What is Ash Wednesday, why do something like Lent?
There is a purpose to the church calendar year as observed by the liturgical year. It's purpose is to build a rhythm of life into God's people that keeps us anchored in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We follow a different drummer than the rest of the world. It causes us to touch all the bases regarding Jesus, not just focus on parts of His life and teaching. It grounds us in His life in a profound way. Lent is nobody's favorite season but it is necessary to re-orient our lives, to tell us take a season to remove the clutter and get back to keeping the main thing the main thing. I've started a new exercise regime in my life and what I am discovering is that my body is warped in a strange way and I am working to get that righted. I know it will take a long time to undo what has developed over many years of not paying attention to the alignment of my body. It's strong from years of weight lifting but not flexible and not as strong as it could be. I am committed to getting that corrected no matter how painful it is at times or how long it takes because I want to be able to live long and get the most out of life and my body as possible. Who wouldn't? That's exactly the same principle as Lent calls us to.
