Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

Ash Wednesday

In case you didn't realize it, today is Ash Wednesday. We don't officially observe Ash Wednesday in our church. It is more of a Catholic observance, although there are other denominations who also participate.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, which is the 40 day period leading up to Easter. Again, we do not observe Ash Wednesday or Lent at ACC. But there are some valuable things we can learn from these traditions, even though they are not inherently Scriptural traditions.

The whole premise of Ash Wednesday is repentance. Strict observers of the day will mark their foreheads with ashes. In the Bible, donning sackcloth and ashes was an outward sign of repentance. And, regardless of what you think of Ash Wednesday observances, repentance is key to our life in Christ. Without repentance, there is no life in Christ at all.

To repent means to recognize your sinfulness and to express sorrow for what you have done. But that's not all it means. To repent means to move decisively in a different direction. It is doing a spiritual 180° turn. It is moving away from your sinfulness and toward a lifestyle that honors God.

I have no problem with the observance of Ash Wednesday. In fact, I think it's healthy to set aside a day to highlight our need for repentance. But repentance can't be a one-day-a-year kind of deal. It is an ongoing process throughout our lives.