one of the many beauties of the episcopal church is that the service is the same everywhere. we use the same prayer books and sing from the same hymnals, read the same Bible passages on the same sundays and kneel at the same times. and at the same point in every ash wednesday service i've ever attended, no matter where i've lived -- richmond, alexandria, raleigh, asheville -- for a brief moment, my mind inevitably turns into that of a middle schooler's.
katherine (who, incidentally, is liam's godmother) and lainey (who, incidentally, is susanna's godmother) and i all grew up together at st. michael's in raleigh. we were pretty much inseparable at church from sixth grade to twelfth grade, singing in the choir, participating in youth group, going on sunday school beach trips ... i have such amazing memories.
however, specifics with such memories are not my forte. i honestly don't know who started it, or how it even evolved -- all i know is that i think of lainey and katherine every year in the middle of the ash wednesday service. the liturgy is serious, the mood is somber. as our priests impose the ashes on the parishioners' foreheads, they solemnly remind us, "remember that you are but dust, and to dust you shall return." and yet, i can't help but giggle inwardly, just as my twelve-year old self and two cohorts did together decades ago.
butt dust. remember, everyone, that you are butt dust.
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