Symbolism and Meaning of Ash Wednesday

How is Ash Wednesday recognized in your church?  Our service is one of my favorite of the year, not because of anything that we do specifically, but because we gather together, to begin the season of Lent, as a church family.  We don't use ashes, although part of me wishes that we did because of the power held in the symbolism of having ashes, which represent the suffering and death of Christ, marked across the forehead.  Our words are not has powerful as our symbols to help us identify with that which we are meaning to emphasize and focus upon.  What brings you to your knees more - speaking or hearing of the cross or seeing the cross?  For most of us it's seeing the cross that touches us more, which is part of the reason that The Passion of the Christ is such a powerful movie. 

I really appreciate how Brett McCracken, contributing author for Christianity Today and Relevant magazine, describes why he loves Ash Wednesday:

I love Ash Wednesday for the way that it symbolizes — so concisely — what it means to be a Christian. It’s not about being beautiful or powerful or triumphant; it’s about being scarred and humbled and sacrificial. But it’s not like this is a defeatist exercise in self-flagellation or something. No, on the contrary, to “give up” or “sacrifice” in the name of Christ is (or should be) the height of our joy. We should strive to be like Christ, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame…” (Hebrews 12:2). For the joy set before him… That should be why we endure suffering and embrace self-denial. It’s paradoxical and mysterious and counterintuitive—certainly. But when I feel those cold ashes spread across my forehead, it all makes some sort of wonderful sense.

Paul Tillich once said that “man’s ultimate concern must be expressed symbolically, because symbolic language alone is able to express the ultimate.” And I think in Christian sacraments and rituals (like communion, baptism, or the imposition of ashes), we can see how true this is. Ash Wednesday is more than just a day that ... kicks off the Christian period of Lent. It’s a symbol that exists within and yet points beyond the materiality and ephemera of this place and this time to the transcendent and restorative oneness of the “ultimate concern” which is God Himself.

HT: Brett McCracken