We have been given life not for ourselves, but for them, after all - to serve them and put their needs before our sinful need to be seen as good, Lent-y Christians. In our new, absolved, baptized life in Christ, then, we can wipe off that reminder of the dusty and dead Old Adam so that our fasting and repentance is not seen by our neighbors but only our new lives of love and service for them. And then, repentant, our sins are absolved with the Gospel and faith receives the Word with the bread and body and wine and blood - even more forgiveness in our mouths, in the Lord’s Supper! Today, God’s Word came to me from outside myself through the voice of his servant, along with the ashen reminder that, “Dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” On Ash Wednesday ashes are imposed on our foreheads precisely because we cannot repent on our own either. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel…” “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. We even believe that the faith itself to receive these gifts isn’t of ourselves, but also a gift from God. (Incidentally, that’s also why we use the liturgy - because it’s more of God’s Word and who can improve on that?!) Baptism, the Lord’s Supper…more gifts from God through His Word tied to means, all come to us from outside of us. We listen to God’s Word read in our worship services so that it can come into our ears from outside of us. The gifts of God come to us from outside of us (the fancy Latin term there is “extra nos,”). I don’t think that’s really the kind of sorrow I’m supposed to be feeling. More like self-pity. But most of the time, I’m just feeling guilty for being so weak as to not be able to participate in the season as I think I should, and like everyone else does. I know we’re supposed to be repentant, feeling sorrow for our sins and contemplating Christ’s sufferings. Oh, I can do reasonably well for a few days, but then it’s almost always back to what suits my mood and desires at the time. I rebel against any and all constraints put on my freedom - even just to follow through with the basic necessities of life and have things scheduled on my calendar.

As people are posting on social media about what they’re giving up (sometimes social media!), what they’re adding, what they’re doing to try and practice some penitent self-control through the season of Lent, this fact becomes all the more clear.

From Sandra Ostapowich, The Imposition of Repentance | Baptizatus Sum:

Ash wednesday 2019 imposition ashes