We always observe Ash Wednesday at Sojourn, which is sometimes considered unusual in the free church/Baptist/modern American worship tradition. As with most periods of the Church Calendar outside of Christmas and Easter, a lot of people view Ash Wednesday as an exclusive tool of Roman Catholicism, or at least “High Church” traditions.
But as we’ve often said here, the Church Calendar is an effective way to preach the full gospel to yourself, your family and your church. It focuses our attention on all aspects of Christ’s earthly ministry, from the promise of His coming (Advent) to the gift of His Spirit to the church after his ascension (Pentecost).
So What Exactly Is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. The date is set by counting back forty days from Easter (excluding Sundays), which takes you to the Wednesday seven weeks before Easter. The church arrived at this determination in the fourth century. Why forty days? Each day symbolizes one of the forty days when Christ fasted in the wilderness, before Satan tempted Him (Mark 4:2).
Three Purposes Of Ash Wednesday:
- to reflect on our sin and the resultant death that reigns in us, and our need for Jesus to save us.
- to renew our commitment to daily repentance — to “die daily,” as Paul said (1 Corinthians 15:31).
- to remember that Christ conquered sin and death.
When do we eat?
Ash Wednesday is typically observed as a day of fasting. Which is why a lot of people pig out the day before (“Fat Tuesday”).
Why Is It Called “Ash” Wednesday? Why Do Christians Put Ashes On Their Heads?
Ashes are a reminder, in Scripture, of our mortality and frailty resulting from the curse of the Fall (Genesis 3:19; 18:27). The Bible also uses ashes as a sign of sorrow or repentance (2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1-3; Jeremiah 6:26).
Putting ashes on your forehead in the sign of the cross is not some kind of magic charm. It is simply a visible reminder of our condition and the power of the cross to forever change that condition.
Song for Ash Wednesday
Psalm 51 is considered a leading Scripture text for Ash Wednesday. Check out Sojourn worship leader Rebecca Dennison’s version of this song on our These Things I Remember CD. You can listen to the mp3 and print the chord sheet from the These Things I Remember page on this site.
Other Bible Verses For Ash Wednesday Service Planning And Personal Devotions
* resources below courtesy The Worship Sourcebook
Psalms 6, 32, 38, 90, 102, 103, 130, 143
Joel 2:12-17
Matthew 5:6; 6:1-6, 16-21; 11:28-29
2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2
1 Peter 1:2-3
Ash Wednesday In The Heidelberg Catechism
Q&A’s 3-11, 88-89
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