From Ashes to Hope

Revelation 21:5 See, I am making all things new.

Summary: Ash Wednesday invites us to begin Lent grounded in honesty about our humanity and hope in God’s renewing love.

Dear Beloved,

Last week we finished our study of Revelation, and I am left with a deep sense of hope. The final vision of scripture is not destruction or escape. It is renewal. God draws near. Creation is restored. Love has the last word.

That hope is exactly what we carry into Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a forty-day journey that prepares us for Easter. On this day we receive ashes and hear the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It is a moment of honesty. We remember that we are human, fragile, finite, and dependent on God.

But the ashes are not about shame or punishment. They are about truth. When we stop pretending we are in control, when we face our limits and our brokenness, we make space for grace.

Lent is the season that follows. For forty days, we slow down and pay attention. Traditionally, Christians practice prayer, generosity, and some form of fasting or letting go. These practices are not about proving our devotion or earning God’s love. God’s love is already given. Lent helps us clear the noise so we can notice that love more fully.

You might let go of something that distracts you. You might take on a practice that grounds you. You might simply choose to move through these weeks with greater intention and compassion toward yourself and others.

After studying Revelation, I hear Lent differently this year. This season is not about focusing on sin for its own sake. It is about preparing our hearts for renewal. God is always at work making all things new, including us.

Ashes remind us of our humanity. Lent invites us into transformation. And Easter will remind us that life, hope, and love always rise again.

I invite you to walk this journey with us,

Pastor Anny+

Prayer for the Week: God of mercy, meet me in my weakness and renew my heart. Help me walk this Lenten path with honesty, courage, and hope.