February

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

You are dust, and to dust you shall return. All we are is dust in the wind.

Morbid? Depressing? Maybe. But it is realistic. During Lent we face the truth that all human endeavor will eventually crumble to dust. Both good and bad… nothing we do will last forever.

We have some dust from the Berlin Wall. A symbol of division and hatred was shattered into dust by the power of freedom.

The Pyramids are slowly crumbling away, these structures built to symbolize the greatness of men and women of the past are now symbols of the truth that none can escape the sands of time.

The scrolls of human wisdom pass away over time.

And then there is the dust of the grave, it is constantly before us.

But the power of the good news of Jesus is that he meets us in the dust. Jesus meets in the dusty brokenness of sin and offers forgiveness and new life.

Jesus meets us in the dust of failure- those moments when life seems like ashes in our mouths and reminds us that this is not all there is.

Jesus meets us in the dust of the grave and calls us forth.

During Lent we confront our human limitations. But in the face of our limitations God’s power becomes a sign of hope and strength. Especially when that power is united with the love of God shown in the cross of Christ.

Dust. All crumbles to dust. But also from dust new life springs. Cosmic dust forms stars and new planets. From the dust of the earth spring new crops that give life to the world. From the dust of our lives God brings forth new life. In the end, despite all appearances, life overcomes death. We learn that this new life comes as a gift from God and not as a product of our own endeavors. At Lent we learn to see this truth anew as we follow Christ to the cross, the tomb, and right on into new life.

Come join us as we seek hope in this journey together.

Yours in the New Life We Share,

Pastors Cris and Dave