In ancient times, people would cover themselves in ashes when grieving the loss of a loved one or a calamitous change in their circumstances. But our gracious God promises to replace the ashes of our grief with a crown of beauty, a miraculous turnaround that happens because of Jesus and what he does for us. It’s faith in Jesus that we are celebrating today as one of our own confirms that the faith bestowed in Baptism is what they truly believe. (Based on Isaiah 61:1-11.)
