Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2023
“Get Ashed, Inked, or Sharpie’d!”
Yaaay! It’s everyone’s favorite season of the year…Lent is here!
Yuck! … Actually, it’s not so bad. As long as you don’t have any bad habits, Lent could be just like every other time during the year. As long as you’re getting everything accomplished on time, sharing joy with others, giving back to the community, and loving God with all your heart, mind, and soul, Lent will be no problem!
It’s my guess that none of us is doing life exactly right. All of us probably need a fine-tuning, if not a complete engine overhaul. What do I need to do? There you go. That’s the real question. I know other people have problems because they tell me. But what about my own issues? My purpose in life is not just to help other people. I’m also supposed to be helping myself by strengthening my relationship with God.
That’s what Lent is about: Doing something specifically for God during these next six weeks. When we make a commitment to God, it shows God that we care. Then, when we are successful and we are able to follow through with our promise, it demonstrates a true desire to do life better. This is not between you and another person, nor is it about doing something for yourself, like a New Year’s Resolution. Instead, making a commitment to God during Lent is doing something for God. Sure, we may reap the benefits of an improved physical and emotional lifestyle, but we will also improve our spiritual health as we grow closer to God.
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season. In the Church, we symbolize the beginning of the Season by offering the imposition of Ashes. Using the burned palms from Palm Sundays of years past, we make the symbol of a cross on an individual’s forehead or the back of their hand. This mark symbolizes our awareness of God’s blessings of life (“From dust, we were created and to dust, we shall return”, Genesis 3:19) and our recognition that God deserves our best effort.
Find a church and get Ashed today. If you can’t get to church, use an ink pen and draw a cross on the bank of your hand. Or, if you’ve got one, consider using a Sharpie. In a few days, it’ll wash off. But until then, every time you look at your hand you’ll remember that God is with you.
Get Ashed, Inked, or Sharpie’d today! It’s Lent and the party is about to begin!
“You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ. The Holy Spirit is the down payment on our inheritance, which is applied toward our redemption as God’s own people, resulting in the honor of God’s glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14, CEB)
