Tonight, my congregation will be reminded that the Lent season is all about preparing for Easter through repentance and renewal.  We will be reminded of our sin, and we will be called upon to repent.  In our service tonight, we will sing together, we will recite Scripture together, we will pray together, and we will receive a cross of ashes on our foreheads.  The ash will serve as a reminder of the biblical principle from Genesis 3:19 which says, “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  And because we are dust, and because to dust we shall return, repentance and renewal is essential. We will be reminded again tonight that  full and complete reliance upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is essential.

The  practice of placing ashes on the forehead has its roots in the Old Testament (book of Ezekiel) when an angel of the Lord was told to “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”  Tonight will be a night when we will be reminded of our sin (reminded to sigh and groan over it), and then encouraged to begin a time of remembrance and thanksgiving for the work of Christ on the cross when He – once and for all – forgave us of our sins and cleansed us from all of our unrighteousness.

Lent is to be marked by discipline and fasting with the goal of death to sin, but our eyes must not stay down.  They must look ahead to Easter, a day when the fasting comes to end…a day of unbridled laughter and celebration.  A day when all creation rejoices and marvels at the gift from God: our Savior, Lord, and King, Jesus Christ.

Reboot is a nonprofit organization aimed at reinventing the traditions and rituals of Judaism for today’s secular Jews.  This group is composed of Internet entrepreneurs, creators of award-winning television shows, community organizers and nonprofit leaders, several who say they have an addiction to their cell phones.

So, in order to reclaim the essence of the Sabbath in their lives, they pledged to observe 24 hours of freedom from their devices this past weekend – a National Day of Unplugging -  lasting from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.

The day served as a launch for Reboot’s ongoing project, the Sabbath Manifesto, which consists of these 10 principles:

1. Avoid technology.

2. Connect with loved ones.

3. Nurture your health.

4. Get outside.

5. Avoid commerce.

6. Light candles.

7. Drink wine.

8. Eat bread.

9. Find silence.

10. Give back.

Not that I agree with the theology and practices of many who compose this group, and an obvious omission on this list is anything related to God and His Word…but this list seems to me to be a good starting point for Christians who want to reclaim the essence of the Sabbath as well.

What could be better than one day each week that begins with worship, consists of prayer, time with loved ones, and a period of silence (aka a nap), and then ends with candles, bread and wine?  Sounds like the kind of Sabbath I’d like to reclaim!

As I continued to move through my early adult life, I knew that something was missing as I would crash into Easter each year, but I didn’t know what it was.  The annual “Good Friday” service was always meaningful, but I just never seemed very prepared to grasp, observe and feel the depth and meaning of the Easter season.

Then, last year, I discovered that several of my parishioners had gone to other churches to observe Ash Wednesday (of which I knew very little about), so I decided to do some research.  I was still under the impression that Lent was something only Catholics – and other closely related denominations – observed.  But when I learned that several of my “baptist” congregants were taking part in the observation, my interest was peaked.

My research led me to discover the “something” that I had been missing all of these years related to Easter.  Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter marked by repentance and more deliberate fasting, prayer, and acts of service was the piece I was the missing in my yearly Easter observance.  And this year, I have jumped in with both feet!

On Ash Wednesday, I – along with my staff – led what turned out to be one of the most meaningful services we’ve experienced at our church in a long time.  To stand up front and administer the ashes to my congregants was incredibly humbling and meaningful.  Many who received the ashes said the same.  That service began the 40 days of Lent, and many in my congregation are participating by fasting, praying, serving, and celebrating (Sundays during Lent are to be days of celebration and the fast can be broken on those days).  A baptist church observing Lent…it’s crazy, I know!

Now – more than ever before – I’m waiting anxiously for Resurrection Sunday to come.  Lent is providing for me 40 days of build-up and anticipation, and I can’t wait to experience the celebration of Easter.  I know…it’s only my rookie year, and I’ve got a lot to learn about this, but I’m enjoying the process.

What about you?  There are still 25 days until Easter, so it’s not too late to prepare yourself for it.  If you’ve missed the first few weeks of Lent, why not jump in today?  If you need more information about Lent, click the link below.  And then join me – a fellow rookie – in preparing for Easter in a whole new way.

My Thoughts on Ash Wednesday and Lent