Ash Wednesday February 10, 2016 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

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1 1 Ash Wednesday February 10, 2016 Matthew 6:1-6, Dust. Our lives, our world is filled with dust. The world, in fact is made of dust that came from the stars I have said before that brighter minds than me have determined that we are all, as humans, as living, breathing mammals and animals on this planet, we are all made from star dust. In fact, the universe is filled with dust that has existed since the beginning of time. But we don t have to look into the universe for dust I have plenty in my house. It is everywhere on shelves, book cases, the front of the television, on my computer screen dust is everywhere. And if I listen to the people on the television, I need to get rid of it NOW. And they have all kinds of instruments, and sprays to help me. And yet, the dust always returns. It is another Ash Wednesday. It seems to return with the regularity of dust on my mantle. This year, it has come after a short Epiphany cycle where we have had some time to walk with Jesus and his disciples. So we have a lot to think about on this night a lot to ponder during the next forty days ponder our relationships with each other and our relationship with God. Let me ask you a question, what are you thinking about? Are you thinking about your day? Are you thinking about your problems? Are you thinking about your family, job, church, or, maybe, your relationship with God? Did you think that your life is just dust.? Here s a humorous poem by Rose Milligan:

2 2 Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better To paint a picture, or write a letter, Bake a cake, or plant a seed; Ponder the difference between want and need? Dust if you must, but there's not much time, With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb; Music to hear, and books to read; Friends to cherish, and life to lead. Dust if you must, but the world's out there With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair; A flutter of snow, a shower of rain, This day will not come around again. Dust if you must, but bear in mind, Old age will come and it's not kind. And when you go (and go you must) You, yourself, will make more dust. The poem reminds us how brief our lives can really be, actually how quickly they can pass us by and how soon we will all return to dust. And that fact, that reality is magnified when someone close to us passes from this life. And that is exactly what happened just a few weeks ago, Mildred Houtz was in our lives, and then, just that quick she was diagnosed with a life ending disease, and then she was gone.

3 3 Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return. Those words stick in our ears and linger, and remain, and echo, and haunt us even more this evening. This one phrase not only smashes our security, but stabs us in the heart of our self-centeredness and egocentric ways. The self the ego this is also what I think of when I listen to Jesus words tonight. Jesus says, in effect, when you give alms, when you pray, when you fast, what is at the heart of what you are doing? Are you doing it for others to see that you are doing it, or are you doing it because of your relationship with the Jesus? As humans, we have this lingering innate desire to live selfishly it is our human nature to think only about ourselves and to think that we will live forever or at least do what we can to put off the inevitability of our own demise. So the words we hear, at the beginning of Lent, are words that challenge us to consider what we are doing to think again about what is at the heart of our actions. I mean, many people give, but only enough to think that it will matter to God. Many people pray, but only ask for blessings for themselves and giving G-d a to do list. And many people fast, only hoping others will see how pious they are. These are all good practices to put into place in our faith lives, but so many people do it knowing deep in their hearts that they only do it for themselves, you know, to look better. But, what good will it do for us if we only do things to, as Jesus says, to store up treasures on earth. We will not live forever. Although the life of a particle of dust is probably infinite our

4 4 lives are finite. We will not live forever, no matter what we do. In fact, we have no idea when our lives may be wiped out wiped clean like a dust mop to dust. When we begin Lent with Ash Wednesday, we begin with words that should not only haunt us, but snap us into focus. Lent is the lens we need to see the world and ourselves more clearly. Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return. The dust that settles to earth from the universe is dust that has existed since the beginning of time. It has settled on this planet and formed on the surface it is the same dust that God used to create everything, including you and me we are star dust. And the dust is everywhere, not just in my house, but clouds of it are found throughout the universe. The dust, and the dustiness that these ashes on our foreheads represent mark this reality we would not exist without God, and apart from God, there is no life. With all of this talk about dust, and death, and mortality, we need some good news. Here it is: No matter what we do, the dust is always there and no matter what we do, God is always there as well. Lent is the intentional time we have to remember our complete and utter dependence on God. Without God, we do not exist. Without God in our daily existence, our lives are just as empty, just like Dust floating throughout the universe. But that is the beauty of Ash Wednesday as well it reminds us of our commitment to live Holy lives. And because we are children of God, we matter more than dust we

5 5 matter more to God than just a thin layer of dust. We matter because God breathed on that dust, and created you and me. Therefore, we are called to rediscover who we are as God s people. Yes, we are dust but dust that contains the life of God. We are called to face our fears and our failures with courage and dignity, relying on God s grace and mercy. We are called to be God s children created to serve God and neighbor and strengthened in His love to face our mortality with confidence. Today, the sign of the ashen cross on our foreheads is not just about Ash Wednesday and only to remind us that we are dust but the cross is also a reminder of the sign marked upon us in our baptism. We are marked once again with the cross of Christ forever, and while we are still here, God is not finished with us yet. Tonight, we should feel like, no not only like dust tonight this ash, this dust that came from the stars, from the heavens, Jesus takes this ash, this dust and makes us rock stars with Jesus our rock leading the way.