ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
February 19, 2026
Last night at our Ash Wednesday Service, Rev. Carolina Fuentes reminded us how we are made. All existence is sort of made up of the same stuff, from stars to rocks to the flowers we see and the human beings that we are. As Carolina pointed out, matter matters. We matter. Of course, when we speak of how “we matter,” it’s important that we emphasize the ‘we.’ It doesn’t matter the color of one’s skin, gender, how tall or short someone is, age, sexual orientation, or whether a person likes the 70s group ABBA. We are all the same matter, and for that reason, we all matter. I like the way the Message translates Psalm 139, “I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation!” Yes, what a creation! You and I and every other odd and quirky, and even not-so-kind person. We don’t have to appreciate what someone does, but at the end of the day, we are all the same matter, and matter matters.
I thank you, Most High God, as you made me and the rest of the creation with utmost value and beauty. Thank you! Amen.
