
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season when Christians prepare themselves for Easter. At a typical Ash Wednesday service, we are invited to receive the sign of the cross in ashes on our foreheads as a reminder of our mortality and our sinful nature. This fitting beginning to Lent allows us to take time to reflect on the death of Christ and how it transformed our sin into forgiveness and gave us new life.
On Ash Wednesday, we are invited to ponder our own lives, our faith, and our failures, then compare our lives to the life Jesus led here on earth. As we receive the ashes, we might think about how we can live more like Jesus and ask Christ to help us on this journey of repentance.
The people of the Bible used ashes in their rituals when they sought forgiveness and mourned their sin. Traditionally the ashes come from palms burned from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. They are blessed, mixed with oil, and placed on the forehead in the sign of the cross. Learn more about Ash Wednesday by clicking the following links:
When did Ash Wednesday begin and why do we celebrate it?
You are invited to the Grace UMC Sanctuary for “A Day of Reflection” on Ash Wednesday, February 14. The church will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. An Ash Wednesday service will take place at 6:00 p.m. February 14. Click here to learn more about these special opportunities.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and continues for 40 days (excluding Sundays). During that time we spritually prepare ourselves for the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The season reaches its climax in Holy Week when we celebrate Palm Sunday, The Last Supper, Good Friday, and Easter. Learn more about the season of Lent by clicking here.