Environmental issues, shootings, and civil unrest have added to a general sense of unease. The pandemic isn’t the only social concern affecting everyday lives. While 2022 will mirror 2021 in numerous aspects - regional restrictions, mask requirements, no or limited in-person gatherings - this year many seek a more reflective Ash Wednesday. Pastor Scott Sundbye will be preaching on "The Genesis of Joseph.Ash Wednesday 2022 marks another annual observance amid the COVID pandemic. Join us today at 12pm or 6pm for our Ash Wednesday worship service with imposition of ashes and Holy Communion. Pastor Scott Sundbye will be preaching on "The Genesis of Joseph."
Are you ready for more? Deeper faith, stronger community, and a closer relationship with God? But if we take it seriously, Ash Wednesday can be the beginning of a changed life. Our time on this earth is short – are we living the life to which God has called us? Are we prepared to give an account for how we have spent our days?Īsh Wednesday isn’t a cheerful celebration.
“Remember you dust, and to dust you shall return” we are told. God created humankind from the dust of the earth, and it is to dust that we shall all return. The ashes of Ash Wednesday remind us of our mortality. Lent is season for changing your life, for turning things around, for getting back on the right path – what we sometimes call, in church-speak, “repentance.” It lasts for 40 days (not counting Sundays) reminding us of the flooding rains of Noah’s time ( Genesis 7:17-19), Israel wandering in the wilderness ( Numbers 32:13), and of Jesus’ temptation in the desert ( Mark 1:12-13).
This preparation happens through an emphasis on a few basic faith practices: worship, prayer, generosity, self-denial, and service to others. Today, Lent more often is a time when Christians prepare themselves for Easter and are invited to deeper faith, stronger community, and a closer connection to God. Historically, Lent was a time when new Christians prepared themselves for baptism on Easter Sunday. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Christian season known as Lent (no, not the stuff in your belly-button, that’s “lint”).
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