1 Lent — 2.22.2026 Genesis 2:15–17; 3:1–7 • Psalm 32 • Romans 5:12–19 • Matthew 4:1–11 Lenten blessings to each of you, beloved Church. Scripture gives us sixty‑six books filled with every kind of story. Some we know by heart. Some we wrestle with. Some we wish weren’t there. And some come alive every time we return to them. Today’s readings hold all of that at once. On Ash Wednesday, we stepped into Lent with Joel’s truth‑telling and striking image: “Before the people of G

Ash Wednesday February 18, 2026 [Readings and Psalm] Joel 2:1–2, 12–17 ⠂Psalm 51:1–17 ⠂Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21 ⠂2 Corinthians 5:20b–6:10 Introduction — The Cross We Wear Today Today we carry a mark that’s hard to miss—a dark cross, right on our forehead, where everyone else can see it before we can. It tells the truth about us: our limits, our humanity, our belonging to God. And into that truth, we hear these rich scriptures from Joel, the psalmist, Jesus, and Paul. Each one urg