Soon Christian
churches will begin the Lenten season with the observance of Ash Wednesday. You are invited to join Dunbar Lutheran for Ash Wednesday observence tomorrow evening, February 17, 8:00pm.
Where does this
tradition come from?
Why do some
Christians have ashes imposed on their foreheads?
How can this symbol
be meaningful to contemporary Christians?
What is the
significance of Lent?
ASHES IN THE BIBLE
The religious
significance of ashes is found in the Old Testament.[i] Most famously, the prophet Jeremiah urged his people to
‘gird on sackcloth’, and ‘roll in ashes’(Jer 6:26). The practice was apparently
well known in Israel, and embraced by the prophet Daniel, who said “I turn to
the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes”(Dn
9:3). When the people of Nineveh heard Jonah’s prophetic message, their king
“rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and
sat in the ashes”(Jon 3:6). In the book of Judith, people put ashes on their
heads as a sign of repentance: “And all the Israelite men, women and children
who lived in Jerusalem prostrated themselves in front of the temple building,
with ashes strewn on their heads, displaying the sackcloth covering before the
Lord”.(Jdt 4:11; see also 4:15 and 9:1). The Maccabees, who fought for Jewish
independence just prior to the New Testament era, readied themselves for combat
with ashes: ‘That day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on
their heads and tore their clothes”(1Mc 3:47; see also 4:39). In the New
Testament, Jesus himself cites the practice of repenting with ashes: “ Woe to
you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your
midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in
sackcloth and ashes”(Mt 11:21, Lk 10:13).
ASH WEDNESDAY AND
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
As far as the
history of using ashes in the early Christian Church go, records are scanty.[ii] But it appears that the commemoration of Ash Wednesday
is a practice, which evolved through the first millennium. The sixth century Spanish
Mozarabic rite required gravely ill people had to have their heads marked with
ashes before receiving penitence. The first datable Ash Wednesday service (it
would not be called “Ash Wednesday” until after the eleventh century) was held
in the Romano-Germanic pontificate of 960. According to the observations of
Abbot Aelfric, it was customary for the eleventh century faithful to begin Lent
by participating in a ceremony that involved the imposition of ashes. By the
end of the century, Pope Urban II made mandatory the general use of ashes on
the Wednesday before Lent. Initially, only women had the sign of the cross
marked upon their foreheads, while men had the ashes sprinkled on their heads.
This changed, of course, as both genders now receive the mark of the cross. By
the 12th century, the practice of creating the ashes by burning
the previous year’s Palm Sunday branches became codified into liturgical law.
ASH WEDNESDAY, LENT, AND BAPTISM
Ashes are a powerful symbol.[iii] When our foreheads are marked and we hear the words, “
remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return” are spoken, we are
reminded that our bodies will inevitably die and return to the ground. We all
must face the day when we breathe our last breath. At one time, the church saw
the words and the ashes as a call to take death seriously and repent before it
is too late.
But when we look at the original meaning of Lent, the ashes
are actually part of a good news story. For Ash Wednesday and Lent are part of
the story of baptism. Baptism is the initiation into the community of saints—a
welcoming into a community of everlasting life! As theologian Frank C Senn
comments: “We are invited to enter into the death of Christ via the baptismal
font before we enter the grave in order to arise in the power of his Spirit to
live with him in his father’s house forever.”[iv]
Lent was originally a time of preparation for
baptism—for praying and for fasting.[v] The death of self and rebirth through Christ (what
baptism is all about) is celebrated weekly on Sundays, and annually at Easter.
Lent originally began with a two-day feast The forty-day fast was introduced
probably between 354 and 384. To ensure forty days of actual fasting (since
there was no fasting on Lent), the Lenten fast was begun on the Wednesday
before the first Sunday in Lent. This occurred in the second half of the sixth
century.
For those already baptized, but who had fallen into
serious sin, Lent became a time for reconciliation with the church.
The medieval church would, however, forget the original
baptismal context of Lent and Ash Wednesday, and instead stress the passion and
death of Christ. With the heavy emphasis on sin and unworthiness, the statement
“remember you are dust” naturally became interpreted as a statement of
debasement. Cast in this light, Lent was seen as a season of guilt and penance.
LUTHERANS AND LENT
Following the Reformation, Ash Wednesday and Lent have
been de-emphasized or ignored altogether in many churches, but have been
retained in Lutheran churches. While it is true that the emphasis on fasting
and good works during Lent could have brought about harsh criticism from
Luther, the observance has instead been given a different emphasis.[vi] Instead of focusing on working hard at repenting and
good works, Lutherans chose to focus on God’s gracious love through Christ.
During Lent, Lutherans have historically engaged in
catechesis and penitence. For adults preparing for baptism, Lent is a time for
learning and study. Because the catechism occurs during public worship, entire
congregations are given the opportunity to participate.
Penitence is also important to Lutherans. Through
contemplating the passion of the Christ, we are given the opportunity to grow
in faith through self-examination and repentance. Giving up something for Lent
is a common practice, as is special almsgiving.
MEANING OF THE ASHES
Ash Wednesday moves us to reflect on the human
condition.[vii]
People are made from the dust and return to the dust. Humans are material
creatures, both in origin and composition. Being material creatures we are
subject to physical constraints. We can no more jump off a building expecting
to be uninjured than a horse can. All creatures of the earth share this
material quality. We did not create ourselves. The mass of earth “the dust of
the ground” we call our bodies would be inanimate lumps of clay without God. We
are mortal, vulnerable beings, entirely dependent on the breath of life that
God has given us. Though our natural human tendency is to deny our dependency
on God, and our mortal nature, we cannot ultimately do so. Remembering that we
are indeed “dust” calls us back to who we are as humans. In the hustle and
bustle of today’s world we need to be reminded that every moment of our lives
is precious. Every moment we are kept alive by God. It is in this basic reality
that we can find our identity. During his time in Nazi prison, famous
theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was overcome by moments of despondency, forcing
him to question his identity: “Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions
of mine.” The answer was clear, ‘Whoever I am, though knowest o God, I am
Thine.”
Being earthly
creatures, God designed us to live in a godly but earthly way. In the Garden of
Eden this meant leading good, whole, and abundant lives, caring for the garden,
and to honoring God’s boundaries. The fundamental boundary was, of course, not
eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This means not trying to
be God. When we forget our “creatureliness” we embrace the idea that we are
God, we buy into the illusion that we are free to do what we want and take what
we want. Selfishness, greed, and brutality are the consequences of humans thinking
that they are in charge. We need to “know our places.” We need to understand
that God has designed us to be good stewards of creation. We are here not to
exploit and oppress, but to relate to creation in a loving way. The ashes
remind us that life is not of our own making.
[i]
Lawrence E Mick, “Ash Wednesday; Our Shifting Understanding of Lent,” Catholic
Update
[electronic
journal], accessed 26 October 2005: available from http://americancatholic.org.
[ii] ibid.
[iii] Martin Connell, “Ash Wednesday: Meaning and History”, Liturgy:
Journal of the Liturgical Conference
15:7-15.
[iv] Frank C. Senn, “Ash Wednesday and Lent in the Lutheran
Experience” 15(1998):21-22.
[v] Mick. See also A.G Martimort, ed., The Church at
Prayer: The Liturgy and Time (Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1985), 66-68.
[vi]Senn, 17-21.
