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My freshman year of college (Cortney), one of my roommates came back to the dorm one evening with a smudge on her forehead. Knowing how meticulous she was about her looks, I warned her, “You have something smeared on your face.”  “It’s Ash Wednesday…they’re ashes.” I gave her a quizzical look and she began to explain the service she previously attended.

 I (Cortney) grew up in church and was aware that Ash Wednesday was the start of Lent, but my mind reeled as to what it had to do with someone wearing ashes on their forehead. I asked her if I could go with her the following year to the service. What I learned through that service and with further education and experience is the tradition of Ash Wednesday is a beautiful liturgy to help believers unite with the sufferings of Christ in order to help us prepare for the Lenten Season leading up to Easter Sunday.

 The Purpose of Ash Wednesday

 Ash Wednesday occurs 46 days before Easter Sunday and is considered the first day of the season of Lent, which is the forty-day season (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter. Within the Catholic and some Protestant denominations, many churches hold Ash Wednesday services to begin the Lenten season, which is time to focus on self-denial, prayer, fasting, confession, and repentance which serves to prepare a believer for the remembrance of Christ’s crucifixion and death.

I (Jeff) used to think that the point of the season of Lent was denying oneself of worldly and earthly pleasures in order to demonstrate my spiritual commitment to God. Thus, the question would often be asked, “What are you giving up for Lent?” as if that is what the season was about. It’s easy to see how we miss the point of Lent. Religious rituals and legalism are far easier to promote, understand, and implement than spirituality and faith. We grasp rules. It is far easier to tell kids to obey rules than to explain to them why they should desire to act rightly. They then end up following the rules simply because the rules exist. When it comes to Lent, however, we often do the same, denying ourselves something for the sake of denial. We give up chocolate or Facebook, thinking the act of denial is the purpose of Lent. And we end up missing the point.

Lent is not about denial; it is about transformation.

It is the season in which we prepare to encounter Christ’s sacrifice by endeavoring to become more like Jesus ourselves. Transformation is about letting ourselves be filled with God’s presence so that we can be shaped by God’s grace. Ash Wednesday is the first step into this season of transformation. An Ash Wednesday service is a time of reflection, confession, and repentance that uses ashes to mark a sign of the cross on believers’ foreheads in order to symbolize our sinful nature and our need for salvation. The focus of the service is on the mercy of God, the confession of sin, and the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins.

Why Ashes?

Ashes in Scripture represent repentance and mourning (Genesis 3:19; 2 Samuel 13:19; Job 42:6; Daniel 9:3). Ashes also remind a person of their own mortality. It is with dust and ashes that one would often fast and repent in biblical times. The pastor or priest places the ashes on a person’s forehead in a sign of a cross. Often, the pastor will say, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

Is Ash Wednesday in the Bible?

While the specific service of ashes is not in Scripture, the practice of repentance and the confession of sins is seen throughout Scripture. Early Church leaders from the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries spoke of believers using ashes as a sign of sorrow for their sins and by the middle of the 4^th century, Ash Wednesday was an accepted practice within the church. 

Should Everyone Celebrate Ash Wednesday?

Some Christians find Ash Wednesday a helpful practice and a great reminder for their journey of faith. It is a day they set aside as a day of reflection, repentance, confession, fasting, worship, and even service for the preparation of the season of Lent. However, Jesus himself warns about outward religious practices without internal commitment. Therefore, before making a habit about the practice of Ash Wednesday, it is wise to evaluate why you are participating and remember the reason for the ritual. Otherwise, the season of Lent and Ash Wednesday might be another adventure in missing the point.

I (Cortney) remember the profound effect the ashes had after I went to my first Ash Wednesday service. I needed to pick up groceries and stopped by Walmart before I headed to the college campus. While shopping, I noticed onlookers staring at me. I was tempted to wipe my brow, feeling uncomfortable with the attention. As I prayed through the aisles, God began to show me in a small way what the season of Lent was about. I went forward for ashes to identify with Christ and His sufferings.  Yet, an hour later, I felt uncomfortable because I couldn’t defend or explain myself to strangers. As I walked each long lane of the store, I pondered how Jesus might have felt suffering on the cross without giving a defense or explanation. The gratitude I began to feel for my Savior’s sacrifice began to embolden me. I was no longer ashamed of my smear across my forehead. Rather, I hoped someone might ask me what the smudge was. It is in suffering with Christ that we share his glory.

It is through the receiving of ashes that we recognize and confess our sins. It is also through their reception that we accept our need for a Savior. Through Jesus, God sent His Son to die on the cross to pay the ultimate price for our sins. We receive the mark of the cross on our forehead as a sign of the inward faith we have in Jesus as our Christ.

Remember, the season of Lent is not about denial, but about our transformation.

Here’s a great prayer from the Book of Common Prayer as we prepare for Lent

Most merciful God, I confess that I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved You with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbor as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

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