Ash Wednesday

It is Ash Wednesday. A day to wear a smudge on your forehead as you head into one of the most amazing times of the year. A time to ponder and reflect, to reconnect and reconsider what it means to be a follower of that Jesus guy.

Six years ago (hard to believe!) I still hadn't paid attention to those persistent thoughts in the background about religious life. But I was a super church geeek, and when I was engaged in churchy type things I had this scary level of creative energy. A good kind of scary, but it seemed like I could do things that I had no knowledge or experience to be able to do. Yes, that was one of the clues that maybe God was calling me to something other than being a glorified bureaucrat.

One of those creative energy moments was when I started to work on a Lenten Reflection guide that our Peace & Justice Commission wanted to put together. I started pulling together resources, and, quite literally, before I knew it, the reflection guide had written itself.

The reflection guide--Journey Towards a Simpler Life--is still online. And since 2010 has the same liturgical readings as 2004, you could theoretically use this reflection guide this Lent! I think I might pull it off the internet shelf.

Here's the prayer for today, Ash Wednesday:

God of dust and ashes, God of life and love, help us walk into the life you revealed to us and for us in Christ Jesus. Open our minds and hearts to the truth of who we are that we might journey toward change, becoming who it is you are calling us to be. Amen.