Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. At Resurrection we celebrate the day with the imposition of ashes, which simply means the pastor marks the sign of the cross on our forehead with ashes during the Ash Wednesday service. Use the guided conversation questions included with this project to talk with your children about the significance of Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season. Have each family member print off this self- portrait and personalize the hair, face and shoulders. Color the cross on your forehead with a black marker, black colored pencil, black charcoal or black construction paper. What is Lent?

Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter. It’s a special time of the year for Christians when we reflect on the good things we do to love and honor God, but also think about how to change the not-so-good things in our life. Some like to think of Lent as a journey; starting on Ash Wednesday and ending with Easter Sunday, where we celebrate how much God loves us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What is Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent. It’s a time to reflect on our brokenness, our sin and death (physical and spiritual). The ancient act of marking a cross with ashes (imposition of ashes) on the forehead is a physical way of bringing meaning to this day and a gesture of repentance or turning away from our sin. The ashes for Ash Wednesday come from the burned palm branches from the previous years’ Palm Sunday service.

What do you do during Lent?

Traditionally, it’s a time where Christians will fast, or give something up. Other Christians will choose to add something new that they don’t normally do, like read their Bible or pray more intensively. There isn’t a right or wrong way to do Lent. The most important part is to focus your attention on God … ei- ther by taking away distractions or by adding things that will bring you closer.

1. What was it like to have the pastor put ashes on your forehead and say, “remember you are dust and to dust you shall return’? Reflect on the sounds, smells and sense of touch. [Answers will vary] 2. Why do we get ashes on our forehead on Ash Wednesday? [To remind us of our mortality] 3. What things are we doing now as a family to love and honor God? [Answers will vary] 4. What things are we doing now as a family that could be distracting us from God? [Answers will vary] 5. How does our family want to celebrate Lent and use these 40 days to grow closer to God? Put together a plan as a family on how you want to grow your faith this Lenten season.