On this Ash Wednesday, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe reflects on the Parable of the Great Dinner in Luke 14:15–24. When the comfortable and secure make excuses to avoid the feast, the host doesn't cancel the party—he expands the guest list to the streets and alleys. Too often, the modern church expends its energy fretting over empty pews and courting those who are already safe and full. But what if our true calling is to fill our sanctuary with those who actually need a sanctuary—the vulnerable, the fearful, and the neighbors pushed to the edges by the "wolves" of our world?

Listen in as we explore what radical, protective welcome looks like, and how the ashes we wear today level the playing field, destroying worldly hierarchies by reminding us that whether we are an "insider" or an "outsider," we are all made of the exact same dust.