The worship team should make sure that the focus is on the ashes and the symbolism that is inherent in them. Planning NotesĪsh Wednesday is an observance built around the imposition of ashes and not on the proclamation of the Word. We hope you’ll join in with churches around the world as we seek to be gathered up in Jesus. We might find that what might need to grow in faith and discipleship is the church and that the transformation of the world begins with building bridges and gathering up rather than with condemnation.

Because a part of what we learn in this time of self-examination is that we are what might be most in need of transformation. The season of Lent is essential for those who truly seek to be disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We can be honest with our failings and our successes because there is one who cheers us on no matter how we have run the race so far. We can stand the scrutiny of the questions about the state of our souls because we have one who will love us no matter what we find. But this is not to avoid the Lenten examination. He wants us to claim him, to run to him, to be loved and cared for by him. In Luke 13:34, the gospel text for the Second Sunday in Lent, Jesus tells us how he wants to gather us up, like a mother hen gathers her brood. The guiding image for this series is found in Jesus’ own words.

The only hope we have is to be gathered up in Jesus. It is simply beyond our capabilities and certainly beyond our inclinations. In fact, it might be argued that we are incapable of doing this Lenten thing on our own. It takes diligence and discipline and a whole lot of grace to see ourselves as we truly are. That is where the scary part comes in.īeing honest with ourselves is a difficult exercise that’s part of why we need forty days to do it. We are encouraged to look at our whole lives and then to lay them alongside the life of Christ and see how we measure up.

The season is rich because we are invited to dig deep into our faith practices and determine whether we are on the right path to becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. The season of Lent is both rich and scary.

Ash wednesday imposition of ashes