Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent—a season of reflection, repentance, and renewal. As ashes are placed on our foreheads, we are reminded: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This call to humility is an invitation to truth, transformation, and justice.

For LGBTQ+ people, it is also a moment to reflect on the Church’s history of exclusion and harm. If Ash Wednesday is about truth-telling, then the Church must tell the full truth:

• LGBTQ+ people are fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image.
• Our love is not a sin—hatred, exclusion, and injustice are.
• God calls us, in all our queerness, to live fully, authentically, and without shame.

Repentance: A Communal Call to Justice

Traditionally, Ash Wednesday calls for repentance, not just personally, but as a faith community. The Church has long condemned, erased, and harmed LGBTQ+ people through:

• Theologies that fueled shame and exclusion.
• Barriers to pulpits, pews, and sacraments.
• Spiritual abuse, including conversion therapy.
• Violence against trans and nonbinary people, often justified by religious rhetoric.

True repentance is not just about confession—it requires action. Some churches embrace Ashes to Activism, using this season to move from acknowledging past harms to actively creating spaces of radical inclusion.

Sacred Bodies, Sacred Dust

The words of Ash Wednesday—“You are dust”—remind us that all bodies are sacred. LGBTQ+ bodies, trans bodies, fat bodies, disabled bodies, aging bodies—all are equally beloved by God.

For those who have been told their queerness separates them from God, this day is a declaration: You are not an accident. You are not a mistake. You are part of the divine creation. You belong.

Lent as a Journey Toward Liberation

Lent mirrors the journey many LGBTQ+ people know well—seasons of wilderness, exile, and struggle before finding renewal, hope, and resurrection. We have been cast out, but we rise. We reclaim our voices. We live fully in our truth.

From Ashes to Affirmation

As we enter this Lenten season, may churches move beyond mere acknowledgment into true affirmation. May we use this season not just to confess, but to act—offering reparative justice, full inclusion, and the celebration of LGBTQ+ lives as sacred.

Open and Affirming churches embody this call, creating spaces where LGBTQ+ people are not just welcomed, but affirmed, celebrated, and empowered—not just during Lent, but all year round. In a world where too many have been told they are unworthy, these communities stand as beacons of love, healing, and justice.

For those who have been told they are not enough, let this be our reminder:

• We are made of sacred dust.
• We are seen and loved by God.
• We are called to live boldly in our truth.

May this season bring healing, visibility, and renewal—and may the Church finally rise into the fullness of God’s inclusive love.