THE  MEANING  OF  

ASH  WEDNESDAY

 

I am dust and into dust I shall return.

I am dust and dust is everywhere.

I am floating dust – in the air – in the sunlight and the shadows - in an empty silent old afternoon room.

I am Genesis 3: 19.

I am dirt, mud, clay,  molded into me in my mother’s womb – and the Spirit of God – the Breath of God – has been breathed into me.

I am earth.

I am squeezed together substance, flesh, called me.

I am a kicker in my mother’s womb.

I am pounds.

I am increase.

I am leakage.

I am skin.

I am body.

I am scars.

I am dandruff.

I am size.

I am wrinkles.

I’m bathroom.

I am pain and aches,

I am hurts.

I am burnt.

I am ashes

I am dust blown around this room called earth.

I am taken up into plants, ground, becoming well grounded.

I become wheat, squash, corn, salad.

I am milk, water.

I am beauty.

I am youth.

I am middle-aged trying by God to make it.

I am aging.

I am slippage slipping.

I’m flash.

I am delight.

I am crumble, crumble little star.

I’m the me that God and my mom and dad have created.

I am bread.

I am wine.

I am cross and I’m nailed to it – more or less – from time to time.

I am death – hoping in Christ to bring me into Easter Resurrection.

I am since my conception and birth, a forever in God’s mind.

Today this Wednesday  I’m being told I am dust and into dust I shall return. Amen.