The Ashes on My Head

Today’s Ash Wednesday prayer is brought to us by Pastor Jenny Smith. Rev. Dr. Jenny Smith is the Lead Pastor at Wesley Freedom United Methodist Church in Sykesville, Maryland. Please take a few moments to quiet your heart and mind and then join us in reading…

The ashes on my head are a reminder of God’s love for me.  God promises that nothing can separate me from God.  As you see my ashes, remember I am a child of God!  Nothing I do can make God love me more and nothing I do can make God love me less.  God loves me because God is love!

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zechariah 3:17

The ashes on my head are a reminder that I am a part of God’s created world.  Like the dust of the earth and the ashes in the campfire, I am a part of the natural world.  One day my body will grow old or sick and I will die.  But even death will not separate me from the Love of God.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.    For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:37-38

The ashes on my head remind me that God is willing to forgive me.   My ashes are in the shape of the cross.  While Jesus was on the cross, he promised to forgive us of our sin.  When I do something that hurts another or disobeys God my actions make me sad and grieve God.  All I need to do is honestly say, “God forgive me.” And God forgives me. God’s forgiveness sets me free to love God and others.

  “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”   Luke 23:34 

The ashes on my head remind me that Jesus offers me eternal life.  The ashes are in the shape of a cross because Jesus died on the cross.  The cross does not remind us of death, but of life.  Because, three days after Jesus died, Jesus rose from the dead.  The cross of ashes on my head reminds me that Jesus offers me life with him forever.  Life with Jesus begins in this life and continues in the Kingdom of Heaven!

¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”  Romans 8:11

Thank you, Pastor Jenny for sharing this beautiful reflection with us today.