Ash Wednesday 2026

Ash Wednesday reminds me that the church year is a cycle, a never-ending loop of time where we experience several different sets of emotions and spiritual events. We have the anticipation of Advent and Christmas, the wonder of Epiphany, the work of the Spirit at and after Pentecost, the elation of Easter, and now the sober reflection of Lent. Over the years, I have worked to make Lent a little different each year to keep it from becoming routine and stale, something that only lasts for the first two weeks. The tradition of Lent has been to confess sins and repent of them, but that seems too narrow when I confess my sins daily in Morning Prayer and on Sunday at the Eucharist. There is a necessary element of looking deeply and honestly at our failings, things we did that we shouldn’t have done, things we didn’t do that we should have done, and those are not part of daily devotions. This is an essential part of the Lenten experience, but not one that should lead us to wallow in our brokenness, without the hope of becoming more Christ-like. This focus on our failings is also just half of our redemptive story. There is more to do during Lent than confession and repentance, reflection and discipline.

There’s a feeling of incomplete resolution after being absolved of sins that leads us to ask “What now?” It doesn’t feel quite enough after that sigh of relief to turn back to life again without putting some meaning to the experience of anxiously confessing and gratefully receiving forgiveness. We can say “Well, I won’t do that again. I’ve learned my lesson!” But in the spirit of “It’s ok to make mistakes, just make different ones,” we know what’s coming. Waiting patiently in the background is the embarrassment and shame of taking responsibility for our actions, and the fear that maybe this time forgiveness will be withdrawn for something more drastic. It is unrealistic to expect that we won’t make another mistake, that we won’t hurt someone, that we won’t turn away from God and the life Jesus calls us to. That doesn’t mean that we can take a passive role and rely on absolution to regain moral balance and convince ourselves that we aren’t so bad after all. Our relationship with Jesus’ death on the cross is two-way, and we need to respond to it with more than just words. Anyone can say words that make them sound contrite.

We will hear in a few minutes that Lent is a time of prayer, fasting, and self-denial. These are all things that we do, actions taken to recognize what sin is and what it looks like in us. But, we can go beyond just what is prescribed for us during Lent to build a stronger life in Jesus. We can create what is known as a rule of life, things that we purposefully do every day that brings us back into relationship with God and with the people around us. Our baptismal vows are a place to start: naming sin and evil when we see it in ourselves or in others; diligence in joining the body of Christ as it comes together for worship; leading a life of humility and accountability; bringing the Good News to those who need to hear it; making Jesus’ love our response to everyone; working toward justice that lifts up the dignity of each person, regardless of their innocence or guilt. This is just the start of a rule of life, and it is during Pentecost that we engage in the work of the Holy Spirit to discover in scripture what else we can do to strengthen our relationship with God and with the people around us. A rule of life is our answer to the question “What now?” when we are forgiven our sins. It is not a bargain made to ensure forgiveness in the future. It is not weight added to our moral scale to offset our sins. It is not a pass that excuses the things we will do in the future. It is our response to the grace of God that we long to attain ourselves, our response to the cross and what it means to us. It is how we turn the words of confession into something real, something tangible. It is how we can be transformed from seeing ourselves as hopeless sinners to unconditionally loved children of God. May we all have a blessed Lenten season as we look inward and build a rule of life.