A Call to Transformation

As the season of Lent begins, Ash Wednesday invites us to pause, reflect, and enter into a time of transformation. Marked by the sign of the cross in ashes, this day reminds us of our mortality and our need for God’s grace. The words spoken: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”, echo the ancient truth that our lives are fleeting, yet held in the eternal love of God.

The practice of Ash Wednesday dates back centuries, rooted in the early Christian tradition of public penance. In the Episcopal Church, we gather to hear scripture, confess our sins, and receive ashes as an outward sign of an inward turning back to God.

Ash Wednesday is an invitation. The ashes on our foreheads are a visible sign of humility, but they also point toward hope. They mark the beginning of a journey, a journey toward Easter, toward transformation, toward becoming more fully the people God calls us to be.

Lent is a season of spiritual discipline, but it is not meant to be a burden. It is an opportunity to clear away distractions, deepen our relationship with God, and open ourselves to change. We step into the process of transformation, allowing God to shape us anew.

This Ash Wednesday, as we receive the ashes, may we hear God’s call to renewal. May we embrace this season not with fear, but with faith. And may our journey through Lent lead us ever closer to the love and grace of Christ, who transforms all things, even dust, into new life.

Please join in the Ash Wednesday service on March 5th at 6:30 pm at Trinity Church. There will be a meal prepared before the service starting at 5:30 pm in the parish hall.

May you be transformed.

Kevin+