"dust you are and to dust you will return." Genesis 3:19 (ANIV) There's cheery! But those are the words that are used at "ashing" ceremonies the world over this Ash Wednesday. Words that have shaped Christian funeral liturgies: "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust" Traditionally that is finished off saying: "in sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life" or words to that effect, or, if for whatever reason, the officiant is hedging their bets they will, instead, say something like: "commending them to the grace and mercy of our heavenly Father God." I reflected last year on the "dustiness" of our existence , following a particularly moving scattering of ashes one morning... It contrasted with another burial of ashes later that same day, which was conducted in the pouring rain, with little sense or expectation of life beyond this one... In the first the deceased and th...
Dialogues, monologues, sketches, poems, rants, theological and liturgical bits and bobs and miscellaneous other verbal doodles...