This Wednesday, March 9, 2011 will be a bit different. Confirmation class is still as scheduled.  I ask all the youth to be at the church by 5:30 and ready to do something different to celebrate Ash Wednesday.    We will be done at 8:00.  I know you are wondering…what is Ash Wednesday anyway?

Ash Wednesday emphasizes a dual encounter; we confront our own mortality and confess our sin before God within the community of faith.  The form and content of the service focus on the dual themes of sin and death in the light of God’s redeeming love in Jesus Christ.

The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history in Jewish and Christian worship, and the Imposition of Ashes can be a powerful nonverbal and experiential way of participating in the call to repentance and reconciliation.  This practice is the historic focus of Ash Wednesday observance and gave the day its name.

The Imposition of Ashes in the form of a cross is not intended to make us feel holier than others, but rather it allows us to name and claim our sin.  Then we embrace the power of the cross to set us free and to cleanse us from all inequity.  Let us  commit to make our Lenten journey together.

I hope to see all of you there!