On Ash Wednesday...and how I will always have Baptist tendencies

Tonight, I observed my first Ash Wednesday. I've always known that it existed, but the churches I've attended have never observed it quite like we did tonight. The church Brad, Amiee, and I attend here in Jackson is very different from all the churches of my past. One element that differentiates is the fact that we observe the Church Calendar.

Confession: I really love it.

I love liturgy and taking Communion weekly (as opposed to quarterly) and practicing a more formal reverence during worship. I'm by no means critiquing other styles of worship; I just prefer this style of worship. I enjoyed celebrating Advent and learning about Epiphany.

And I felt the significance of Ash Wednesday for the first time ever tonight.

I didn't know what to expect, other than the fact that we would have ash on our foreheads at the end...much like our Catholic friends. I'm not sure that I've attended many services (and I've attended A LOT of church services in my lifetime) that have held as much significance for me as the one tonight. One of our elders delivered a devotion that explained why Christians observe Lent and how we can genuinely take the time as an opportunity to draw closer to God. He compared the 40 days of Lent to Jesus' 40 days of fasting...Noah's 40 days of floating...Jonah's warning to Ninevah of 40 days in which to repent...He also taught about fasting (which doesn't have to be food, per se) in such a joyful way. I'm not necessarily looking forward to abstaining from my chosen Lent activity, but I'm praying that I can experience the joy associated with discipline.

Fact I did not previously know about Lent: the Fast lasts for 40 days, but there are actually 46 days in between Ash Wednesday and Easter. You can break the Fast on Sundays!

At the end of the service, we did, in fact, sport ash on our foreheads. I have to say, there is something encouraging...or maybe inspiring...about being "branded" in some way as the body of Christ, who seek to know Him more intimately. Granted, Roommate was a little confused when I got home and had unidentifiable substance all over my head...

How will I always have Baptist tendencies?

Totally took over the very back pew.