Growing up, I was surrounded by people who participated in Ash Wednesday and Lent. While I observed from a distance, I never really understood why anyone would want to do that. Why would anyone want to walk around with ashes on their forehead? And why, in heaven’s name, would anyone want to give something (usually sugar) up for 40 days? It all seemed so unnecessary, so traditional, and in my limited mind, was not for me.
I am in a period of life where I am drawn to deeper things. I want to know the deeper things of God. I want to be close to Him, intimate with my Father inside and out. I am finding that my relationship with the Father is not one that is merely internal, but external as well. I show my love and affection for Him in more ways than internal reflection, but also in external expression. Looking deeper at the true meaning of Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent, I am compelled to participate. I am not participating for the sake of tradition, but for the love that I have for the Father, for Jesus the Son, and Holy Spirit, my greatest friend.
“How does putting ashes on your forehead and going through 40 days of fasting show love?” Let me show you what Ash Wednesday represents, what Lent is all about, and you can decide for yourself.
“Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline.
Ash Wednesday emphasizes two themes: our sinfulness before God and our human mortality. The service focuses on both themes, helping us to realize that both have been triumphed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
During some Ash Wednesday services, the minister will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads of worshipers. The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history in Jewish and Christian worship. Historically, ashes signified purification and sorrow for sins.
It is traditional to save the palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday service to burn to produce ashes for this service. Sometimes a small card or piece of paper is distributed on which each person writes a sin or hurtful or unjust characteristic. The cards are then brought to the altar to be burned with the palm branches. The ash cross on the forehead is an outward sign of our sorrow and repentance for sins.
— Adapted from The United Methodist Book of Worship”
I don’t know about you, but an outward sign of sorrow and repentance for sin in preparation for the celebration of the triumph over death (the wages for sin) is beautiful. It is a humble reminder that I am by no means perfect and in constant need of the grace and mercy extended from the Father.
For forty days after Ash Wednesday, people choose to not only give up something, but also to give. Lent is traditionally a time for giving alms to the needy and being intentional about reaching out to those hurting and in need. It is a time of preparing your heart and getting closer to the Father’s heart.
These outward expressions of love for God is compelling. I long deeply to express the incredible love that I have for the One who loves me so greatly. He chose to express His love for me outwardly, and I long to express my love for Him in the same fashion. I am choosing, this year, to participate in Ash Wednesday and Lent, not for tradition, but for love.
“Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, your great quest];” 1 Corinthians 14:1a AMP
