Finding Hope in the Ashes

By Bishop Dr. Clarence McClain

We don’t often welcome the seasons of loss, disappointment, or heartache—but they come, often uninvited and unrelenting. Ashes, in the Bible, symbolize mourning, ruin, and the remnants of what once was. Yet, one of the most profound promises God gives His people is found in Isaiah 61:3: “To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes…” This is not just poetic language—it is the essence of redemption.

In this week’s sermon, Beauty of the Ashes, we reflect on how God never leaves us in the aftermath of pain. Instead, He enters into it with us and brings forth beauty—not by ignoring the ashes, but by transforming them. Whether you are walking through a personal loss, wrestling with disappointment, or standing in the ruins of something once cherished, this message is a reminder: your story isn’t over.

Our ashes can become altars. And what feels like an ending may just be the ground where God begins something new.