Ash Wednesday and Lent

Anyone "celebrate" Ash Wednesday and/or Lent in any traditional or different ways?

traditional for us

Having only been attending churches for the last 10 years that subscribe to Lent, I just seek to be aware of my shortcomings(or scruples?).

I haven't attended an Ash Wed. service for several years-previous commitments-but I keep in the spirit of the day. Tonight my church is having a "Shrove Tuesday" pancake supper along with kid's activities and a parade-wagons, tricycles and costumes. It's the first time I've been to one of those-should be fun! Its origin goes back to not eating eggs, cream, etc. rich food during Lent.

Giving up stuff?-one year at my former Lutheran church we were encouraged to take on a positive thing/behavior.

I just completed my training to be an Episcopal Lay Eucharistic minister and hope to be able to serve during Holy Week & if not, to participate in the readings on Palm Sunday.

ocdchick ::

Since moving to KY, I have just started going to the local Lutheran church. I hadn't been to church in a long time prior to moving here....but made it a priority in my life to have church & bible study a major part of my life.

Every church has different ways of celebrating asn wednesday & the lent services on Wednesday nights during lent. This church has a pot luck dinner before each service. During the ash wednesday service the pastor takes ashes & marks the sigh of the cross on each forhead reminding us that we are of the dust of the earth. Each wednesday service focuses on the shortcomings of us as humans & what we need to focus on to strengthen ourselves.

I am very blessed to have found a church that is so strong in the scriptural teachings. This pastor is an awsome teacher & brings to light the issues of our society today based completely on what the bible teaches.....no human interpretations.

Added to this, I have been involved with a womans bible study at another church in the town next to where I live. "Beth Moore" is the one that wrote the study guide....."Living Beyond Yourself" (exploring the fruit of the spirit). It is a very well put together bible study. It's amazing how God guides my life. I had been to a Dr appointment in Lexington & wanted to stop by the craft store on my way home just to check it out because I was told what an awsome store it was. I went in & started taking to one of the ladies that workes there. We were chatting about some craft things & then started talking about marriage issues & then she invited me to the bible study that was just starting at their church that coming Saturday. I decided that I was going to go & check it out.....I was in need of a good bible study.

I went that Saturday....not for the whole breakfast or things but for the beginning part of the bible study. I was impressed & at that point promised myself that I was going to take this seriously & dedicate the time each day to complete the bible study work at home & attend all the Tuesday night studies.

I have been very blessed by this because it has given me the strength to deal with the marriage situation that I have been going through & has helped me understand what God is telling me regarding what actions I need to take.

Putting my life into Gods hands is the only thing I can do right now because I don't have any idea as to what I need to do to make it work out.

Debbie

My dad does the traditional thing but i never followed.