God of the dust we were before,
God of the dust we will become,
God of the breath
that has brought this dust to life:
each day contains a miracle
bounded by our mortality.
In this season, we mark ourselves
as creatures dependent on you,
drawn up from a shared earth,
and separated from each other
only by a desire to be more than we are.
May we, who will return to the earth,
use these days to draw closer to you
and to all those who share
this earth, this breath,
this animating love
that can bring even ash to life.
Amen.
(Source: The Corrymeela Community)