An Ash Wednesday Invitation for All
“Ash Wednesday emphasizes a dual encounter,” says our current United Methodist Book of Worship.
It explains, “We confront our own mortality and confess our sin before God within the community of faith.”
It then names two themes: “sin and death in the light of God’s redeeming love in Jesus Christ.”
Those are the directional markers for where we’ll turn these next forty days, not counting Sundays. (Every Sunday is traditionally “a little Easter celebration.”)
We’ll take these opportunities for moments of self-examination and reflection seriously. I’m indebted to the likes of Marlena Graves and Dan Justin for their pointing me down this questioning path.
It’s a long way from here to Easter. Shall we travel together?
A key component for our growth is living “within the community of faith.” Where will you find that this Lenten season? Our brief moments together here will not substitute for that, but I hope and pray you’ll find them to be complementary.
And look! We’ve already stumbled upon two questions on this first day of Lent22:
- Shall we travel together to Easter?
- Where you will find your authentic “community of faith” between now and Easter?
joescheets 