But then we got above ourselves, and we began to play God, making wrong choices and having to wear the consequences.
Remember from dust you came free#
These words hark back to one of the great foundational myths from Genesis – a story that talks about how we came from God how God formed the first of us from the dust of the ground, and breathed life into us how in the beginning we were intimate and close with God how we walked free and uninhibited with our God. Whether we’re buried or cremated, we will become one again with the dust of the earth. The ashes we’re presented with today are a reminder that from the day that each of us was born we began to die. Though I have spoken them countless times, I cannot but think of my own mortality – of the fact, that one day I will die. Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ.’Įarlier today, I stood before a coffin and uttered again the familiar words, ‘earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust’. We have come to have ashes marked on our foreheads in the sign of the cross and to hear again the words, ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Somehow today, that is enough.Here we are, ready to start another Lent, another journey towards Easter. For although divisions, hate, and injustice surround us, there are still quiet and humble disciples among us who continue to live out the Gospel in small but significant ways. I hope for Jenny.Īs a follower of Jesus, we believe that death does not have the last word. That is a hope that I hold on to even though it doesn’t feel all that real today. But it’s only through death that we will experience true life. Lent is the constant reminder that we will all die. It calls us to follow Jesus in submission, service, and sacrifice. Lent is a journey of submission and service. It reminds us that we are not as important or permanent as we often think we are. Repent and believe in the Good News of Jesus Christ. In a world that is consumed with being right at the expense of being kind, Jenny has reminded me that the spirit with which we use our gifts is just as important as the gifts themselves.įrom dust you came and to dust you will return. She elevated the communal IQ of every room she entered and yet lived with humbleness and grace. Our whole selves are to be offered to all who are on the journey.Īnd as a disciple of Jesus she lived with humility. Our gifts are not to be hoarded or even shared with a few. Her passion for music was shared with the congregation with instrument and voice. She shared her mind and herself with the third grader who struggled to read and the college student finishing her senior project. Science and faith to her were not enemies, they were dance partners who shared the lead.Īs a disciple of Jesus, Jenny took her talents and used them for God’s kingdom. As an expert in general revelation, she still made room for God’s special revelation. And in an academic world that, at times, views faith as mere naivete and superstition, Jenny trusted in God with her whole heart. In an evangelical world that, at times, views science and the academy as the enemy of God, Jenny loved God with her whole mind. Jenny was a bridge, a listener, a learner. But I also mourn for the loss of a much needed disciple in the world. She loved children and gave of her time to tutor those who needed help. She loved liturgy, setting up an Advent wreath in her house and leading congregational prayers. She loved music and would often lead our congregation in singing or playing her clarinet. She also loved her parents and her two sisters.Īs her pastor I saw a different side to Jenny. She would often tell me what physics ideas they were working on. She told me how much she missed teaching them all in person. She loved her students, often mentoring them through their fields of study. She had received multiple research and equipment grants from the National Science Foundation and had several articles published in esteemed journals.īehind her brilliant mind was also a love for people. A graduate of Oberlin College, she earned an M.Phil in physics from the University of Cambridge, as well as an M.S. Jenny was a Physicist and a professor at Hope College.
The peace that passes all understanding seems so far away. Today I find myself shocked, grief stricken, and angry.
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