ASH WEDNESDAY

Sometime today you may see people walking around with a gray or black smudge on their foreheads. If you look closely you will see that the smudge is a cross.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of a season that Christians call Lent. Most of know about Lent because that's what follows Mardi Gras. Early this morning the police in New Orleans shut down the bars and rolled up the streets to bring an end to the partying and serious Christians begin a vital spiritual journey.

That journey is to engage in prayer and self-examination, reflection on God's Word, and simplifying their lives so they can focus on the Cross of Jesus Christ and what it has given them. We believe Christ died on the Cross to release us from the power and penalty of our sin so we can live out our purpose, reflecting His glory as we seek to become and behave like Jesus. Without God's action on the Cross, there is no new beginning.

So Lent begins with a reminder of what the Cross means to us and a recommitment to make sure we are living like Jesus. The smudge, it's a mark we take at a worship time to give us a tangible reminder of this spiritual journey.