02/18/2026
Please join us for an Ash Wednesday service tonight at 6pm.
On Ash Wednesday, church services includes receiving ash on the foreheads or the top of their heads, as the wearing of ashes has been a sign of repentance since biblical times.The imposition of ashes is typically done with the sign of the cross, signifying that the recipient is a follower of Jesus. Ash Wednesday derives its name from this practice, in which the words accompany the placement (imposition) of ashes, "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or the dictum "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The ashes are prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations.
"Remember that you are dust... and to dust you shall return."
These words are often offered during Ash Wednesday worship services.
The words are not meant to sound threatening or foreboding. Instead they remind us that we are not God, but God's good creation. As we receive the ashes on Ash Wednesday, we acknowledge our mortality, our dependence on God and our need for renewal. It is a call to live fully, love boldly and turn our hearts toward Godβs grace.
Lent invites us into a season of reflection, repentance and renewal. How is God calling you to grow in grace in this season?