Lent 2016 - day 1

It is hard to believe that I haven't blogged for over a year, but for the season of Lent this year, I have decided to give up Facebook and related games in order to read scripture and reflect of it through writing on this blog.  This morning I took Aurelia with me to St. Stephen's Catholic Church to the traditional Ash Wednesday sunrise service.  I did look online for a  Protestant church that had a morning service but, while I did find more noncatholic services that were having Ash Wednesday programming, most of them are on Wednesday evening.  What is the point of that?  If your supposed to wear the ashes and be penitent, it really isn't much trouble to do it for a couple of hours before you go to bed.  I told her she didnt have to, but Aurelia wanted to take the ashes.  For a kid who is often concerned about what people will think of her, that took a lot of guts, since I am pretty sure she is the only kid in her school who will be wearing them.  The priest at St. Stephen's reminded us of three disciplines we can practice during the season.

1) Prayer
2) Fasting
3)Almsgiving

I will be trying to do all three of these to the best of my ability without being legalistic about it.  I explained what fasting is to Aurelia, and because she has issues with eating already, I told her she could give up something else if she wanted, but she didn't have to do anything.  She chose to give up Gonoodle.com an activity website she likes to do.  I was proud of her for choosing something on her own. 

Walking in the Buckman neighborhood with ashes makes me feel what muslims who wear a hijab must be feel. People look at me and then look away.  One woman even walked the other way, as if I might become unstable.  I didn't expect that.

Today I was a parent volunteer chaperone for Aurelia's class trip to the Oregon Humane Society.  When I went to check in at the school office, one of the ladies asked me about my ashes.  Her tone was one of concern as if I were some sort of religious fanatic.   When I went into Aurelia's classroom.  All the kindergarten kids (and parents for that matter) stared at my forheard.  One of the other dads introduced himself and wished me a "Happy Ash Wednesday" which was nice.  The point of Ash Wednesday is to kick off a season if piety and reflection, but the dad was trying.  

Tonight at our church someone who would have no idea tried to argue with me that ash Wednesday was the Wednesday before Easter.  I show much grace and patience explaining why I had an Ash cross on my forehead to about 20 different people.  "Isn't that a Catholic thing?" People would ask.  "No, it is practiced in many Christian denominations, Roman Catholic being one, the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Anglican, and Lutheran churches all do as well.  Seriously, even if it were a Roman Catholic thing, who cares.  I know a lot of Evangelical Christians who will be surprised that our Catholic brothers and sisters will be in heaven, and I will just chuckle and say, " I told you so."

This morning the priest said we don't wear ashes because we want to draw attention to ourselves but rather because we are identifying with one another so when you see people we're wearing ashes today you know that you are on the journey together. I went all day and didn't see anyone else wearing ashes.  Not at the school were Aurelia go not at the Oregon Humane Society not even at my own church. But I went to Fred Meyer to pick up a couple of supplies that we needed and low and behold a little family of Asians were wearing the Sign of the Cross and then I knew I was a part of something bigger. I hope you have a blessed lent.