Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Sustainable Ashes


Sometime this afternoon I will go into our back yard and light a blazing fire. I will be burning a bundle of palm branches from last year's Palm Sunday service in preparation for this evening's Ash Wednesday service. There is surprisingly little residue from this conflagration, but I will mix the ashes with oil to create the paste smeared on each participant's forehead in the sign of the cross.

I was disappointed yesterday by an email from an organization called Eco-Palms saying that they did not ship their palms to Canada. Unfortunately the palms most churches buy for the Palm Sunday celebration are harvested in a manner that is essentially clear-cutting. The Eco-Palm organization harvests the branches in a way that is sustainable. I had recruited some of my colleagues to order from this U.S. organization. Alas, we won't be able to do this.

This "caring for creation" stuff can be hard work! When I grew up in the United Church there were no Ash Wednesday services. I find this liturgical beginning to Lent to be quite meaningful. Have you attended a service in the past, or will you attend one today?

4 comments:

Laurie said...

I attended an Ash Wednesday service at "The House of Blues". It was a meaningful service with great music. I am in Disney so wasn't sure what the service would be like but it was good. I don't really identify much with Ash Wenesday (I see it as a Catholic ritual), but I sure liked the music this morning.

Nancy said...

Have been to one in the past and will be to one this evening. I plan to take our daughter tonight. It became clear to me this a.m. over breakfast that I need to pay closer attention, for although I know the meaning etc, I was unable to answer all of the questions she had for me. Hopefully these questions will be answered for her through participation.

David Mundy said...

Thank you for your "take" from afar Laurie. It is a good reminder of the commonalities of faith communities which are not bound by borders.

Nancy, I am writing this the day after the service, and you may have noticed that I "ramped up" the explanation last night.

Deborah Laforet said...

I love having kids at these kinds of services. So, many times, kids are left at home for these more solemn services. Both of my boys went. Joshua was very curious. It was his first time. He ran up to me as I was putting ashes on someone's forehead, looked in the bowl, and said, "What's that?"

I explained very quietly to him, he went to the end of the line to stand with his grammy, and then joined in the ritual. After church, he asked if he could wash it off because he didn't want to be embarrassed the next day at school.

Kids make a ritual seem new.