by Kala Loptien

Penitential Posture

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.

To grant those who mourn in Zion, to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. Isaiah 61:3 ESV

Ash Wednesday. It probably begins like any other Wednesday. We rise reluctantly and saunter to the coffee pot. Then we prepare to tackle another day as broken people in a fallen world.

But today is not just any Wednesday. Today marks the beginning of our Lenten journey. The mark on our forehead is a symbolic and heavy gesture. The imposition of ashes is an ancient act*. It shifts our posture from worldly, self-centered viewpoints, to a humble, self-denial out of reverence for God. The ashes we receive are a reminder of “dust to dustness and the need for purifying.”*

We enter this season with repentant, humble and prayerful hearts; while commemorating the cleansing waters of our baptism. The LCMS website shares a bit of Lenten history:

“In the ancient church, the weeks leading up to Easter were a time of intensive preparation of the candidates who were to be baptized at the Easter vigil on Holy Saturday. This time in the church’s calendar was seen as an especially appropriate time for baptism because of the relationship between Christ’s death and resurrection and our own in holy baptism.”

Lent offers the intentional pause we need to reflect and refocus. Our brokenness brings us to our knees and to the end of ourselves. It’s there that the Lord helps us recognize our need for Him. He pulls us up and helps us fix our eyes on the cross. He restores what’s been broken, bringing beauty from ashes. Those ashes are a bitter reminder. The beauty is that we’ve been washed by the waters of holy baptism.

*FAQ, Worship & Congregational Life, www.lcms.org

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado