ash wednesday, 2013

"ash wednesday, 2013"

gregory a. milinovich

mixed media (acrylic paint, found and vintage papers, crayon marker, ash, glue) on stretched canvas

february, 2013

today is ash wednesday, a day in which, as we begin the 40-ish day journey of lent towards the cross and resurrection, we start with a great deal of honesty about who we are and how we are not nearly as strong as we think we are. part of the tradition of the church has been to use ashes to demonstrate the mortal nature of our skin and bones, and the way it all breaks down at some point, until its all redeemed again (transfigured?) in the end by the One who sets all things to rights. for some reason, this annual ritual of the recognition of our profound brokenness has always been compelling to me, and since 2007 i have made a collage each year to mark the day. above you see what i've made this year. below you can see the others.

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

may you have a blessed and potent lent, one marked with the cross, with repentance, with a recognition of who you really are and how radically insane God's grace is in the midst of it all, that God would turn brokenness to wholeness, ash to skin, dead bones to dancing ones, bloody crosses to empty tombs, and an old broken hopeless desperate world into a new kingdom.

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the unlikely orange

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