Today is Ash Wednesday – the official beginning to Lent.
You might have noticed that even though Grow Christians is meant to be a Lenten resource, we started a bit early. There’s a method to our madness: to observe a liturgical season takes some advance thought and planning. That’s why we got you started thinking about discussing hard questions with your kids in Lent and encouraged you to bring kids to Ash Wednesday worship.
Today, I hope you are able to find a worship service where you can participate in glorifying God along with other members of the body of Christ. May your Lent begin well.
Grow Christians offers a few inspiring and encouraging resources for the season below, in case you haven’t seen them elsewhere, along with a note on our plans for Lent:
An Invitation to Worship on Ash Wednesday
From the Book of Common Prayer’s Liturgy for Ash Wednesday
Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.
Our Presiding Bishop’s Lenten Message
And More…
As Lent begins, here’s a roundup of resources you may find helpful as you observe the season.
Here at Grow Christians
We’ll be posting reflections, recipes and stories every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Lent to support your growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ. We look forward to your comments, reflections and stories in return. This is one place on the internet where reading the comments could actually benefit your soul! We are honored that so many readers have engaged this community already, and look forward to our Lenten journey together.
A blessed and holy Lent to you.
Today, our priest, my husband and I (both chalice bearers) had the opportunity to do “Ashes to Go”. We went to a small shopping center in Miami Lakes, FL. In about an hour we were able to share our faith and distribute ashes to approximately 30 people. Some of these people were at work and couldn’t get to church. Wonderful, very spiritual time and an opportunity to share our faith. Church of the Epiphany, Miami Lakes, FL.
That’s fantastic! Ashes to Go is such a great outreach to those of us stuck at work.