In our age of Botox and our culture’s pursuit of perpetual youth ashes made in the sign of the holy cross + are a good reminder we are mortal and in Christ that is ok we will live. Spirit of Hope Lutheran Church, will be offering two Ash Wednesday Services on Maat 2:00 p.m. As in past years the imposition of ashes will be offered to those who so desire. By the eleventh century, the discipline of public penitence had largely disappeared and Lent was accepted by the entire church as a time to receive ashes and undergo penitence. In the ninth century the imposition of ashes together with seven penitential psalms were added to the rite of expulsion of penitents from the church during Lent, and the day came to be known as Ash Wednesday. Clergy smear ashes, usually those left after burning palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm. They were admonished, prayed for, given the laying-on of hands, and expelled from the church before Holy Communion.Īs early as the third century Tertullian mentions ashes as an external sign of public penitence. Many churches mark the beginning of the penitential season of Lent with the imposition of ashes. Lent (40 days before Easter), the penitents were placed under discipline. Thus, although Lutherans began Lent with Ash Wednesday, they did not retain the use of ashes.Ashes today A contemporary Lutheran appropriation of the Imposition of Ashes should begin with the two-fold biblical understanding of ashes: as a sign of our mortality and as a sign of our repentance. In succeeding centuries, however, this public penitence was joined to Lent. Several years might be spent in each of the stages. In the fourth century those undergoing church discipline had to endure several stages of excommunication and reinstatement: weepers, who stood outside the church doors asking the prayers of those who went in hearers, who were allowed in the narthex standers who stood with the congregation but who had to leave before Holy Communion.

Ash Wednesday was originally a day for the expulsion of penitents from the church, the beginning of a time of temporary excommunication.

Lutheran imposition of ashes