Ashes, Ashes

Considering Truths During Lent

Today's Devotional & Scriptural Thoughts

It's that time of year again. Tomorrow (WED 2/10) is Ash Wednesday. Some of you undoubtedly will have ashes imposed on your forehead before the end end of the day. Ashes are a sign of penitence.

According to Rev. Jeffrey Pulse, a Lutheran devotional writer, "Ash Wednesday begins the observance of Lent. The placing of ashes on the forehead is a sign of penitence & a reminder of human mortality . . . The observances of Lent are concrete reminders of the greater solemnity of this season . . . "

The overall theme of my Lenten devotions will be "Considering Truths during Lent," so what's one truth to consider? Psalm 94:23 says, "[God] will repay them for their sins & destroy them for their wickedness . . . " Ecclesiastes 7:30 says, "Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right & never sins." And Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death . . . " Ouch.

And then St. Paul finishes Rom. 6:33, by writing, ". . . but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." And Pastor Pulse goes on to say, " . . . Lutherans emphasize the Gospel of Christ as central even to this penitential season."

So go ahead. Put ashes on your forehead tomorrow so everyone can see that you acknowledge that you are a poor, miserable sinner.

But you also acknowledge that you a FORGIVEN sinner, thanks to our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

Today's Prayer Thoughts

Let's acknowledge our sins before the Lord & humbly pray for forgiveness, knowing & praising Jesus for the forgiveness won for us on the cross.

An Addendum

As a reminder, I wrote devotions for the Daily Announcements of Lutheran High Northeast (Norfolk, NE) for much of the 2014-15 school year. Our chapel theme was "Walking in the Truth." After taking a hiatus beginning in early November, when I began an extended leave of absence, I resumed writing devotions for Lent. Most of these Lenten devotions will be adapted from those I wrote last year.