Passing on the grace


“To give them a garland instead of ashes…the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.”     Is 61:3
 
One of the most meaningful Ash Wednesday’s of my life was when the Pastor in lieu of ashes handed out pins of flower blossoms to represent the garlands the scripture spoke of in Isaiah 61:3. Garlands symbolize what Christ with his resurrection would produce out of the ashes. Some translations use the term “crown of beauty” since the Hebrew word used here talks about an object a bridegroom would wear as a sign of joy. So instead of looking down at the ashes of our lives, our heads can be held high in joy. He also spoke of “mantles of praise”, which replaced the faint spirit or as other versions say a “spirit of despair”. Mantle is translated “garment,” thus you are covering the sad sack cloth of your soul with a garment of praise. This is probably the best theology I can find for buying new Easter clothes; it is symbolic of the new mantles of praise that Christ in his resurrection has clothed us with. It is how God can take the ashes of your life – the unresolved dreams, the tears, and all the sufferings, and turn them into garlands and mantles of praise.
 
At the time I heard this meaningful sermon a friend of mine was giving birth to her first child. She was a single Mom, not by choice, the father had literally left the country and here she was having the baby alone. Yet out of the ashes of this sad occasion a beautiful baby girl was born. In a congratulatory note I wrote my friend, I sent along one of the blossoms of the garland I had received at the service I had attended the night her daughter was born. I told her about the service and how the birth of her beautiful daughter had truly brought the point home to me that out of the ashes of our lives God can miraculously make beautiful garlands and mantles of praise. She was touched by my words and I believe my moment of grace became a moment of grace for her too.

So a hope we can all cling to when we are despair delving into the ashes of our lives, is to remember that God can rebirth these ashes and turn them into garlands and mantles of praise.


Special thanks to Rev. Bob Morley for this life changing Ash Wednesday sermon and to my friend who allowed me to share her story. She wants everyone to know that her daughter Rachel who was born on Ash Wednesday is now 25 and they are both doing well. A moment of grace for Rachel was finding her father and the other side of her family through Facebook. 

Do you have any "moments of grace" you can pass on. Please share them in the comments.

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