Ash Wednesday is a significant day in the Christian calendar, marking the beginning of the Lenten season leading up to Easter. While traditionally associated with the Catholic and Anglican Churches, in recent years, many Protestant and progressive Christian communities have embraced this day as a time of repentance and reflection.
The Origins of Ash Wednesday
The origins of Ash Wednesday can be traced back to the early Christian church, where it was a day of fasting and penance. The practice of marking the forehead with ashes as a symbol of repentance has its roots in the Old Testament, where sackcloth and ashes were used as a sign of mourning and repentance.
In the book of Job, for example, Job expresses his sorrow and repentance by sitting in ashes and wearing sackcloth: “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6, KJV).
Similarly, in the book of Jonah, the people of Nineveh put on sackcloth and sat in ashes as a sign of their repentance: “And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?” (Jonah 3:7-9, KJV).
Ash Wednesday in the Modern Church
Today, many Christian churches continue to mark Ash Wednesday by applying ashes to the foreheads of believers as a symbol of their repentance and commitment to God. The ashes, which are typically made by burning the palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday, are mixed with oil and applied in the shape of a cross.
For many progressive Christians, however, Ash Wednesday is about more than just the outward symbol of ashes. It is a time to reflect on our own mortality and on the ways in which we have fallen short of God’s expectations for us. It is a time to acknowledge our own sinfulness and commit ourselves to live more fully in the image of Christ.
As the prophet, Joel reminds us, “Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing” (Joel 2:12-13, NRSV).
Scholarly Perspectives on Ash Wednesday
Scholars have offered a variety of perspectives on the meaning and significance of Ash Wednesday. Some have emphasized the penitential aspect of the day, viewing it as a time to reflect on our own sinfulness and to seek God’s forgiveness.
Others have focused on the themes of mortality and repentance, noting that the ashes remind us of our own mortality and of the need to turn away from sin and toward God.
In his book, “Lent for Everyone: Luke, Year C,” New Testament scholar N.T. Wright emphasizes the importance of repentance and transformation during the Lenten season: “Lent isn’t just a time for giving things up, though that’s part of it. It’s a time for turning around, for going the other way, for changing your mind and your heart” (Wright, 2012).
Ash Wednesday A Time for Reflection
Ash Wednesday is a time for reflection and repentance, acknowledging our sinfulness, and seeking God’s forgiveness. Whether or not we receive ashes, the important thing is that we take the time to reflect on the deeper spiritual meaning behind Ash Wednesday. As the prophet, Joel reminds us, “Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing” (Joel 2:12-13, NRSV).
As progressive Christians, we can use this time to reflect on our own mortality and the ways we have fallen short of God’s expectations for us. We can acknowledge our sinfulness and how we have contributed to systems of injustice and oppression in our world. We can commit ourselves to living more fully in the image of Christ and to working for a more just and compassionate world.
In the words of theologian Henri Nouwen, “To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives—the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections—that requires hard spiritual work. Still, we are only truly grateful people when we can say thank you to all that has brought us to the present moment.”
Why do some Christians get ashes and some don’t?
The practice of receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday is a traditional practice in many Christian denominations, particularly in the Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran Churches. However, not all Christians receive ashes on this day, and there are various reasons why this may be the case.
Some Christians do not receive ashes on Ash Wednesday because the practice is not a requirement of their particular denomination or faith tradition. For example, some Baptist or Methodist churches may not observe Ash Wednesday or may have an alternative service on this day that does not include the distribution of ashes.
Another reason why some Christians may not receive ashes is that they may not be able to attend an Ash Wednesday service. Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church, but it is a day of fasting and abstinence. Therefore, Catholics are encouraged to attend Mass and receive ashes but are not required to do so.
Additionally, some Christians may choose not to receive ashes for personal or theological reasons. For example, some may feel that the outward display of ashes is too focused on the external, rather than the internal, aspects of repentance and humility. Others may have concerns about the origins of the practice, which has its roots in the Old Testament practice of wearing sackcloth and ashes as a sign of mourning and repentance.
Ultimately, the decision to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday is personal, and Christians should be free to participate in the practice or not, as they feel led by their faith and conscience. What is most important is the spiritual meaning behind the practice of Ash Wednesday and the call to reflect on our own mortality, sinfulness, and need for repentance and forgiveness.
May this Ash Wednesday be a time of reflection, repentance, and renewal as we seek to grow more fully into the people God has created us to be. Would you like to know more about Progressive Christianity? Read more about Progressive Christianity in my other blog posts here.
