Ash Wednesday Different Strokes

It's a very un-Ash Wednesdayish day in southeast Texas. The sky is clear blue, the sun in shining and it's about 80 degrees. My air conditioning is on. On a beautiful day like this it's more difficult to get in the proper mood.

The church we attend now offers a couple of Ash Wednesday services in its small chapel rather than the large sanctuary. Some of you remember my No Ashes Please post on this subject from 2006. El Jefe and I are not going to attend this year because the imposition of ashes is the point of the service, and there's no reason to attend if you aren't going to participate fully. In our previous church, I was expected to go every year because as a choir member we were needed in the service. Here the service doesn't include the choir.

El Jefe and I are observing Lent by taking on the leadership of a small group Lenten study. I think the discipline of preparing for those meetings will be a good one.

I pray that each of you who do attend an Ash Wednesday service today find it a meaningful way to begin the Lenten season and those of you who don't, like me and El Jefe, find your own observance of Lent equally meaningful.