Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a reminder and celebration of human mortality, and as a sign of mourning and repentance to God.
photo by Travis Chavez
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’” – Matthew 3
Lent is always a special time for me. I’ve done the coffee fasts, etc and always felt good about what I had accomplished during those times. But for some reason, this year I seem to be a little more in tune with the upcoming 46 days to Easter and what it is all about. I went to a beautiful service at Mission Community church tonight. Pastor Ed Gungor spoke a message from the above passage that helped explain was lent was all about while David Gungor led in worship with some beautiful songs of cleansing. Repentance is a key part of lent as we confess our sins to the Father. It gets us back on the path to God. Giving up something for lent is about moving aside the things we hold onto so we can make room for God. The ashes represent our human mortality and that we won’t live on this earth forever but that we will spend eternity in heaven. As Christians, we shouldn’t fear death. I was thinking about my Grandma who has been ill. She is such a Godly woman and yet despite her condition, she is ready to meet our Lord and Savior. She doesn’t fear death and is very thankful for her time here on earth. As I took my ashes, I heard the words of this verse in my head:
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