Ash Wednesday

F.Y.I that's not me in the picture. #1 I don't wear eye shadow unless someone else makes me #2 it doesn't look like me. You'll be amazed by all of the images that you can find on google.com. Anyways....

I don't know much at all about Ash Wednesday. I learned about it my senior year of college when a girl sat beside me in class with a black smudge on her face and my professor said, "I see some people are observing Ash Wednesday." I'm not going to lie, I saw the smudge and thought it was dirt. It was a girl that talked all the time in class and I wasn't too fond of her, so I didn't tell her. I'm horrible, but I'm glad I didn't tell her because I would have embarrassed myself. I'm going to blame my ignorance on having a lack of practicing Catholic friends. However, it's funny because after the first time I heard about it; it seemed to be everywhere. I wondered how I let this one pass on my radar.


Let me add a little disclaimer, the info below isn't thorough, but it's my understanding of Ash Wednesday and Lent. I think Catholics, Baptist, Methodist, etc. all celebrate this season in different ways, but here's my rough and vague overview. Ash Wednesday marks the 40 days before Easter. The 40 days doesn't include Sundays. It's more like 46 days. The ash mark on peoples' foreheads are usually Catholics whose priest did it. When the priest does it he says, "for dust you are and to dust you will return." Gen. 3:19 Ash Wed. also marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is observed to remember Christ's death and resurrection which is celebrated on Easter(my fav). As a way to remember, traditionally the church has done this by fasting. In general the Bible doesn't say to fast...it says, "When you fast..." Matt. 6:16-18 These are J's words. He wasn't telling people to fast, he was telling them how to do it when they were fasting. Let me state the obvious, we're suppose to be fasting regularly. Let me also state this: I'm not regularly fasting.

Back to Lent, giving something up for 46 day seems to be the cool thing to do amongst some of my friends. Some people are giving up facebook, Coke, tv, etc. I guess now is the time that I'm supposed to state what I'm giving up. I'm not giving up anything b/c I cannot think of what I can give up that will help me remember what He's done for me. Yeah, I could give up caffeine b/c I'm addicted, but when I want it and remember I'm doing it b/c Christ suffered for me...I think it would just make me angry b/c that wouldn't solve my headache due to lack of caffeine. I cannot go from screaming b/c of my headache to praising God. I guess I'm not holy enough.

It may sound like I'm bashing a 46 day fast. I hope you don't take it that way. If it helps you remember what Christ did for us on the Cross...kudos to you. (I don't know what kudos means) Instead of bashing, I want to advocate regular fasting. We can skip lunch once a week, skip eating for a day, fast each month on the date of your birthday, etc.

The Bible is full of examples of fasting. The two main Biblical purposes behind fasting are 1) A humble admission of need 2) A humble request for help. I didn't come up w/ those some guy did that I heard speak once. I can email you his outline if you would like. I really don't what to push specifics, but rather encourage you to do your own research about fasting. Here's a website that might help...just click here. It will provide examples, health warnings, scripture references, etc.

Also, please remember that fasting is not regular in my life, but I want that to change. I want to draw closer to God through prayer and fasting. I'll be praying for our lives to be transformed by the Holy Spirit as a result of fasting.

Here's an example I like of fasting from the early church in Antioch:
"While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work for which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." Acts 13:2-3

They were worshipping and fasting and the Holy Spirit spoke... I love it.