Ash Wednesday -- 'Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return'

YAKIMA, Wash. -- From a provenance in mourning, it's become a symbol of hope.

Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, is one of the most sacred days of the year for many Christians.

"It's an important time for us," says the Rev. J. Michael Scheid, pastor of Central Lutheran Church.

"I'm very passionate about Ash Wednesday," says the Rev. Anne Barton, the priest at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church.

"Something about Ash Wednesday appeals very much to the need for God in our lives," says the Rev. Gene Delmore, associate pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church.

This year, Ash Wednesday falls on March 9, signaling the 40 days of the Lenten season that follow, ending with the celebration of Easter Sunday.

Catholics and some Protestant churches commemorate the day with services underscoring repentance, marking each person's forehead with ash in the sign of the cross.

According to biblical scholars, the tradition goes back to ancient practices of grief and penance.

"In Old Testament times, ashes were a sign of mourning," explains Barton.

They also are the universal symbol of repentance, adds Delmore.

The biblical book of Jonah refers to the king of Nineveh covering himself with sackcloth and sitting in ashes after hearing the word of God.

"Ashes remind us as humans we can fall into sin, how easy it is to get off track," Barton notes. "Ash Wednesday is an opportunity to come to God in our brokenness."

The practice also harks back to a passage in Genesis: "Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return."

Those are the words spoken by priests and ministers as they mark foreheads with ash.

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On Ash Wednesday, St. Joseph Church will celebrate six Masses.

"It certainly draws in people," says Delmore. "If it's not the largest day of observance in the year, it's one of the largest."

He explains that the idea is not just to distribute ashes but also to emphasize the spirit of the Eucharist (the sacrament of Communion, with bread and wine symbolizing the body and blood of Jesus Christ).

Central Lutheran Church will hold two services on Ash Wednesday: "It's a very emotional, moving service," Scheid says.

There will be three Ash Wednesday services at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church: "The power of Lent is coming back to the community of Christ and God celebrating our return," Barton points out.

According to Delmore, observing Ash Wednesday is basic recognition that everyone is a sinner and needs the help of a redeemer.

And, yet, it is not a sign of darkness.

"It's a solemn time but not grim," Scheid explains.

Barton agrees: "In a way, putting on a mark of ash is like wearing a scarlet letter. But there's a lot of hope to it."

She says at the heart of the day's observance is the message that people may obtain forgiveness.

Delmore concurs.

"It's the beginning of the journey of coming back to God," he says. "That's a beautiful time -- coming back to God in our humility."

For Scheid, Ash Wednesday can mean something slightly different to each person.

"It has a connection not only to mourning and death but also to baptism."

He points out that when a cleric baptizes a child, he or she gets the mark of a cross on the forehead, similar to Ash Wednesday but without the ash.

Delmore also underscores the day's link to baptism: "The whole season of Lent is a call to renew our baptismal promises and recommit ourselves to Christ."

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Traditionally, the ash used during Ash Wednesday services comes from burning palm leaves used during the previous year's Palm Sunday, the week before Easter.

"It's symbolic, carrying forward from the year before," explains Barton, who burned palms at her church Wednesday.

Palms also were burned at St. Joseph's recently. According to Delmore, very little ash is needed on the thumb to make a slight mark on a forehead. Less than a quart of ash is used every year, he notes.

However, ash does leave a stain. After Mass, Delmore says he cleans his thumb with water or lemon slices.

Scheid, too, has had experience burning palm branches, but now he buys ash from a religious supply house instead.

"I tried making the ash once; it's problematic," he reports.

Apparently, Scheid is not alone in that opinion; religious supply houses do a brisk business selling both ash and palm leaves once spring arrives.

Plus, churches can go "green." Ecologically friendly choices of ash and palm (from native grown plants harvested sustainably) are highly touted on many websites.

Ashes also can be recycled -- saved from year to year.

Many congregants view Ash Wednesday as the time to fast or give something up for Lent.

Catholics ages 14-59 are asked to fast during Lent, most particularly on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, which means eating light meals and no meat, Delmore explains.

Giving something up or forgoing some kind of treat during Lent is also a long-standing Lutheran tradition, says Scheid, although that generally does not include fasting.

Another option during Lent is reflection, he says.

"I ask people to try every day to spend 15 to 30 minutes in prayer or reading the Bible."

He adds, "That's a meaningful remembrance each day and a little different than the routine."

Wednesday marks not only the beginning of Lent, but also an important observance for many Christians.

"Ash Wednesday has a strong appeal," says Delmore. "People recognize that this is something they need."

* Jane Gargas can be reached at 509-577-7690 or jgargas@yakimaherald.com.