words, go through the religious motions and miss the scalding depth of what we are commiting to do with Jesus? It might take me more than 40 days to truly wrap my heart, brain and life around this.

As I used a napkin in the car to wipe off my ashes, I could still feel them there, almost like they were seared. Thank you, Jesus for it all. #ashwednesday