You Are Dust, And To Dust You Shall Return

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, seriously one of the greatest days of the year. A pastor can get up and tell people that they are sinful and that only the cross saves them any time, but rarely is there a sermon illustration already built into the service. And rarely do people come to church WANTING to hear that they are nothing but dust. Really, a bit more hope is generally desired. However, on Ash Wednesday and throughout all of Lent, there is even more of a mandate to give this, if that is even possible.

But for those of you who think that pastors, worship leaders, etc. simply have all their materials at-hand, or for those of you who have struggled with putting things together yourself, here is some insight into worship preparations and going-ons. There is a tradition (that I love) where on Ash Wednesday, we receive the mark of the cross - made with ashes - on our foreheads with the words "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return". It's a reminder of our humanity but also of being marked with the cross of Christ. But little did I know, there is a whole lot more to be uncovered about this tradition:

- Normally, ashes are meant for the fireplace or ashtrays. On this day, we transport them to peoples' foreheads. But beware of gray ashes as opposed to black ones. Gray ashes were probably taken from the fireplace or the ashtray. This would be a scandal to rock the church and we would not want that, of course.

- Actual, Ash Wednesday ashes can be acquired in one of two ways. Either you go to Augsburg Fortress' catalog and order them, or you keep a jar of palm branch pieces from last year's Palm Sunday service in a jar on your shelf in your office. That way, when people come in and see a bunch of dried leaves amongst your theological books, you actually have something to talk about. But theoretically, you are really keeping them for the following Ash Wednesday when you burn them to create said ashes.

- Once you have the black ashes that these leaves create, you must mix them with olive oil. This is trickier than it would first appear. First, one must realize that ashes are not automatically infinitely small pieces of matter. They can be rather "large" and look more like tiny twigs. Since this is rather rough on the penitents' foreheads, they must be ground smaller. Secondly, the balance between oil and ash is very delicate. Too little oil and you will be etching crosses in their foreheads in order to get the ashes to stay instead of lightly caressing them. And we obviously don't want them to get any ideas about the cross being a harsh reality. But too much oil, and not only will the cross not show up well because the oil is keeping the ash particles away from themselves (i.e. the ashes don't stick together well enough to create a dark impression), but you then have the "cross" dripping down your forehead and nose and you now have one oily, drippy mess with a few black specks thrown in for good measure.

- Use your thumb and not two fingers. This is difficult for people who are used to standing in front and making the sign of the cross in front of the congregation for a blessing. The traditional stance is to have two fingers up. So the normal, cross-making hand position would suggest to use these fingers. But that results in a double cross, or simply a "cross" that makes people wonder if they're looking at you cross-eyed. And when people are contemplating whether their eyes are seeing correctly or not instead of contemplating the cross, then we have done a disservice, of course.

- When giving the imposition of the ashes at the same time as communion, beware of which fingers you are using when. Combining imposition of the ashes and communion is wonderful; the we come forward for the ashes, being reminded of our humanity, and with the next step we are given literal, tangible forgiveness and grace. It's excellent. However, the people serving communion and giving the ashes must also receive these blessings as well. In my situation last night, the pastor was giving the ashes and I was serving the bread. We both needed to receive both. Here is how you do it: one person holds the ashes while the other takes their THUMB (as previously indicated) and dips it into the ashes and marks the sign of the cross on the other. Wipe it completely dry on the paper towel also being held by the person holding the ashes. But be careful not to get your other fingers on it because they will then be oily and full of ash as well. Take your third and fourth fingers and pick up a piece of bread so that no oil or ash gets on it and give it to the other. Direct them to the person holding the wine. Repeat for the other person.

- And finally, save that now-empty jar for a few weeks until we hit Palm Sunday again. We wouldn't want to miss out on the experience the next year!

And now you, too, can prepare for Ash Wednesday. Have a blessed Lent!