We didn't really do much with Ash Wednesday growing up. I knew it was there, and I knew when we started Lent, but that's about the depth of my experience. Tonight I'm helping lead an Ash Wednesday service that I helped put together. I appreciate the rhythms and reminders of the church calendar. They maybe haven't sunk in fully yet where I'm living in those moments, but I'm getting there.
As we enter into Lent, many people resolve to give something up (often chocolate or caffeine). The purpose of giving something up (which stems from the ancient tradition of fasting during Lent) is to focus more time on Christ. I haven't really thought about giving anything up. Really I just need to use the time I do have more wisely and put a little more focus into spending time in God's presence and less time on things that don't matter.
Tonight I will be marking people's foreheads with ash in the sign of the cross. It is a reminder that we came from dust and to dust we will return. Only the things we do in our lives for the sake of eternity will last. It is an opportunity to ask ourselves if we're heavenly-focused or if we're materially focused. It is an invitation to enter into fasting, prayer (listening and responding to God in His presence) and solemn introspection during Lent. And so we enter into a journey with Jesus on the road to Jerusalem, to His final act of love on the hillside called The Skull.
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