Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. My pastor decided not to do the imposition of ashes. I think it was the first time in my life I didn’t get ashes on my forehead for Ash Wednesday.
It was interesting to think about how forehead ashes are not talked about in the Bible, so they don’t really matter, but that it has been such a long-standing tradition in my life it feels like it should matter. In the end, I really appreciated the experience because it made me think about priorities.
I didn’t get a chance to ask my pastor why he didn’t do it because so many people were chit-chatting with him after the service. Maybe I’ll catch up with him later.
I like your forehead picture.
Personally, I am not a fan of the ashes, and that’s probably a reason why they are good. The actual application gives me the shivers, and that is a good reminder of the awfulness of my sin. At school we wrote our sins on papers and I burned them, then showed them the ashes. They could get a cross on their hand if they liked, but the concept is all just introductory.
I never knew ashes were a thing until we moved here and were around more Catholics. With social media, I’m always surprised at how many Lutheran churches do it.