Ash Wednesday

Genesis 3:¹⁹ By the sweat of your face
   you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
   for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
   and to dust you shall return.

I went to the hospital to visit 3 members.  I took some ashes with me and marked a cross on each of their foreheads and their family members' foreheads, saying, "from dust we came, to dust we shall return in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit".  It does my heart good and theirs too.  I saw some tears and I was touched by God's love.  I so love to do this.  This reminds me of my friend Barbara Phillips who was the first I ever served on the evening of Ash Wednesday in the hospital, long ago.

In the evening at the Church we had a wonderful service with about 450 attending.  In the service we had 6 stations and one roaming team of people serving.  Each station has someone:
* imposing ashes
* serving communion bread
* serving communion grape juice
* annointing with oil 
* giving out a nail
Most people came forward to receive all the elements or parts of the elements. It was moving and meaningful to begin our lenten discipline.  

So, lent begins for 2014.