Livin' the life...

Here's a short history lesson on Ash Wednesday (which is 6 February - today - this year)..

"Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent for Western Christian churches. It's a day of penitence to clean the soul before the Lent fast. .. The service draws on the ancient Biblical traditions of covering one's head with ashes, wearing sackcloth, and fasting. ..

In Ash Wednesday services churchgoers are marked on the forehead with a cross of ashes as a sign of penitence and mortality. .. The minister or priest marks each worshipper on the forehead, and says remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return, or a similar phrase based on God's sentence on Adam in Genesis 3:19." (Ref)

For more info visit here or over there. And, as would be expected, Crosswalk has a nice Lent 101 article for the season.

Many thanks to 'Your Pastoral Coach' for the image used in this post.