Ash Wednesday is the first day of the season of Lent in the church year. Lent, from a word that originally meant “spring,” is a springtime for our faith—a season of renewal and deepening in our relationship with God leading up to the celebration of Holy Week and Easter.
On Ash Wednesday a part of our worship experience is the “Imposition of Ashes,” where those who wish come forward and are marked with a cross of ashes on their foreheads as we speak the words, “remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” We do this to remember and proclaim our deep need for God in our lives and in the world as there is a rich Biblical tradition in the symbolism of ashes we use on this day—judgment for sin, human frailty/our complete dependence upon God for life, humility, repentance, and finally cleansing and renewal.
This year we are also offering “Drive-Through Ashes” in our parking lot. You are invited to drive through our parking lot and receive ashes and a blessing, and a prayer if you like, without ever getting out of your car. You can also walk-up if you like. 😊 So, if you are busy that day and trying to fit everything in, let us help you with drive-through ashes!
Worship with Imposition of Ashes at 12 noon in the Sanctuary
Drive-Through Ashes 4 to 6 pm in the Holy Cross Parking Lot
Worship with Imposition of Ashes at 6 pm in the Sanctuary