Midweek Congratulations!
You are human.
That explains a lot, doesn’t it?
Tomorrow we begin our journey to Easter. And we start that journey
with Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday observances are an old tradition in the
Christian Church. Generally, in this worship service ashes are placed on
our hands or our foreheads and we say the words “from dust you have come and to
dust you shall return.” A solemn reminder that we are human. This
year we are adapting the Ash Wednesday observance in response to the
pandemic. More about that in a minute.
For right now, let’s just linger on the human business.
You are human.
I am too.
Human beings live an average of 79 years or 28,835 days, which makes
every day really important and full of possibilities.
Human beings are amazingly gifted. We can play the piano, soothe
babies, study microbes, plant seeds, and grow tomatoes, ski, scuba dive, and
tap dance.
Human beings live in skin, which comes in a variety of colors, and color is
important because in many ways it determines how the world will respond to
us.
Each human being has a history, where we were born, who we lived with, what
lessons we learned as we grew up.
Human beings can make mistakes. Say the wrong thing. Skid on
ice. Choke on popcorn. Wear plaids and stripes at the same
time.
Human beings need fuel. Food to fuel our bodies. Time with
people to fuel our spirits. Time in wonder to fuel our souls.
Human beings, unique among all creatures, feel a range of emotions.
Emotions are essential to our survival because they trigger us to
respond to threats. But, our emotions easily overload and we don’t always
know what to do with them.
Human beings hate uncertainty. And uncertainty is a constant part
of being human.
And every day we learn more about being human. No one has all the answers,
because none of us knows what questions tomorrow will bring.
We can all feel very stuck in this humanness, except for one thing.
Grace. The stuff of God that keeps flowing to us. Loves our
dusty fickle selves. Knows that we are dust, but reminds us that stars,
eternal, beautiful, stars that shine in the night are made of dust too.
We cannot save ourselves. We cannot escape the dust to dust humanness
of our lives.
And we don’t need to. We need God.
That’s the message of Ash Wednesday and that’s our invitation to begin the
journey to Easter.
Blessings,
Pastor Cindy
Pastor Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Ave
West Des Moines Iowa 50265
515-279-0826
Like us on Facebook or visit us at wdmumc.org.
And join us for worship! We worship
on-line on Sunday mornings at 9:30
and
Starting this Sunday we will worship in-person in our sanctuary, at
8:30 am observing social distancing and wearing masks and covid
protocols. You’ll need a reservation and you can do that by following
this link https://onrealm.org/wdmumc/PublicRegistrations/Event?linkString=ODBkZDNlODQtMzFmYi00YWZkLTg2NDAtYWNiZTAxMzMyMzg2
or by calling the church office at 279-0826.
This in-person worship service will also be live-streamed so you can watch
it on our Facebook page. Lots of opportunities to worship!
This Week at WDMUMC
Ash Wednesday Observance On Wednesday our sanctuary will be
open from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm. You are invited to come to the sanctuary
for a quiet time of prayer. Soft music will be playing. Communion
elements will be available. Our Crafts for a Cause team has created a
sackcloth cross for us as an alternative to the ashes we generally place on our
foreheads. Pastor Cindy and Pastor Trevor will host (masked and gloved
and distanced) and throughout the day from time to time they will live stream
scripture readings and prayers. If you like, you can bring an offering of
a non-perishable food item for the Little Food Pantry. Please observe
covid protocols: wear a mask, social distance and use the available hand
sanitizer. Please enter through the narthex door, near the bell, or
through the doors on either side of the sanctuary. They will be
unlocked. If you have missed being in the sanctuary, this time is for
you. Questions? Contact Pastor Cindy or Pastor Trevor.
The Social World of Ancient Israel Study begins on
Wednesday evening at 7:30. See Pastor Trevor if you would like to join
in.
The Black Church, This is Our Story, This is Our Song.
February is Black History Month and this would a great time to learn about the
Black Church. Tonight at 8 pm, Iowa Public Television will be airing The
Black Church, This is Our Story, This is Our Song hosted by Henry Louis Gates
Jr.
YNAB Pastor Trevor’s You Need A Budget class begins on
Sunday the 21st at 1:30. Contact Pastor Trevor for details.
YOGA! Rev. Catherine Quehl-Engel will lead us in yoga
and prayer on Feb 24 at noon. This is a virtual class. Contact
Pastor Cindy if you would like to join in.
New Member Class! Want to join WDMUMC and make this
community your faith home? Contact Pastor Cindy or Pastor Trevor and
become a part of a great group of people living their faith every day.
