Forty days symbolized the time Jesus spent fasting and seeking God in the wilderness. That feels like what I am looking for - or what you are looking for in me.

Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday itself is only part of the picture of Lent. The Brethren Press devotional series is published twice a year in anticipation of the Advent and Lenten seasons.

On Ash Wednesday many people will place ashes on their heads, in the sign of a cross, as a sign of sorrow for sinning against God.

I didn’t grow up in a liturgical tradition where it was celebrated and although the church I’ve been worshipping in for decades has services on Ash Wednesday, last year was the first time I stood in line and got a cross of ashes on my forehead. Ash Wednesday—Day 1 A woman came to [Jesus] with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table.... [Jesus said,] “By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial.” Ash Wednesday is a significant way to begin the season of Lent, since it links us back to where this story is headed: the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and then his arrest, trial, suffering, and death. This happens during a special Ash Wednesday service. Lent is really about saying no to some things so we can say yes to others. It is “to make a right beginning of repentance,” as the Book of Common Prayer puts it. Devotion excerpt taken from The Passionate Journey. An agency of The United Methodist Church, Discipleship Ministries helps local church, district, and conference leaders fulfill the shared dream of making world-changing disciples. Ash Wednesday is about how we can begin those preparations. ... A week from tonight, many of us will gather in our churches for the Ash Wednesday service that begins the season of Lent. Marking with ash is a symbolic reminder that we come from the dust and that so much of what we do, and are, will return to dust one day. Most of all, he was tired of his immediate supervisor, Mr. Sanders. Becoming a seasonal subscriber is easy, saves you money, and costs only $7 a year for both regular print booklets or $13.90 a year for both large print booklets. The First Four Days of Lent Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the start of the Lent season, traditionally observed as 40 days of prayer, fasting, and repentance in the days before Easter. Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of putting ashes on the forehead to remind Christians of the importance of humility, that we are but dust. This is the day when Roman Catholics traditionally apply an ashen cross on their foreheads. In Ash Wednesday services, participants receive a blessing of ashes on their foreheads as a reminder of our mortality. I always thought it was a bit harsh, you know? The beautiful words in the today's prayer talk about the "quiet remembrance of our need for redemption." It is the beginning of a special opportunity to spend forty days examining our own lives, as we consider the cross and the sacrifice our Lord made for us — a sacrifice unequal to any in the world. Source: N.T. However, did you know that the practice of placing ashes on people's heads, as a sign of repentance, dates back to Old Testament times? Resources for Lent 2020, including Ash Wednesday, Ashes to Go, Lent Sermons, lenten devotional, Lent Madness, Lent Calendars - The Episcopal Church The ashes of Ash Wednesday remind us of our mortality; the one prerequisite for resurrection is death, something we will all face in time. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the season of Lent. Lord, it feels like we are embarking on a Lenten journey together, you and I. Often called the Day of Ashes, Ash Wednesday starts Lent by focusing the Christian’s heart on repentance and prayer, usually through personal and communal confession.