Ash Wednesday: Set Free from the Lie of 'Deserving'

Hope in the Desert Episcopal Church, Albuquerque

Today someone will smear mud on our face
and tell us we are dust,
and to dust we shall return, no escape.
We are forgiven,
set free from the lie of “deserving,”
free to live by the power of the Spirit alone.
Rather then wanting to escape, alone,
we return, dust and all, to God,
who holds us tenderly
and re-creates us each breath,
this grace our only security.

Steve Garnaas-Holmes 
from reflection entitled "Dust "in
Unfolding Light blog