“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,
where for forty days he was tempted…”
Luke 4:1
Dear friends,
On Wednesday, February 14, we’ll celebrate Ash Wednesday as we enter the 40-day season of Lent. Hopefully, spring will follow quickly thereafter!
In the Christian Book of Why, John C. McCollister describes some of the Christian Lenten practices that come with this season. For example, the day before the beginning of Lent, sometimes called “Shrove Tuesday,” comes from the practice of confessing one’s sins (being “shriven”) prior to the Lenten period of fasting and prayer. It’s often marked with a celebration called “Mardi Gras,” French for “Fat Tuesday,” which evolved from the ancient Roman practice of extensive merrymaking before a period of fast. Other traditions call this day “Pancake Sunday.” In the Middle Ages, pancakes were considered a very rich and decadent food. On the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, the practice of eating pancakes was the last opportunity to indulge, in addition cleaning out cupboards of all those temptations in preparation for the following 40 days.
“Ash Wednesday” marks the first day of Lent, so named because of the Roman Catholic priests’ practice of burning 
the palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday and using them to mark a cross on the foreheads of the worshipers with the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). The roots of this practice lie in the ancient Hebrew custom of clothing oneself in sackcloth and dusting oneself with ashes as a sign of penance.
Practices, practices. While we often don’t observe Ash Wednesday with ashes, this year we’ll gather on February 14th, (which also happens to be Valentine’s Day!) at mid-day in the sanctuary to reflect on the practices that do sustain us in this Lenten season. It will be a quiet time of self-reflection and sharing, prayer and re-commitment to the spiritual practices of our faith, which we will explore together in the coming five Sundays of Lent. Perhaps this year we’ll also join in the ancient practice of marking foreheads with ashes. We hope you’ll join us.
Blessings for February,
Karen Nell