Ash Wednesday reminder: “you’re going to die”

The harsh reality of Ash Wednesday

One of the most surreal experiences in ministry comes every year on Ash Wednesday. Tonight the men and women of First Christian Church gathered with Christians from around the world to mark the beginning of the Lenten season. Part of worship was the imposition of ashes made from the palms we waved last year on Palm Sunday. It is sadly appropriate that the tools of celebration and proclamation of Jesus’ kingship become tangible reminders of our human frailty.

As part of the service it was my responsibility to place the sign of the cross on the forehead of people I know and love. Not only is the cross a symbol of the death our Savior died, the ashes used demonstrate how utterly temporary our existence on earth actually is. The hardest part for me was saying the words, “remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Essentially, I was saying, “you’re going to die.” No one wants to hear these words. As a pastor, I can also assure you that I do not want to say them either. It is especially difficult to say them to my wife, the woman with whom I have pledged to spend the rest of my life. The ashes, and the declaration of mortality that they represent, truly are an unwelcome imposition onto the love that I have for her.

A necessary reminder

As difficult as these words are to hear and to say, Ash Wednesday is a necessary reminder of our human condition. We live in a culture that tries desperately to mask the reality of death. We idolize youth. We demonize aging. We fool ourselves into believing that we are immortal.

In this denial of our own fragility, we inadvertently shortchange ourselves of some of the experience of what it means to be human. Instead of savoring the here and now, we sleepwalk our way through life. When we ignore our own mortality, we start to forget our daily dependence on God’s grace. We believe our own hype and live as if we are able to save ourselves. This is why Ash Wednesday is such an important reminder of our limitations and our need for Christ’s love and forgiveness.

At tonight’s service we confessed our brokenness. We slowly trooped to the front of the sanctuary and had a symbol of death placed on our foreheads. From the youngest to the oldest members of the congregation, we wrestled with the words, “you’re going to die.” There is no escape from that reality.

The rest of the story

Fortunately, “remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” were not the only words said tonight. Following the imposition of the ashes we returned once more to the front of the sanctuary. The second time we went forward it was to receive the sacrament of communion. The reminder of our brokenness led directly to the proclamation of the rest of the Christian story.

Even though we are fundamentally limited human beings, even though we fall down daily, there is someone who helps us up. Yes, we are dependent on God’s grace, but the good news is that grace never fails. As we began our Lenten journey we received a reminder of the fact that God’s Son Jesus Christ overrules death itself. Forgiveness was proclaimed through the meal that we shared. That is the forgiveness to which we cling. Because we have first been loved, we can begin the Lenten journey with confidence and faith.