Ash Wednesday & Lent
Ash Wednesday – officially known as the Day of Ashes – is a day of repentance, when Christians confess their sins and profess their devotion to God.
During the Ash Wednesday service, ashes are placed on a worshiper’s forehead in the shape of a cross. This is meant to show that a person belongs to Jesus Christ, and also represents a person’s grief and mourning for their sins – the same sins that Christians believe Jesus Christ gave his life for when he died on the cross.
Ash Wednesday is important because it marks the start of the Lenten period leading up to Easter, when Christians believe Jesus was resurrected. The ashes symbolize both death and repentance.
When the ashes are applied, the one applying them says to the worshiper: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” He or she also may say “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
Traditionally, the ashes used on Ash Wednesday are made from the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday, which are dried and burned. They are then blessed before being used in the ceremony. Palms are used on Palm Sunday in many Christian churches to symbolize Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the Sunday before his crucifixion.
Early Christians in Rome were sprinkled with ashes during Lent, but the Ash Wednesday practice of placing ashes on the forehead of Christians didn’t begin until the Middle Ages.
Ash Wednesday is one of the most important dates on the Christian calendar, because it marks the start of Lent, a six-week period of fasting or self-sacrifice, prayer, and alms giving observed by Christians each year to prepare for the celebration of Easter, when we believe Christ was resurrected from the dead.
Lent is celebrated over 46 days. It includes 40 days of fasting or other sacrifice, and six Sundays, on which the sacrifice is not necessarily practiced. The 40-day period has a special significance in the Old and New Testaments. For instance, Moses spent 40 days and nights with God on Mount Sinai in preparation to receive the Ten Commandments. Jesus also is depicted as being led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for 40 days.
Many people are curious as to what they should give up for Lent. Many give up things that they especially love, such as candy or sweets, favorite foods, television or social media. The reason for sacrifice during Lent should be a time for focus; to strip away that which stands between us and God. There has been a movement – particularly among Protestant denominations – of taking up something rather than giving something up during Lent. This might include spending time with the home-bound, writing letters to someone with whom you’ve become estranged, or reading through a book of the Bible (such as the Psalms).
Start your Lent with us on Ash Wednesday, February 14, at our 7pm service in the sanctuary.