Greetings!

Then the Lord GOD formed man from the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man
became a living being. – Genesis, 2:7

We are all connected to the first human being created from the
dust of the earth, which means that we are also connected to the earth.
Scripture captures what is spiritually and scientifically true. We are not only
dependent on the earth’s resources to survive; we are made of the same physical matter as the earth and the stars. Karel Schrijver, an astrophysicist, and his wife, Iris Schrijver, a physician, write about this in their book, Living with the Stars: How the Human Body is Connected to the Life Cycles of the Earth, the Planets, and the Stars.

For me, it is both humbling and awe-inspiring to think of this physical connection we have with the earth. We are all at base level made up of dust – humble earth creatures – and yet, as dust, we are connected with the entire universe that God created.

We will be reminded of this amazing reality on Ash Wednesday when our heads are anointed with ashes: Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Just like that first human being, God breathed life into us so that we might have it abundantly.

God promises us a grace-filled abundant life and calls us to service in baptism. This Lenten season, we will reconsider how baptism shapes and forms us as God’s children.

● How is God continually making us new through baptism?
● How does baptism shape the decisions that we make in our daily lives?
● How does baptism transform our understanding of our relationships withothers?
● How does baptism call us to participate in God’s creation?

I look forward to considering these questions with you as we enter the season of Lent, a season that calls us to thoughtfulness and transformation.

In Christ, Pastor Kat