More Protestants turn to Ash Wednesday

Chron ^ | February 6, 2008 | RICHARD VARA

[NYer]

Roman Catholics grow up hearing the words on Ash Wednesday as they receive a sign of the cross in ashes on their foreheads:

"For dust you are and to dust you will return."

But Christians at many Protestant churches around the city will be hearing those words from Genesis 3:19 today as they, too, are marked by ashes on the first day of Lent, the 40-day somber season leading to Easter.

Protestant churches in recent years have increasingly turned to the rite to increase spirituality and devotional preparation for Easter Sunday among their members.

"There is a trend ... toward more sacramental forms and it is not surprising to see the recovery of imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday," said the Rev. Daniel K. Dunlap, vice president of Houston Graduate School of Theology and a liturgy expert. The rite was generally abandoned by Protestants after the Reformation, although Episcopalians continued to observe it, he noted.

Among Protestant churches observing Ash Wednesday today are:

•First United Methodist Church, where 600 to 800 members will receive ashes made from burned palm fronds during services at both campuses.
•Memorial Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod), where about 225 students at the church's school and more than 200 church members are expected to be given the sign of the cross in ashes.
•Memorial Drive Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), where associate minister John Malget will distribute ashes to 70 members. He estimates that up to half of his denomination's churches in the Houston area now distribute ashes.

While most Baptists do not observe Ash Wednesday, the Rev. Jeremy Rutledge, pastor of Covenant Baptist Church, will administer ashes at a Rothko Chapel service tonight.

"I put my thumb into a bowl of ashes and I put the ashes on someone's forehead and tell him he is going to die,"said Rutledge, a member of the Amercian Baptist denomination. "It is incredibly powerful."

Reminder of mortality

Patricia Long, a Covenant member since 1968, will feel that power.

"By now it is a familiar ritual that is a meaningful service to me," she said. "It definitely reminds me of the fact that we are all mortal and it calls me to be a better person."

And along with ashes, Lenten sacrifice also has increased among non-Catholics, although it may be in the form of additional work at church or more prayer devotion rather than giving up something like candy, Dunlap said.

Before Associate Pastor Bart Day arrived at Memorial Lutheran 10 years ago, the church did not observe Ash Wednesday. He said the rite draws people into faith and helps keep their minds focused.

The Rev. Steve Wende introduced ashes at smaller churches he served in Kingsville and San Antonio, but found the rite already was in use at First United Methodist Houston when he arrived in 2001.

"It has been around for a while, but it wasn't as popular," said Wende, who fasts one day a week during Lent. "It has been much more widely practiced in the last 10 to 15 years."

The imposition of ashes officially became part of Methodist observance in 1992 edition of the denomination's Book of Worship. The practice is optional, however, and congregations are not required to use it.

"We ask the people to receive the ashes first as a sign of their humility to Christ and second as their witness to the world," Wende said. "Its power has been rediscovered. It is the power of humbling yourself before the cross."

[AnAmericanMother]

Well, their anti-Catholicism was different from the mid-Atlantic anti-Catholicism, which in its turn was different from the Know-Nothings, or the 1840s reaction in the Northeast, or the Civil War disturbances in NYC . . . .

. . . . not to mention the mainline Anglican anti-Catholicism which was nourished right through Victorian times by such otherwise admirable men as Charles Kingsley. . . . his public and disgraceful correspondence with Cardinal Newman makes the Puritans look like models of charm and decorum by comparison . . . .

. . . . I can only conclude that there was a lot of it going round, and we can't blame it all on the Puritans! They hated Anglicans, too, after all!

[TradicalRC]

When I saw the headline, I thought judgment had come on a segment of Christians, reducing us to ash!

No. That would have read: "More Protestants are turning to Ash, Wednesday", but if you'll notice, no comma.

[TradicalRC]

I’m also not aware of the practice in the New Testament.

20 Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21 "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
-Matthew 11:20-22

4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
-Matthew 4:4

[bonfire]

Lutheran and Epis. Maybe Methodists, not sure.

[Manfred the Wonder Dawg]

Thanks for the clarification. With so much poor grammar in the news media, I didn’t want to assume anything.

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

[Zuriel]

Thanks for that passage. Looks like a another example of where great conviction would cause great humbling and repentance.

I reminded of Ninevah’s repentance, where the king SAT in ashes, man and beast were covered with sackcloth, an they cried mightily to God. Do you folks sit in ashes as well?

I’m curious to the sackcloth matter. Is there a site showing some of your persuasion wearing it?

**..every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”**

[TradicalRC]

I reminded of Ninevah’s repentance, where the king SAT in ashes, man and beast were covered with sackcloth, an they cried mightily to God. Do you folks sit in ashes as well?

Ah yes. 39 He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
-Matthew 12:39

Do you folks sit in ashes as well?

On it maybe, not IN it.

I’m curious to the sackcloth matter. Is there a site showing some of your persuasion wearing it?

Hair shirts (the equivalent of sackcloth) was popular during medeival times. It is somewhat out of favor these days. Nevertheless, we do Ash Wednesday, do you folks ignore the Scriptures completely when it suits you? How does it work exactly?

**..every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”**

Do I detect a Phariseeical approach to Scripture?

[Zuriel]

You’re the one that brought up Matt. 4:4.

**Hair shirts (the equivalent of sackcloth)was popular during medeival times. It is somewhat out of favor these days.**

As must be the rending of clothes, for I haven’t noticed any Catholics or Proddies doing those rituals. And that is my point: Those things witnessed in scripture were done in great conviction and outcrying to God for deliverance. There was dramatic change if their life. It was not some vain yearly ritual.

All of my life I’ve lived and worked around people that observed the ash ritual, and it really showed no dramatic change in their daily walk.

[TradicalRC]

All of my life I’ve lived and worked around people that observed the ash ritual, and it really showed no dramatic change in their daily walk.

I've met many Protestant and non-denominational Christians who say Jesus is their personal savior and then act no different from secularists in their mores.

[Zuriel]

So true. Not all that say, Lord, Lord, shall enter in. Because he never knew them. That will be quite a shock.