"Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:19) We need each other’s presence as we face the harsh realities of death, and its long shadow in life. We invite you in this time to reflect on those you love who are sick, injured, isolated by relational death in their lives; those you have lost and the fleeting nature of life. How is God present to you in life's loss? What has God done about our loss? What could it mean to you that Jesus Christ wept over Lazarus’ death, was acquainted with grief, and experienced death himself? There are many occasions for joy over Jesus’ victory over death, and Ash Wednesday is an occasion to face the costliness of death and the human sin that introduced it into God’s good creation. While one of the more sobering moments in our year, Ash Wednesday like ashes themselves, like humility, is the rich soil from which genuine joy can grow.