Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday (Noon + 6PM) services.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the solemn season of Lent. This year, Ash Wednesday falls on March 5th.

The purpose of this season, according to the liturgy for the day, is for “the whole Congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need that all Christians continually have to renew our repentance and faith” (BCP 543). Notice that the purpose is not for Christians to be really sad or down on themselves in a healthy way; it is not to suffer just for the sake of suffering. The aim is for us to renew our recognition of the glory and goodness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In our Ash Wednesday liturgy we acknowledge three things: we need a Savior, we are not the Savior, God has provided the Savior in Jesus Christ. The sign of the ashes brings all of these together. The ashes are a reminder of our death, especially the words said when they are applied to our foreheads (“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return”). They are also a sign that we are not the Savior. We may be tempted to think that we can worship our way into God’s good graces and/or our good deeds could ‘make up for’ our sins. That the ashes are made from the palm fronds of last year’s Palm Sunday celebration shows this up for the lie that it is. Our piety is not a substitute for God’s grace. The ashes also signify that God has provided a Savior in Jesus Christ, as we are marked with ashes in the sign of the cross. Our hope is found in the proclamation that God has come among us, met us in our ashes, and redeemed us through the outpouring of love in his death on the cross.

The full Ash Wednesday liturgy begins on page 543 of the Book of Common Prayer, if you would like to learn more about the service. Join us at noon or 6pm on March 5th for our observance of the day.