Ash Wednesday.

Today Marks Ash Wednesday 2014

The Beginning of the Lenten Season

Ash Wednesday always seems to creep up on us in the hustle and bustle of life.  It's almost as if we get to Ash Wednesday unprepared and reeling for what to give up for the next forty days.  

Well, let's prepare for a Lenten journey.  Today is the first official day of Lent; but, instead of thinking of the season  as a time of giving something up let's think of it in the historical context from which it comes.

Historically Lent has been used as a season of penitence, or reflection on the human condition in preparation for holy baptism.  The practice of baptism was traditionally only done one time throughout the year in the early church.  The Holy Vigil before Easter Sunday was the time that baptisms were performed.  

Before taking the vows of baptism candidates were asked to use the season of Lent to prepare for this experience.  Others who were already baptized were also asked to use the forty days before Easter as a time of reflection and penitence.  

Let's use this season in the spirit of its original context.  It's not about depriving ourselves of something or using this season to lose weight or start a healthy physical habit.  It's about using these forty days to adopt habits that lead us to reflect openly on our relationship with God, our spiritual life in the context the collective Christian whole, and how we can support other Christians, new and seasoned.  The season marks the beginning of a journey that leads us to live a more holy life.  

Some ways that my fellow seminarians have begun this journey is to adopt journaling based on a theme, for example, journaling every day about gratitude, taking a photo a day on a themed basis (click for a link to a 2014 live photo journey with daily photo ideas), or find a lenten Bible study to journey through scripture personally or/and with a group.  

I am personally going to journey through the Lenten section of Reuben Job's book A Journey to Prayer for All Who Walk With God.  Do what fills your life with the love of God.  Be reminded of the holy life we have acquired through Christ and remember that this season is more than deprivation.  It is a life-giving reflection on how truly loved we are that God would send his son so that we may have the chance to be heirs with Christ through ressurection.

Peace,

Sam

Sam is a seminarian at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC and works on staff at St. Paul's as their Mission and Outreach Coordinator.  Feel free to drop her an e-mail at outreach@stpaulsbxr.org.