It is hard to believe Lent is nearly upon us, but on February 18th we will be celebrating Ash Wednesday, the beginning of a season of penitential contemplation. The whole idea of a season of penitence creates a tension within our Christian faith. If we are saved by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and received into his family in our baptism, why set aside a season focused on our sin?

Luther described this tension with the phrase, simul justus et peccator — “at the same time righteous and sinner.” Though our Father in heaven sees us clothed in the righteousness of Christ, yet we know and experience our sinfulness daily, and we will until Christ comes again. Lent, therefore, is a season that allows the Church to humbly repent to reflect on Christ’s saving sacrifice. It is no accident that Lent leads us into Holy Week, where we celebrate the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord.

I had never seen the imposition of ashes until I moved to New York. On Ash Wednesday, people throughout the city went about their business with these smudged crosses on their foreheads—carrying with them both a reminder of their sinfulness and a public profession of their faith.

The imposition of ashes does three things for us. First, they remind us of our sin. Second, it reminds us of our mortality. God warned Adam that if he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that he would die. The words we speak when imposing the ashes is what God declared to Adam after the fall, “You are dust and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19) These words confront us with the wages of sin. Third—and most importantly— the ashes are placed in the sign of the cross. Because we belong to Christ, we are not only sinners but saints, redeemed by His death.

Yes, Lent is a season of reflection and repentance. We may even choose to fast as an additional reminder of this. But, like the cross that is traced upon our foreheads, Lent points us to Christ—the One who died so that we might live.

✝️ Pastor Deming

The full newsletter can be found here:
https://www.faithmoorpark.com/files/pdf/2026/2026-02-Newsletter.pdf