Ash Wednesday Devotional

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Illustration: “...what we practice at the small scale sets the patterns for the whole system.” —Adrienne Maree Brown

Meditation: The season of Lent offers us a chance to recommit ourselves to the journey of liberation and new life. This first day of Lent, “Ash Wednesday” reminds us that when it comes to our freedom, the small stuff counts. On this day, during the rituals of the Church, it is common to hear these words: Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. On one hand, this is a reminder of our frailty. Ultimately, our bodies will return to the dust of the earth. But it is also an affirmation that who we are, and how we show up at the smallest level matters. Our smallest actions shape our world, become part of the ground of our being, and contribute to cycles of healing or patterns of injustice.

For Writing/Reflection: How are you showing up in the world each day? How do your daily practices contribute to healing? How might they perpetuate injustice in the world? What do you need to practice differently to contribute to your own freedom, and the freedom of the world?