Hiland Presbyterian Church 2021 Lenten Devotional Written by Hiland Friends and Family HILAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 845 Perry Highway, Pittsburgh PA 15229 412-364-9000 /
[email protected] hilandchurch.org Geralt from Pixabay — Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021 — Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 37:5-6 (NRSV) The Sweet Smell of Baby Oil I remember the year I thought it would be a good idea to mix the ashes with baby oil before imposing them on congregants’ foreheads during an Ash Wednesday worship service. I’d only very recently become a pastor, and I was feeling anxious about making sure the ashes were administered correctly. I wanted to ensure I’d actually be able to make the shape of the cross without leaving some poor soul with an undefined ashen blot on their forehead. And, I wanted to prevent the ashes from dissolving into a crumbled mess on the tip of someone’s nose. I’d heard that mixing ashes with oil could keep either one of these unfortunate scenarios from occurring and, seeing as how baby oil was readily available and smelled oh so lovely, I went ahead and mixed the ashes with a rather sizeable dollop of baby oil. I wouldn’t exactly say it turned out badly, but I wouldn’t say it turned out well either.