Marked by Grace

Ash Wednesday always gets to me. There’s something about standing in that quiet space, feeling the grit of ashes pressed onto my forehead and hearing the words:
     
         “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

It’s a humbling reminder that we are part of the dust and debris of this earth—that, like all of creation, we experience seasons of growth and decay, life and loss, joy and struggle. It’s not always easy to face, but in that moment, I felt something else: God’s presence.

Early Christians were marked with the sign of the cross on their foreheads at baptism, a visible sign that they belonged to God. The ashes we receive on Ash Wednesday echo that same truth: through all the transitions and transformations of life, we are held in grace. The cross on our foreheads is not just a reminder of our mortality—it’s a sign that God is with us in all of it.

I’m excited about our Lenten journey this year. This Sunday, we begin our new sermon series, “Good Enough,” a challenge to step away from the constant striving for perfection and instead embrace the holy, grace-filled reality that Jesus isn’t looking for perfection—just our hearts and our willingness to be planted.

We live in a world that tells us we should always be reaching higher, doing more, and becoming better. We scan the shelves of self-help books and listen to voices promising that if we try harder or do the right things, we’ll finally “arrive.”

But life happens, right?

I don’t know about you, but most of the time, I don’t feel like I’m climbing the ladder of success. Nope, I’m just trying to repair the rung I just slipped from.

But what if Lent isn’t about climbing higher?

What if it’s about growing deeper?

Instead of chasing some impossible ideal, what if we fertilized, watered, and bloomed right where we are? What if we stopped measuring ourselves against impossible standards and instead leaned into the truth that God’s grace is enough—right here, right now?

This Lent, let’s embrace a faith that reminds us we are blessed, regardless. Let’s step into a season where we don’t have to be perfect—just willing.

So as we gather this First Sunday of Lent, I invite you to come just as you are. Bring your doubts, your weariness, your struggles, and your hopes. Bring your “not enough” and hear God’s whisper that grace is more than enough.

Because in the end, the cross on our foreheads and the cross on our hearts tell the same story:

     We are dust. We are beloved. And we are held by grace.
 

With Gratitude,

Rodney Whitfield
Senior Pastor
Aldersgate UMC