"Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word."

The Gospel reading for this evening seems a bit out of place. It's not an Ash Wednesday text. Actually, it is really a Christmas text, in that it occurs some eight days after the birth of the Messiah. Mary and Joseph take their newborn five miles north from Bethlehem to the Temple in Jerusalem. Their purpose is to dedicate Jesus to God, which parents are obliged to do for their first born son. It wasn't quite a Baptism, since that hasn't yet been invented, but it has somewhat the same meaning. In the courtyard of the Temple an old man, Simeon, sees Joseph and Mary and he walks up to them, takes the baby from Mary's arms and says words that are familiar to many of us, "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word."

His words sound as strange in the choice of this Gospel text, so let me explain. Somehow God has spoken to Simeon. Whether a dream or a vision, who knows? But Simeon has the understanding he is going to live forever - or until he sees God's promised Savior - whichever comes first. The Savior comes first, and therefore Simeon is truly happy as he speaks the words, "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word." Simeon can now die - and he is pleased. Can you imagine? In our Peter Pan culture where growing older is feared and looking younger is desired ... Simeon seems as out-of-place as, well, a Christmas text on Ash Wednesday. Then again Ash Wednesday is when we do not deny death - but acknowledge it.

I once read an interview with an archeologist who was describing some of his remarkable discoveries. His wife was sitting beside him, and the interviewer asked her what it was like being married to such a famous man. She thought for a minute and answered, "The great thing about being married to an archeologist is the older I get, the more interested he is." Maybe it was tongue-in-cheek, but nevertheless, what a wonderful quote for our Peter Pan, anti-aging age! "The older I get, the more interested he is." This Sunday morning we begin Daylight Savings Time. With that reminder out of the way, I think it's safe to say we live in a culture which appeals to those who only want to turn back the hands of the clock.

Charlie Sheen is too easy a target for any preacher - and probably any preacher is too easy a target for Charlie Sheen, but I need to share recent tweet that he twittered (or is it the latest twit that he tweeted): "I'm different," Charlie maintains. And I pray he's right. "I'm different. I just have a different ... brain. I have a different heart. Dying's for fools." And tonight, fools that we are, there is soot on the forehead and the reminder, "Remember you are dust."

There's a new product with the catchy name of GR8. At first I didn't think the name was especially creative - I mean, GR8 - and then it hit me: it's pronounced "Great." Have you heard of it? Could you identify the product? GR8 is a brand of lipstick being marketed to eight-year-old girls. What are the implications of marketing lipstick to eight-year-old girls? And this - GR8 is merely one of the cosmetic items sold by Walmart under the label of Geo-Girl. You cannot make this make up stuff up! I'm going to say it again because it's fun to say, you cannot make this make up stuff up: Geo-Girl is being marketed as an anti-aging regimen for girls eight to twelve.

And tonight, this Ash Wednesday, we go counter-culture. We understand that the hands of the clock are always moving, moving, moving forward. And we comprehend that even though we might try always to look our best, and to even look more youthful than we are, we are mortals with feet of clay ... literally!

Did you know the name Adam comes from the Hebrew 'adamah? And 'adamah literally means dust? From Genesis 2:7, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground." Or, in the Hebrew it would be "And the Lord God formed Adam from the 'adamah." Adam means earthling. Or dust creature. And though some women might say, dirt bag, we men prefer dust creature. And tonight we go counter-culture: "remember you are dust...."

"Remember, you are dust, to dust you shall return." "Elderly gentleman, fighting disease, remember, you are dust." "Tiny baby, so recently Baptized, remember, you are dust." I am profoundly moved - and I see the emotion in the faces of those who choose to receive. And to think the Church offers this in the midst of a culture that tells girls as young as eight that they must fight the aging process - a process which in the end cannot, succeed. The cosmetic fountain of youth is always and ultimately doomed to failure. A better message is this reality - you are dust and to dust you shall return. And in the end, at the end, our eyes have seen God's salvation. Our destiny, through Jesus Christ, our destiny is no longer dust.

So as citizen's of a Peter Pan world, age without fear. Sure, look your best as best you can, but remember your looks are not nearly as important as how you look at life, how you look at your neighbor, how you look out for one another, how you look to the Cross. And even if you are not quite ready to depart in peace, you will discover the true peace, which passes human understanding, through Christ Jesus our Lord!