Ash Wednesday

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten season.  In early church history, Lent was observed as a period of time when the whole community prayed and fasted with the catechumens - people converting to Christianity who received training in doctrine and discipline before baptism on Easter.  Those who were already baptized prepared to renew their baptismal promises at Easter, thus joining the catechumens in seeking to deepen their own conversion. 

With the disappearance of the catchumencate from the church's life, peoples' understanding of the season of Lent changed.  By the Middle Ages, the emphasis was no longer baptismal.  Instead the emphasis shifted to the passion and death of Jesus. Lent became a time to acknowledge our guilt for the sins that led to Jesus' passion and death.  Repentance was seen as a way to avoid punishment for sin, instead of a way to renew our baptismal commitment.

Unity looks at Lent as a time for spiritual renewal, similar to the original observance of the early churches.  A time to remove the ashes or residue of things that no longer serve us on our spiritual journey.

Instead of fasting from food or drink, which might be the letter of the law; we look at it as fasting from negative patterns of thoughts, feelings, words and actions.  It is a time for reflection.  It is time to blend and merge our mind with God-Mind.

Here are several things to make your Lenten season more meaningful:
1.  Set aside some time each day to be alone with God.  Every day set aside time for prayer and study.
2.  Daily practice the presence of God.  See God in everything - other people and nature. Talk to God about anything, anytime and anywhere.  Make God your BFF.
3.  Do some self-evaluation.  Take an honest look at yourself; examine your thoughts, feelings, words and behavior.  Don't put yourself down as you are evaluating.  Look at yourself objectively.  Look at these things as something that can be changed.
4.  Decide what you should release and let go.  Look for an area of need and work with it.  Ask the question
"What would make my life better if I got rid of X?" 
5.  Use Denials and Affirmations.  Once you determine your specific fast, you may want to use denials.  As written in Emilie Cady's book Lessons in Truth, "to deny is to declare untrue; to repudiate as utterly false; to deny the claims of error consciousness, to declare these claims to be untrue."  Denials clear away belief in negative appearances as reality and makes room for the establishing of Truth. After you deny, you then affirm.  Again in Cady's Lessons in Truth, "to affirm is to assert positively that it is so, even in the face of all contrary evidence." Affirmations are declarations of spiritual truth.  Denials have an erasive or dissolving tendency.  Affirmations build up and give strength, courage and power.
6.  Make a commitment to spiritual growth during Lent.  It is up to you.  No one can establish dominion for you but you. Every day adhere to your resolve to observe Lent by doing those things that will enhance your spiritual growth.

Lent provides you with a special opportunity to draw closer to God.  A wonderful time to be renewed and to express more of your true spiritual nature.

As you fast and pray you will be on your way to a more meaningful Easter experience, to an awakening to and resurrection of the living Christ within your being and within your life.

Peace Be With You.