Ash Wednesday Begins Season Of Reflection

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent - a 40-day period of prayer, fasting and charity.

It’s a time of introspection, as Christians prepare for Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday.

“Lent is an opportunity to look at our relationship with God,” said the Rev. Pam Morgan, rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church inSpringdale. “It’s an opportunity to repent, if needed, and to draw near to God.”

Liturgical churches mark the season with the imposition of ashes. The sooty sign of the cross is a physical reminder that people die, said the Rev. Paul Haas, pastor of Bella Vista Lutheran Church.

“There’s no avoiding the reality - save for Christ, nobody gets out of this life alive.”

Yet the promise of Easter- and the Christian faith - is that God’s love extends beyond the grave.

“Lent is a time of remembering all the things that had to happen for us to be saved,” Haas said.

Many believers practice some form of abstinence, giving up something pleasurable during the six weeks of Lent. Others take on an additional discipline. Disciplines can range from Scripture reading to community outreach, said the Rev. JaimeAlexander of First United Methodist Church of Bella Vista.

“By giving something up (or taking on a spiritual discipline), we’re more in tune with Christ’s life, with what he gave up,” Alexander said.

Members of his congregation will commit in writing to their fast or discipline, he said. They’ll dedicate the cards at the altar during theAsh Wednesday service.

Many churches choose a focus for study during Lent. The theme in Alexander’s church will be “Never the Same Again,” an in-depth look at the last days of Christ’s life.

The theme will permeate Sunday services, special Wednesday services and at-home daily devotions, he said.

Members of Bella Vista Lutheran will explore their Confessions of Faith in weekly Wednesday services.

St. Thomas Episcopal willhost “Prayer: The Common Denominator” each Wednesday evening. Members of various faiths and ethnic backgrounds will share their prayer experiences.

A Roman Catholic will start the series Feb. 29 with the Divine Chaplet of Mercy, a sung rosary. A Jew, a Muslim, a Kiowa Indian and an African also will present.

“For people of faith, what really unites us is that we pray - not how we pray or even who we pray to,” Morgan said. “Prayer is a common language in our relationship with the divine.”