Ash Wednesday worship
You are invited to join us for Ash Wednesday worship on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 5:30pm. This service will mark the beginning of the holy season of Lent.
Lent is a 40-day journey (excluding Sundays) to Easter. It is modeled on Jesus' 40-day journey in wilderness, where He was tempted by the devil with earthly comfort, influence, and power, all offered by Satan, implying that they could cure everything perfectly. And Jesus saw them for the lies they were. The fasting of Lent is meant to help us recognize the lies we've believed and loosen our grips on the things we hold onto.
This is not done as a means of salvation. (Christ has already secured that through His death and resurrection.) Rather, it is about making room for the truth God gives, so that His work may continue.
The ashes of Ash Wednesday are part of that. They are traditionally made from the previous year's Palm Sunday palm branches. On that day the people welcomed Christ as a conquering king. By the end of that week, the very same people shouted, "Crucify him!" That week their false expectations, built on false-promises of easy solutions crumbled. In the end, only God could bring something out of it. (And three days after they crucified Jesus, He did.)
Ash Wednesday and Lent done as Ash Wednesday and Lent will have a similar effect on us, clearing the way for what God wants to give.
Special thanks to Pr. Nathan Metzger for his excellent summary of Ash Wednesday and Lent.
