{"id":2469,"date":"2025-03-05T09:47:34","date_gmt":"2025-03-05T14:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/concordia3.wpenginepowered.com\/rebecca-residence\/blog\/more-than-a-smudge-the-promise-of-lent\/"},"modified":"2025-03-05T09:47:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-05T14:47:34","slug":"more-than-a-smudge-the-promise-of-lent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/concordialm.org\/rebecca-residence\/blog\/more-than-a-smudge-the-promise-of-lent\/","title":{"rendered":"More Than a Smudge: The Promise of Lent"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today\u2019s post was written by Deaconess Heather Wathall. Concordia\u2019s Chaplaincy Department actively contributes to our residents\u2019 well-being, especially during the Lenten season. Enjoy!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that \u201cyou are dust, and to dust you shall return\u201d (Genesis 3:19).\u00a0

Observing this day can appear to be divine-mandated morbidity. We willingly take the time to go to church. The pastor smears a black smudge resembling a cross on our foreheads. He tells us, \u201cYou are going to die.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why on earth would one voluntarily do such a thing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because it is true. Humanity was formed from the earth, and we will return to it when we die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genesis 2:7 reveals to us that God \u201cformed\u201d \u2013 a word related to the Hebrew word for \u201ca potter \u2013 Adam out of the dust of the “ground” \u2013 a word related to the Hebrew word for \u201cred.\u201d God then breathed the \u201cbreath\u201d \u2013 the same Hebrew word as \u201cwind\u201d and \u201cspirit\u201d \u2013 of life into Adam, making him literally \u201cliving clay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, in Genesis 2:21, God took living clay from Adam\u2019s \u201cside\u201d \u2013 the Hebrew word is also translated as \u201crib,\u201d \u201cbeam\u201d or even \u201cside chamber\u201d when about God\u2019s temple in Jerusalem \u2013 to make a woman. Verse 24 indicates that this is a design with a holy purpose. \u201cAnd it was very good\u201d (Genesis 1:31).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


The joy of creation is tempered in Genesis 3. The consequence of Adam and Eve\u2019s lack of trust in God\u2019s Word is death, just as God had warned Adam (and just as Satan had challenged wasn\u2019t true). When God pronounces judgement for this sin on the serpent, Eve and Adam, He begins with the serpent being \u201c\u2026cursed above all livestock\u2026 on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life\u201d (Genesis 3:14). And then God pronounced the curse that is our blessing: \u201cI will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel\u201d (Genesis 3:15). Satan will continue to strike. But the woman\u2019s seed, the Son born of the Virgin Mary would bruise his head. Satan\u2019s attack on Jesus that Good Friday results in his own demise. It\u2019s beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s in the wake of that curse and blessing that God turns to Adam to tell him that he and all of his descendants will die because of this sin against God:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground, for out if it you were taken;
for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Genesis 3:19<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God waited until he had promised the solution before he pronounced the consequence over Adam and the rest of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Gospels, Jesus continually points us to this solution by His cross:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.
John 3:14-15<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Romans Chapter 5 summarizes all of this. Read the whole thing in your devotional time and let it sink in. Here are some highlights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the free gift is not like the result of that one man\u2019s sin. For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man\u2019s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:16-17<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, it\u2019s a healthy exercise to go receive those ashes today. Many will not understand. They may think you\u2019re showing off your holiness. Perhaps they see you as depressed, morbid or any number of things. But, this act is a strong symbol of Jesus\u2019 great promise: \u201cI am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die\u201d (John 11:25-26).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Smudge<\/figure>\n\n\n\n


This is more than a smudge, it is the promise of our true humanity restored, tempered with the truth of death.

Learn more about our\u00a0mission<\/a>,\u00a0services<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0career opportunities<\/a>\u00a0and connect with us on\u00a0Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Founded in 1881, Concordia Lutheran Ministries is a faith-based, CARF-accredited Aging Services Network and recipient of the inaugural Pennsylvania Department of Aging Excellence in Quality Care Award. As one of the largest nonprofit senior care providers in the country, the organization serves 50,000 people annually through in-home care and inpatient locations. Concordia offers a lifetime continuum of care that includes adult day services, home health care, hospice, medical and rehabilitation services, memory care, personal care, assisted living, respite care, retirement living, skilled nursing\/short-term rehab, spiritual care and medical equipment.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today\u2019s post was written by Deaconess Heather Wathall. Concordia\u2019s Chaplaincy Department actively contributes to our residents\u2019 well-being, especially during the Lenten season. Enjoy! Remember that \u201cyou are dust, and to dust you shall return\u201d (Genesis 3:19).\u00a0 Observing this day can appear to be divine-mandated morbidity. We willingly take the time to go to church. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2468,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[49,25,27,28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about","category-concordia-blog","category-seasonal","category-spiritual-care-concordia-blog-2"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/concordialm.org\/rebecca-residence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/concordialm.org\/rebecca-residence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/concordialm.org\/rebecca-residence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/concordialm.org\/rebecca-residence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/concordialm.org\/rebecca-residence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2469"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/concordialm.org\/rebecca-residence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2469\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/concordialm.org\/rebecca-residence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/concordialm.org\/rebecca-residence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/concordialm.org\/rebecca-residence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/concordialm.org\/rebecca-residence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}