Last night we began our 40 day Lenten Season with an Ash Wednesday Service. It was a multi-church service held at North Phoenix Baptist Church. Thanks to Scott Savage of Crash for spearheading this with me. Lent is 40 days for a number of reasons. It didn’t start out that way, but sort of grew into it over time. (As a side note, Lent technically does not include Sundays, which are always Feast Days to celebrate the Resurrection, and not Fast Days). I think one of the main reasons it became 40 days is because of the significance of the number 40 in Scripture.

Moses spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai with God where he received the 10 Commandments. Later, he spends 40 years wandering in the desert with the people of Israel following their disobedience at Kadesh (of course Caleb, Joshua and the other Recon Men spent 40 days checking out the promised land). David spend 40 years as King (7 as King of Judah only, and then 33 as King of all Israel). In Jesus’ life, we also have a couple of significant 40 periods. The first is the 40 days he spent fasting in wilderness and facing the temptations of Satan. And after His resurrection, He spent 40 days on earth before He ascended into heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of the Father.

So we are now into our 4o days of journeying to the Cross…and the empty tomb! Last night I encouraged us to use this time, and the discipline of fasting, to make space for God in our hearts. This is what God wants from us. He wants our hearts. While fasting in and of itself does nothing to make God pleased with us, none of our works can do that. What fasting does is make us aware of our need, our limitations, our dependency upon something (someone) greater than ourselves. Use those moments of hunger or thirst to refocus upon our Father. He waits for us to come to Him with “lowly spirits and contrite hearts.” And St. James tells us, if we draw near to God, He WILL draw near to us.

This is the Collect (prayer) for Ash Wednesday. Per the Book of Common Prayer, it is to be prayed every day through the Lenten Season.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent, create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Shane+