Have you packed away your Epiphany stars and crowns? Now we look to our next church season. What are your preparations for Ash Wednesday and Lent?

Does your congregation have Ash Wednesday worship, Lenten meals, Lenten services, service projects, or classes? Let’s explore how we can add or supplement the wonderful traditions you have presently in your congregation. There are opportunities for families and all ages in your congregation to learn, serve, and worship together.

Ash Wednesday

On Ash Wednesday, we are reminded of our own mortality and the need for reconciliation with God.  These reminders can be scary and sad. It is a day in the church that we specifically remember that we all mess up. God tells us even in scary things that God loves us no matter what, that God forgives us no matter how we mess up.

Consider whole congregation involvement: 

• During the service, ask people to make the sign of the cross on the person’s forehead or hand next to them while saying: “You are a blessed child of God.” 
• Have whole families form ash stations with or without a pastor. Place ash on each person coming forward and saying all together “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” 
• Whole families come forward and the leader/pastor holds the ashes and each member of the family imposes ashes on each other. (Have wet wipes and a trash can available.)
• Have paper, writing utensils, and a suitcase available as people arrive. Provide instructions to write “Alleluia” on the paper and place it in the suitcase. Explain that we are burying our “Alleluias” and will let them burst out of us as we celebrate Easter. Close the suitcase until Easter.
• Give blank, small papers in the bulletins and ask the congregation to write something they want to be forgiven for. Collect them in a receptacle and burn them. (Following all fire safety precautions.)

Lent

The Lenten season is 6 weeks long as we get ready for Easter. The following are ideas for you to ponder or to plan.

Worship and Learning Themes 

• Prayer (justice toward God), fasting (justice toward self), almsgiving (justice toward neighbors). Suggested curriculum: Do Justice.
• Reflection, repentance, and reconciliation.
• Holy Week (Suggestions in Journey through Holy Week blog).
• Purple – Make purple decorations for Lent and eat purple foods.

Serve

• Pretzel baking – The unique shape of pretzels was thought of as two hands interlaced in prayer and were originally created as Lenten treats. Pretzels remind us to pray.
• Random acts of kindness – Challenge your community to do one every day. (Examples: Holding the door open for someone, helping with a chore, collecting spare change and donating it, giving someone a compliment, making a card, sharing a smile, baking for a neighbor or shelter, walking and picking up garbage, or making someone laugh.)
• Service projects – Make pet toys for an animal shelter, blankets or hygiene bags for homeless shelters, cards for hospitalized and homebound people, hold a book swap, parent’s night out, etc.
• Prayer wall – Hang framed chicken wire on a wall with cut ribbons next to it, as people say a prayer, they tie a ribbon to the wire.
• Cookie baking – Deliver with cards to first responders, senior facilities, or neighbors.
• Serve weekly dinners before Lenten services.
• Easter preparation – Make and send invitations, color butterflies, prepare flowers to be ready to go on walls, stuff eggs for a hunt, set out alleluia suitcase locked and visible.

Ash Wednesday through Lent

We now look towards Ash Wednesday and Lent. We begin the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday, a day of the imposition of ashes as our reminder of our sinfulness and a call for repentance.  Lent is the forty-day season (excluding Sundays) of preparation for Easter.

Ash Wednesday is a day in the church that we specifically remember that we all mess up, and Lent is a season when we listen and think about the stories of how Jesus came to show us God’s love and forgiveness on his way to dying on the cross.  The season of Lent goes all the way to Easter. 

God loves us no matter what, God forgives us no matter how we mess up.

That is what Ash Wednesday and Lent are all about. God says in Jesus, “Here I am!” to the whole world. The cross where Jesus died is God saying, “Here I am!” in sad and scary places in our lives. We put a cross on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday because God says, “Here I am!” to you, today and always.

God says “Here I am” in the ashes and dirt. 
God says “Here I am” when we mess up. 
God says “Here I am” in love.

Remember to pray. Remember to breathe.

Grace & Peace

Kirsten Patterson

About the Author

Kirsten is an educational professional with 28 years of experience in communities of faith, skilled in motivating, teaching, and team building. She has demonstrated expertise in building an arc of faith formation and educational opportunities from age 2 through adult. This has included fellowship, outreach, and intergenerational and age-specific classes.

With Spirit & Truth Publishing, Kirsten is happily employed as a writer and collaborator.

This blog post is part of a monthly series of practical advice for faith formation leaders by faith formation and education professionals. Summaries of these posts are sent in a monthly email to email subscribers. Subscribe today!