February 22, 2026
The First Sunday of Lent – Mark S. Winward
The Grit of the Ashes
“You’re dust.” Does that feel like an insult? It shouldn’t. If you were in church this past Wednesday—Ash Wednesday—you can probably still sense the grit of the ashes on your forehead. Those haunting words still echo: “Remember you’re dust, and to dust you shall return.” With that reminder of our mortality, our sin, and our desperate need for redemption, we began our journey through Lent.
I’m not standing here this morning trying to be abusive, but I have to ask: how does that make you feel? If you’ve come here today with a crushed self-esteem, I owe you an apology, but I also bring good news—you’re indeed the “poor in spirit” Jesus spoke of, to whom belongs the kingdom of heaven.
However, if you’re like me—and I suspect like most of us—you might bristle at the suggestion of being called “lowly.” If you see it as an attack on your self-esteem, I’m here to tell you that we’re in great peril. At the heart of that bristling is a vice to which we’re drawn like moths to a flame. It’s the only vice in the world that everyone hates when they see it in someone else, but rarely notices in themselves. Lust, anger, greed, and deceit all pale in comparison to it. It’s a vice that separates us from every other human being and, ultimately, from God. It’s the fuel for wars,
February 18, 2026
Ash Wednesday – Mark S. Winward
“Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Those are the words I will say as I apply a small, cross-shaped smudge of ashes on your forehead as a reminder of your mortality. Many of us don’t need to be reminded of this, as we bear the grief of a cherished loved one or close friend. But if we are realistic, we are aware that any day might very well be “our day,” when we will not see another earthly sunrise.
Besides reminding us of our mortality, since biblical times ashes have represented our desire to turn from our sins. Now sin is not a very popular topic nowadays. After all, preachers go on and on about God’s grace—but we hear less and less about sin. The problem is this: unless we admit our own sin, we can have no grace. Grace implies there is something wrong for which we receive God’s unearned mercy.
Ash Wednesday, pure and simple, is about sin—sin with a big “S” and sin with a small “s.” As I remind you to “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” I am directly quoting Genesis, chapter 3, when God imposed the penalty for the sin of disobedience. Whether you accept the Genesis account literally or not, the message is that at the dawn of humanity, something went terribly wrong. The human race turned against its Creator with devastating consequences.
February 15, 2026
Last Sunday after the Epiphany – Mark S. Winward
Today, Christians throughout the world observe the Last Sunday after the Epiphany. The word epiphany comes from Greek, meaning a manifestation or appearance. In classical Greek it was used for the appearance of dawn, of an enemy in war, but especially for a manifestation of a deity to a worshiper – a theophany. In the New Testament, the word is used in 2 Timothy 1:10 to refer either to the birth of Christ or to his appearance after the resurrection, and five times to refer to his Second Coming. As the Church year unfolds the life of Christ, the Revised Common Lectionary – the cycle of readings observed in many churches – reveals in the Gospels the mystery of who Jesus really is. The Gospels record the confusion among the people as to whether Jesus was a prophet, a madman, or the Messiah – or perhaps something even more. Consequently, on the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, we focus on the clearest revelation of Jesus’ identity in the Gospels outside of the resurrection, which we’ll celebrate on Easter. That event is what Christians remember as “the Transfiguration.”
The other Synoptic Gospels – namely Matthew and Luke – recount this same story but tell us that while this was happening, the disciples had fallen asleep, only to wake up at the end. So, the disciples were apparently unaware of the extraordinary transformation taking place right in front of them,
February 8, 2026
5th Sunday after the Epiphany – Byron Tindall
All three of the lessons appointed to be read on this Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany either directly or indirectly discuss, among other things, the duties of God’s messengers.
Generally speaking, the prophets were sent to the house of Israel with the directions to point out the short comings of the Jews and their political and religious leaders.
Isaiah isn’t at all subtle when he wrote what he heard, “Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.” Remember, the prophets were not always welcomed with open arms due to their messages.
In his first letter to the church at Corinth, St. Paul said he brought his message to the Corinthians in simple words and terms they could easily understand rather than “lofty words or wisdom.” Don’t forget that Saul of Tarsus was a well-educated Jew and could have brought Greek philosophers into his conversations with the various congregations.
Most Biblical scholars are in agreement that the Gospel of Matthew was written primarily for a Jewish audience. Jesus used well-known, everyday items and situations to get his message across to those who were listening to him.
Today’s reading from Matthew is no exception. Let’s look at the examples a little closer.
Cities, even back in Jesus’ day, were built on a hill for defensive purposes.