Ashes to Ashes & Dust to Dust
Why Lutherans receive ashes on Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the season of Lent, is Wednesday, February 14. For the past couple of years this has been the only midweek Lent service we've held here at Prince of Peace, so we strongly encourage everyone to attend.
The service will include the Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion.
Ashes, Private Confession & Absolution, and Holy Communion are also be available by appointment throughout the day for anyone who would like (contact Pastor Bater to schedule a time).
Some people wonder why Lutheran wear ashes on their forehead at the beginning of Lent. Isn't it Roman Catholic? Are they showing off? Are they trying to stand out? Is it some weird secret church ritual? What does it mean? Should I get them too?
There are three reasons why Lutherans go to church to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday. First, the ashes remind people of their sinfulness. Second, the ashes remind people of their mortality. Third, the ashes remind people that they have been redeemed by Christ. Let’s unpack this a bit.
Since ancient times, God’s people have used ashes as a sign of humble repentance (cf. Jonah 3:5-9; Job 42:6; Daniel 9:3: Matthew 11:21; Luke 10:13). This tradition was carried on by the early church and remains an important tradition today. When one willingly goes up to a pastor and receives ashes on their forehead, they are admitting that they are sinners in desperate need of salvation. They are admitting that they have sinned not only against their neighbors, but ultimately against God Himself. Therefore, the ashes remind the wearer of their need to repent and be turned back to God. The ashes demonstrate our pleading for the Lord to purify us. The ashes serve as a tangible and visible sign of our failure to love God more than anyone and anything else, and to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves.
The receiving of ashes on Ash Wednesday also remind people of their mortality, which is the direct result of God’s condemnation of our sin. Immediately after the fall into sin, God said to Adam, “You are dust and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). Ashes, therefore, serve as a solemn reminder that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We cannot escape death. Oh, we try. We're constantly on the look out for the latest life-extending fad. We desperately try to hide and cover up all the signs that we're aging. All because we don’t like to think or talk about death. Our culture has seemingly sterilized death. We hardly even use the word anymore. We make every attempt to avoid death because death is uncomfortable. And, that’s why ashes can be very beneficial. They are a physical reminder that God created man from the dust of the earth and that, because of sin, one day all people will return to the dust of the earth. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. They make us confront the reality of our future.
These ashes, however, also tell us the good news of Jesus! You see, these ashes aren’t just smeared randomly or haphazardly across people’s foreheads. The ashes are given in the shape of the cross which was first traced over us in Holy Baptism. In receiving the ashes then, we also remember that because our Lord Jesus "endured the cross, scorning its shame" (Hebrews 12:2), He has taken the ashes of our past and created in us new life, allowing us to live forever in the holy presence of God. He has redeemed His children, making us clean and new. Through the cross of Christ, the power of death has been destroyed. What once was an instrument of death has become the symbol of life. All this is given to us in Baptism and traced over us again in the imposition of ashes. The cross-shaped ashes on our foreheads proclaim the good news that sin and death have been conquered through the cross of Christ.
No one is required to do this, and no one should feel obligated to participate in the Imposition of Ashes. This is not something God commands us to do. Rather, it is simply a rite believers have long held as a beneficial way to remember the seriousness of our sin and the beauty of our Savior. Anyone who repents of their sin and trusts in Jesus for forgiveness—both adults and children, members of our church and non-members alike are invited to receive ashes on Wednesday. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. For now, mark your calendars and I hope to see you next Wednesday.
In Service to Jesus and His Church,
Pastor Bater