From Dust to Disciple

Focus Statement

This Lenten season, we journey from dust to discipleship,

recognizing that God can transform our humble beginnings

and greatest challenges into powerful testimonies of faith and service.

Point of Relation

As we begin our Lenten journey, let’s turn to Saint Patrick,

whose life embodies our theme “From Dust to Disciple.”

Born around 385 AD in Roman Britain, Patrick’s story unfolds during a pivotal time for Christianity.

The Church as an institution under Rome was young, with the Edict of Milan only 72 years prior.

Christianity had just become the official state religion through the Edict of Thessalonica in 380 AD,

making the Church in its official Roman capacity merely 5 years old when Patrick was born.

Captured by Irish pirates at 16, Patrick was enslaved in Ireland.

For six years, he tended sheep, treated as little more than dust.

Yet in this crucible of hardship, he discovered a profound connection with God through constant prayer,

transforming from a non-religious youth into a man of deep faith.

After escaping slavery and returning home,

Patrick heard a divine call to return to Ireland as a missionary.

Despite initial doubts about his fitness for the task,

he pursued religious training and was eventually ordained as a priest.

Around 432 AD, he was consecrated as a bishop and sent back to Ireland,

where he would spend the rest of his life spreading the Gospel.

Patrick’s journey from slave to saint reminds us that

God can use our lowest moments to shape us for a greater purpose.

As we embark on our own Lenten pilgrimage,

how might we, like Patrick,

allow our challenges to deepen our faith and prepare us for God’s calling?

Things to Consider

Now, consider our unique position:

mortal beings tasked with a divine mission.

We’re called to be ambassadors of reconciliation in a world that desperately needs it.

How does this shape our journey?

And what does it mean that “now is the time of God’s favor”?

These questions will guide us as we explore the Celtic wisdom of thin places and urgent faith.

What Scripture Says

As we set out on our Lenten pilgrimage,

Scripture illuminates our path.

Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians echo across time:

“We are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.”

This call to reconciliation marks the beginning of our journey,

urging us to embrace our role in God’s plan.

“Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation,”

Paul insists, reminding us of the urgency of our mission.

Yet as we take our first steps, Genesis grounds us in humility:

“For dust you are and to dust you will return.”

This somber truth sets the tone for our Lenten reflection,

inviting us to confront our mortality and dependence on God.

As Christ’s ambassadors,

we carry both the weight of our human frailty and the hope of divine purpose.

Paul’s plea resonates with the Celtic understanding of thin places,

where heaven and earth draw close. In our role as ambassadors,

we become living thin places, channels through which God’s appeal reaches the world.

Our journey through Lent is an opportunity to deepen this connection,

to clear away the dust that clouds our vision and muffles God’s voice.

The urgency in Paul’s words - “now is the time” -

echoes in each footfall of our pilgrimage.

It reminds us that our path is not just about personal reflection,

but about active participation in God’s reconciling work.

As we walk, we’re called to be ever-ready,

our hearts open to the moments when God’s favor breaks through and salvation is at hand.

Our Lenten journey thus becomes a delicate balance -

acknowledging our dust-born nature while embracing our heaven-sent purpose.

It’s a path of transformation,

where the very dust of our being is reshaped by God’s redeeming love,

molding us into more effective ambassadors for Christ.

What This Means for You

This Lenten journey calls you to embrace your role as God’s ambassador.

Despite your human frailty, you’re chosen to carry a divine message.

Consider how you might become a ‘thin place’ where heaven and earth meet.

What dust in your life needs God’s transforming touch?

How can you align your earthly nature with your heavenly purpose?

Remember, now is the time.

Your pilgrimage starts today,

with each step an opportunity to embody God’s reconciling love.

What This Means for Us

As a community, we embark on this Lenten pilgrimage together, dust-born yet divinely called.

Our journey invites us to be living ‘thin places’ where God’s love breaks through.

Together, let’s embrace our role as Christ’s ambassadors,

supporting each other as we navigate between our mortal nature and eternal purpose.

May our collective steps create a path of reconciliation, transforming not just our lives, but the world around us.

Now is the time - let’s walk this way of Celtic wisdom,

embodying God’s love in every footfall. Amen? Amen.

Written by Rev. Todd R. Lattig with the assistance of Perplexity AI.