Dust Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday. Many people may ask themselves why today is called Ash Wednesday. But Hopefully you will all remember that today many churches put ashes on people's foreheads. They recite the phrase, "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return." They place the cross on the forehead to remind us we are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

I really understand the connection between Ashes which people heap upon themselves in the OT. I also realize that it is a sign of repentance to put on sackcloth and ashes. Now you may ask me what then do you not understand. Why do we put ashes on someone and tell them they are dust? People do not heap Dust on themselves and wear sackcloth. You do not take dirt and put it on people's foreheads. You take ashes from people and put it on their foreheads. These ashes are generally made from Palms from previous Palm Sunday. (Now we generally do not have Palm Sunday but the Sunday of the Passion in our new Lectionary.)

Adam was formed out of the Dust of the Earth. Humans will eventually decompose and turn back into dust. The same happens to all living things. Ashes are burned living things, Plants and animals. Are Ashes really the same thing as Dust? They both would get your thumb pretty ugly. Now you may think practically that Ashes are generally black, therefore representing sins. I really think some dirt would work pretty well. But then we would have to call it Dust Wednesday rather than Ash.

Adam was not formed out of Ashes of the Earth. Adam was made of Dust. Just because we burn people now to make Ashes does not mean we are all going to turn into Ashes. We will all turn into Dust, well maybe not if Jesus Comes Back really soon. Dust Wednesday or Ash Wednesday we are still just dust and to dust we will return.

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