Lenten Leanings
Let me wear those ashes...
In our home, I have a tradition of selecting some art for the liturgical season for display on our fireplace mantel in our family room “bear den” where we are gathered together every evening as a family. Our finances are all budgeted for right now, and we are being careful about spending, so even though I can usually find some artwork for a good deal, and its worth the investment for us, I haven’t picked up anything yet for the Lenten season of the church calendar. However, as I have run through our inventory in my mind of what we have available in our home at the moment, I was drawn to the art in the book, Sacred Seasons: A Family Guide to Center Your Year Around Jesus.
Danielle Hitchen has curated a beautiful book and meaningful text to explain the liturgical calendar, its various feast days, its historical significance in Church history, poetry, prayers, Scripture readings, and ways you can creatively incorporate various elements in your family traditions and home. It is an instructive guide to lead your family into worship during these important holi-days.
The image above created by artist, Stephen Crotts, captures the symbolism of the liturgical year with its oval border featuring the colors of each season of the church with its centerpiece, the lamb holding a flag with a cross, the lamb symbolizing Jesus.
Ash Wednesday is the first day inaugurating the season of Lent which is the preparation season in the “Cycle of Life”. As we step into this season as a family and for our church, we look to several resources to help us use this time as a discipleship tool, a way to be aware of our sinful habits, the ways we miss the mark, and how we can grow in sanctification. We use this time to focus on prayer and to grow in our prayer habits. None of these things are works we must do to attain grace. There is no “holier than thou” going on here. These practices are simple opportunities to focus, to grow, and to increase our love for the Lord who has done all this for us.
We can enter into this season with joyful hearts, knowing we are already loved, forgiven, accepted through Christ’s work for us on the cross. We are journeying to the cross, to Good Friday, and it is a joyful journey because we are already redeemed, part of the Bride of Christ, standing on this side of the resurrection, justified by His grace. His Kingdom has come, and is coming.
Oh! Let me wear those ashes, the sign of the cross upon my forehead with the saints alive and earthbound in this time and sacred space of earth!
More Lenten Leanings to offer here:
A Joyful Heart: Meditations for Lent
