Church of the Incarnation Sermons

On Ash Wednesday, we hear Jesus’ call from Matthew 6: “Go into your room. Shut the door. Pray to your Father who sees in secret.”

In a world obsessed with image, performance, and being seen, Rev. Griesbeck reflects on what it means to remove the mask and stand honestly before God. Ash Wednesday confronts our need for recognition and invites us instead into the freedom of being fully known — and fully loved — by the Father.

This sermon explores:
• The temptation to live for public approval
• Why performance eventually exhausts us
• The hidden cost of spiritual “looks maxing”
• The freedom found in being seen by God alone
• The grace marked on our faces in ashes

Ash Wednesday is not about spiritual performance. It is about repentance, truth, and grace. It is a day for actors to lay down their masks — and for sinners to receive mercy.

We invite you to walk through Lent with us.

Learn more about Lent at Incarnation: https://incarnation.org/lent-2026/

📖 Scripture: Joel 2:1–2, 12–17; Psalm 51; 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:10; Matthew 6:1–6
🕊️ Preacher: Rev. Griesbeck
⛪ Church of the Incarnation, Dallas, TX

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Learn more at https://incarnation.org/