Today is Ash Wednesday and marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a 40 day period (not including Sundays) leading up to Easter. For those like me who come from a denominational background that does not observe Lent, it along with Ash Wednesday and even Holy Week may seem foreign to you. However, I think there’s great benefit in observing Lent on some level, whatever form that might take for you. Not only does it connect us to church history (it’s been a practice of the church since the 4th century), but most importantly it allows us to let the gospel make its way deeper into our lives.

What Is Ash Wednesday?

The aim of Ash Wednesday is 1) to meditate on our mortality, sin, and need for a Savior, 2) to renew our commitment to daily repentance in all of life and 3) to remember with confidence and gratitude that Jesus has conquered sin and death. During a traditional Ash Wednesday service, ashes are applied to the forehead of worshipers in the shape of a cross. Ashes in scripture symbolize mortality (Gen. 18:27), mourning (Est. 4:3) and repentance (Jon. 3:6). The ashes in the form of a cross serve as a reminder that you come from dust and to dust you will return (Gen 3:19). It’s also a call to “consider yourself dead to sin and alive in Christ Jesus” (Rom 6:11).

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
[Joel 2:12-13]

May we during this season rend our hearts, tearing it from self-absorption and bind it to the person of Christ. Though you may be prone to wander, return to the Lord and find that He is indeed gracious, merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love.

What Is Lent?

At it’s core Lent is a journey to the cross: meditating on our sin and weakness while looking to Jesus as our perfect example and substitute. It’s a season of preparation and repentance, anticipating the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection on Good Friday and Easter Sunday respectively. Though we celebrate and live in light of His death and resurrection every day of the year, this season of preparation and repentance serves to heighten our worship both daily and for a grander Easter celebration.

Our union with Christ, who is our substitute, means that when Christ put on flesh and lived a perfect life, he did so on our behalf covering our failures with His perfection. It means that on the cross, He took our place bearing the wrath of God toward our sin and rebellion. It means He was separated from God so we could be adopted into His family. He was raised with God so that we too might be raised with God. The story of Lent is the story of how these events unfolded. Because of our union with Christ, the journey of Lent is about identifying ourselves with Christ in his journey to the cross, in his death, and in his resurrection. As we immerse ourselves in this grand story, may we grow in love and appreciation for Jesus. May we mourn the sin and darkness in our hearts and celebrate the light of the world who has come to save us and disperse that darkness.

How Can I Observe Lent?

There are certain themes that though not exclusive to Lent capture the heart of the season: repentance, humility, suffering, lament, sacrifice, and death. Each week someone from our church body will write a devotional on one of those themes which will be posted as a blog entry here. Each time, a passage from the Gospel of Mark will be chosen to reflect upon along with the theme for the week. We hope this will help guide your time of repentance and help you turn toward Jesus in every area of life.

Our worship services at Crossroad during this season will have more intentional times of meditating on our sin and weakness so that our celebration of Jesus’ substitutionary death will be all the more sweet. They will be “mini-Easter” services.

Many people also choose to fast from something for this season. By choosing to empty our lives of commotion, clutter, and noise, we hope to find greater room for the Lord to speak to us through His Word. Rather than simply subtracting something from our lives, it’s an opportunity to add something greater. You may consider any number of things to fast from including food, television and movies, social media and internet, caffeine, sweets, music, shopping for non-essentials or even sleep (sacrificing an hour of sleep to spend in God’s Word and prayer). Keep in mind there is a lot of freedom and grace here: freedom to choose different forms of fasting and grace when you don’t stay faithful to the fast. Lent after all is not about your faithfulness, but rather about the faithfulness of Jesus on your behalf. He is the faithful One!

A Prayer for Lent

Journey with us, O holy God, as we begin our way to the cross. Sharpen our focus, that our attention may center more on you than ourselves. Lead us through the shadows of darkness and prepare our hearts, that we might be a people of prayer, ready to perceive and respond to your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. In his name we pray. Amen.
[Worship Sourcebook]

Portions taken from or inspired by the free devotional guide, Journey To The Cross.