Tonight is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is an important service in the Christian Liturgical calendar because it is a season that reminds us of our MORTALITY. Tonight, when many of you come forward for the imposition of ashes upon your hands or your forehead, one of the pastors will share the words, "From dust thou camest, and to dust thou shall return." These penetrating words help to set the tone for the beginning of the Lenten Season.

The calendar of the world and the calendar of the church are often at odds with one another. Our world, especially in the 1990s, moves much faster than it should. This is why we start celebrating Christmas around Columbus Day and the reason so many stores will have Easter sales long before we actually celebrate the day in the church sanctuary.

The questio…