Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Saint Matthias, Apostle

Worship: Noon, soup meal follows; 7 pm, soup meal at 6 pm.

Reading: Philippians 3:17-4:1

Philippians 3:21 “Christ will transform our humble bodies to conform to his glorious body.”

            The journey through Lent, the path through the wilderness, is a path marked with ash.  We were marked with ash for the journey on the first day in Lent: ash, an ingredient in soap, for cleansing; ash, from which the phoenix arises with new life; ash, sign of mourning; ash,  mark of repentance; ash, residue of burning, a leaving behind; and ash, for humility - humility, from the same word root as humble, human, humus. We are from the earth: “remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”. To this humble beginning, Christ adds his own promise to us: “The glory that you have given me [God], I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one.” (John 17:22). The humble Lenten journey marked with ash leads to the Easter glory of the living Christ, and we too shall rise from the ashes, new and glorious.

O God our shelter, you have created a place for us in the body of Christ. Bless our daily journey, that all we do may give glory to your name. Amen

• Take something new on – daily prayer, a new attitude, helping a neighbor, gratitude…