16/02/2026
Lent begins this week. Lent is a season in the life of the church that invites us to slow down, to be honest about ourselves, and to reorientate our hearts toward God. For forty days we prepare for Easter. Lent gives us space to pray more and to let go of habits that keep us from loving God and others well.
And Lent begins with Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday is a simple traditional service held every year in which we gather to hear the call to turn around and come back to God. We remember that we are human, that life is fragile and precious, and that we depend on God’s grace every day. Ashes are placed on our foreheads in the shape of a cross with the ashes being made from last year’s Palm Sunday crosses, a quiet reminder that the joy of Palm Sunday and the sorrow of Good Friday are part of the same story.
The ashes are a sign. They remind us that we are dust and to dust we shall return. That may sound stark, but it is actually an invitation to live with humility and gratitude. The cross traced in ash also reminds us that we belong to Christ. Even in our weakness, even in our mortality, we are marked with hope.
Ash Wednesday sets the tone for Lent. It calls us to honesty, to prayer, and to trust in goodness of God. It's not about feeling bad. It's about making space for God to do new work in us.
You are warmly invited to join us for our Ash Wednesday service at 10am at St Andrew’s Church, Redcliffs, on Wednesday 18 February. Whether you have observed Lent for years or have never attended an Ash Wednesday service before, you are most welcome.
If you would like to join a Lenten study group this year, please contact the office for details.
