Ash Wednesday Worship
March 9th, 7:00 PM
Arc
Lenten Message Series
“Walk the Narrow”
Begins March 12-13
Q: What is Ash Wednesday and Lent?
A: Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, which is a forty day season of repentance, self examination and self denial as a preparation for Easter.
Q: Why is Lent 40 days?
A: After his baptism, Jesus spent forty days in the desert fasting, praying and resisting the temptations of the evil one before he began his 3 year ministry journey to the cross and empty tomb. Matthew 4:1-11
Q: Why is it called Ash Wednesday?
A: Actually, Ash Wednesday is its colloquial name. Its official name is the Day of Ashes. It is called Ash Wednesday because, being forty days before Good Friday, it always falls on a Wednesday and it is called Ash Wednesday because on that day at church the faithful have their foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross.
After Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Evil, (The Fall, Genesis 3:1-7) God said to them both “for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19) Dust and ashes and are often interchanged in biblical practices.
Q: Why do we have our foreheads or hands marked with a cross?
A: In the Bible a mark on the forehead is a symbol of a person's ownership. By having our foreheads marked with the sign of a cross, we are saying that we believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that we belong to him.
The ashen cross is also a reminder of our baptism and our deliverance from sin. (Rom. 6:3-18) Some protestants prefer the imposition of ashes to be placed on their hands because of Jesus admonition in the sermon on the mount (Matthew 6:16-18) to be careful of showy acts of repentance.
Q: Where do the ashes used on Ash Wednesday come from?
A: They are made by burning palm fronds which have been saved from the previous year's Palm Sunday, they are then blessed by clergy. Blessed ashes having been used in God's rituals since the time of Moses (Numbers 19:9-10, 17).
Q: What are some biblical examples of people putting dust and ashes on their foreheads?
A: Consider the following verses from the New International Version:
• "That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh, his clothes torn and dust on his head." (1 Samuel 4:12)
• "On the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor." (2 Samuel 1:20
• "Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornamented robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went." (2 Samuel 13:19)
Invite your friends and family to join us for Ash Wedneseday and the weekends of Lent as together we journey to the cross and the great Celebration of Easter.
I'm praying for you and I ask that you pray for me.
Peace,
Rick
