Next Wednesday, February 22, is Ash Wednesday. We will gather for a special service at 6:30 PM in the Sanctuary to impose ashes and remember our need for Jesus. This service marks the beginning of Lent, a season of preparation before we celebrate Easter. On Ash Wednesday, we set aside time to remember and respond to God at the start of our Lenten journey.
Ash Wednesday reminds us that we are dust, and to dust we will return. We remember that we are people with a deep need for a savior. We also remember that God gives beauty for the ashes of our despair through the work of Christ on the Cross. On Ash Wednesday, we also remember that we can repent and believe the Gospel, confident that Jesus makes all things new.
During our Lenten Journey, we will remember Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness just after his baptism and before the start of his public ministry. In Lent, we walk with Jesus in the wilderness, trusting God is with us daily in hard places and spaces. At times, Christians have given up things that are important to them during Lent so that they might focus on God more clearly. At other times, Christians have taken on a new spiritual practice or aspect of service during Lent as a way to draw closer to Christ. No matter how you observe Lent this year, it is a time to focus on God and remember Jesus' life, ministry, and sacrifice for us all.
Please join us for our Ash Wednesday Service next Wednesday, February 22, at 6:30 PM, and encourage a friend to join you. It will be a meaningful time to remember Jesus and the forgiveness he offers to all.