Ash Wednesday
On the first day of Lent, we are invited to pause, to reflect on our mortality, to hear the words “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return” as we receive the mark of the cross on our foreheads, made with ashes.
At the beginning of the service at Ash Wednesday, the priest reminds us that the earliest Christians prepared for Holy Week and Easter by a “season of penitence and fasting” and invites the congregation “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.” Lent is a season where we are intentional about our discipleship, about the time we spend with God.
Many Christians mark Lent through giving up something specific like chocolate or alcohol. Others choose to take on a practice like saying prayers each morning, or reflecting prayerfully at the close of day through a practice like the Ignatian Examen.
This year for Ash Wednesday we have a few opportunities to mark the start of a holy Lent. We will have “Ashes to Go” stations in Clayton and the Delmar Loop from 8am-9:30am. Come for a prayer and receive ashes on your commute. Ash Wednesday services will be held in the church at 12noon and 7pm.
Register for In-Person Worship
Join us for Ashes to go:
Because the stations are outdoors, registration is not required. Just join us at one of the locations in the graphic below:
