Ash Wednesday

We are about to enter into the Christain discipline of Lent.  Growing up I used to hear people talk about giving up something for lent.  The church that I grew up in was very faithful. God was prsent, taught and prayed to.  Our tradition was not one of walking the journey to the cross with Jesus.  We celebrated Easter.

As I grew older I remember seeing people with what I now know were ashes on their foreheads, and asking what they were.  This was something the Catholics did.  This was not said in a negative way, just that this was something that was part of their faith.  But what was it, why did they do it?  As the day passed so did my questions, I was on to something else. 

Ash Wednesday is the day in the church year when the path takes a marked change of direction.  We have been in the season of Epiphany, the season of Light.  Who is Jesus and what did he do?  Healing, calling of disciples, relationships and teaching have given us a picture of who is propet is.  Ash Wednesday begins the part of the journey when we come to know the depth of faith and commitment Jesus came to teach us.  We are called to be present to the abuse of power, the fear of intimacy and the all powerful love of God.  We are called to walk this scary and very lonely path with Jesus to the cross.

 What does this mean?  What does our faith mean to us?  Who are we in relation to the life that Jesus lays out for us as an example?  What gets in our way of being the people God most needs us to be.  This is a time when we are called to spend very intentional time with God, with ourselves and pay attention.  We can do this in many ways.  The following comes from the Ash Wednesday service:

"Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great
devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and
it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a

season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided
a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy
Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of
notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful
were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to
the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation
was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set
forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all
Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the
observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance;
by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and
meditating on God's holy Word. And, to make a right beginning
of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now
kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer."





As we sit here in the year 2012 many of us have a reaction to words that feel like old religious words.  The truth is, they are old religious words.  I have discovered over the years that when I spend time with words that jump out at me there is always something for me to learn.  With that said I invite us to read and pray with these words.  What words jump out at you?  Why? How could that be important for your journey this year? 

I look forward to spending this Lent together.  Please feel free to comment or send me an email with any thoughts or reflections that you have.  If you comment your thoughts will be able to be shared with others.  Whatever form this conversation is supposed to take, I look forward to this time.  Keep awake.  God Bless.