As we begin the season of Lent —the 40 day journey with Jesus to the cross, Josh Kurtz  with Assurance UMC in Huntersville shares some points to ponder.

+ Ash Wednesday reminds us there is real hurt, pain, and suffering in this world— within us and all around us.

+ Ash Wednesday reminds us that life is short and we have fallen short. We don’t get a mulligan, and we can’t save ourselves. We are in need of repair.

+ Ash Wednesday reminds us of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection.

We are a cross-shaped people–called to love God (vertical) and love our neighbor as ourselves (horizontal).

+ Ash Wednesday invites us to examine our relationship with God. Are there things I need to give up, take on, or adjust in order to grow in my love of the One who loves me?

+ Whether we know it or not- in our hurts, broken relationships, bad habits, griefs, losses, frustrations, & selfish desires—ashes abound. Yet, there is One who can work in, through, and beyond the chaos & confusion of ashes…

Thanks be to God—the One who makes beautiful things out of dust.

How is the God we serve and worship bringing beauty from Ashes?

‘..to console the mourners in Zion, giving them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.’                                    -Isaiah 61:3 Berean Standard Bible