“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”
 This is what we hear once a year on Ash Wednesday, a reminder that we are physically mortal, limited in time and space. It is a good reminder and I wish humans would ponder on their mortality more often so that they could live meaningful daily lives.
The Bible tells us that we are wonderfully and fearfully knit in our mother‘s womb. In agreement, science tells us that our bodies are made of the minerals that form the earth, and our bodies will turn back into the elements of the earth. It is a sacred cycle, the cycle of life, and physical death is an integral and necessary part of it.
Recently, I have developed a curiosity about contemporary Christian music and I am listening to some as well as reading the lyrics to see what kind of theology these songs introduce to people. I was pleasantly surprised to find Christian song writers who have a healthy spirituality and who engage the world and its problems in a hopeful way, the way of Christ. One of them is Bryan Sirchio whose song, ― Green World is a love poem for God‘s beautiful creation.
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Sometimes the earth and its beauty Hits me so hard that it almost hurts God you are some kind of artist And I'm a big fan of your handiwork When I see a pastel sunset Its like God is signing God's name Another magnificent one of a kind worth more than this whole world could pay .God made this green world green Air and water clean
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We come from the earth, and to earth we shall return Let's go back to Genesis 2 and relearn Humans are here in the garden to serve And service is the purpose of God-given power We are more the earth's than earth is ours We are more the earth's than earth is ours.
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The third line made me think, ―How about changing the line on Ash Wednesday for the Imposition of Ashes to, “Remember that you are earth, and to earth you shall re-turn” — which is basically another way to translate adama in Gen. 2:7. Isn't the deeper meaning of Genesis 2:7 that we are made of the same stuff as the earth, and so our fates are bound together? This Ash Wednesday I am inviting you to ponder about the unity and beauty of all creation. We are an important part and have been given the capacity to enjoy in a responsible and caring way all that God has made. We are called to be stewards of the earth from which we are made. This Ash Wednesday I am inviting you to ponder about the unity and beauty of all creation and of our responsible role in it.
Blessed Lenten Season
Pastor Liliana
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A Life Well Lived
 My father died on September 9th. He was 95 years old. Nearly all of those years had been spent in the service of the Lord. He was a pastor and took that call very seriously. My father followed the call of Jesus. He gave himself up to the sacrificial life. For him, service in the field of the Lord was primary. And that is what made him the extraordinary man that he was.
When we think of what we need to do in order to follow Jesus, the sacrificial life is probably not what we have in mind. We have families, we have jobs, and we have lives that seem to be too crowded for God. Yet, when Jesus called his disciples to follow him, he didn’t ask them to email their families first to see if it was ok for them to leave. He didn’t even give them the time to say good bye. It was a choice. Follow or not. It didn’t mean that if you didn’t go you weren’t good enough, it only meant that if you did, the commitment had to be complete.
My father’s answer to Jesus’ call to service was a resounding “yes.” He fulfilled, to the best of his ability, the life of a follower of Christ.
“Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, and serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.” Romans 12: 9 – 13.
—Mary Williams |
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