I am grateful, Father, for a time to come together when my mind is not weary from the day’s tasks. I am all Yours, use me as You will. Amen.
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Today (the day I am writing) is February 14th. If I were to ask what today is, most people – at least in my part of the world – would reply, “It’s Valentine’s Day!”
While that is true, it also happens to be Ash Wednesday. One of the churches in Mt. Vernon (where my churches are) had a sign in front of the building promoting their Shrove Tuesday Pancake dinner. So, is all of that making sense to many of my readers? Some may, but probably for many of you, it’s a jumble of words you’ve probably heard but can’t really relate to too much.
Something that most of us have probably heard of is Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is the French phrase for Fat Tuesday, which many refer to when speaking of Shrove Tuesday. It’s the last “party” day before Ash Wednesday. According to britannica.com, Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) is the custom of using all the fats in the home before Lent in preparation for fasting and abstinence.
So, that’s where the “party” end of things comes from, but what about Ash Wednesday and Lent? How do they figure in? Many associate it with the practices of Catholic and mainline churches. But many other churches have seen the importance of what these observances bring to us.
In my preparation for tonight’s Ash Wednesday service, I came across some worship resources from a Mennonite pastor, who had this to say,
Ash Wednesday begins the Christian season of Lent. We will spend the coming days journeying with Jesus toward the cross, toward the death that ultimately brings resurrection life. Many of us will spend these coming days practicing a new spiritual discipline or giving up something that seems to be getting in the way of the life we long to live. And [in this service], we come together to mark the beginning of this Lenten journey.
We come together to acknowledge our sin, to acknowledge our mortality. We come to glimpse the Christ who offers forgiveness and everlasting life.
The imposition of ashes…is a practice that may not be familiar to everyone. Ashes have been used in Christian churches to mark the beginning of Lent since at least the 10th Century, and ashes are mentioned in scripture as a symbol of purification and repentance.
We offer the imposition of ashes…as a physical reminder of our mortality and sin, an assurance of God’s forgiveness and salvation.*
May we enter this season of Lent, listening and learning. Jesus, the Lord and Savior of us all, has much to teach us.
*https://spaciousfaith.com/2011/03/02/wednesday-worship-pieces-ash-wednesday/
Feb 14th, 2024, Wed, 12:31 pm
