I appreciate Shawn’s article yesterday on the subject of Ash Wednesday. In short, it’s a man-made holiday, but if you can use it to draw closer to Christ, by all means…but don’t stop a month-and-a-half from now. Keep drawing closer to Jesus every day!
Since Ash Wednesday was yesterday, I thought it appropriate to share a brief and not-too-deep response I offered to a question about the holiday. As with most everything, there’s a lot more to be said on the subject, but this is a good starting point as it focuses not only on why we do what we do, and why we don’t do what we don’t do, but also why we only sometimes do what others always do, and only sometimes don’t do what others always don’t do.
The question was this:
Do ya’ll celebrate Ash Wednesday?
My answer is this:
There is a long Biblical history involving people of the middle east sitting in ashes as an expression of grief. In later years, that cultural expression was turned into a religious ritual by the Roman Catholic Church. Many denominations that sprang from the Catholics continued the practice.
We try not to adhere to any religious ritual or practice that is not in harmony with the Bible. Specifically, we try not to adhere to any religious ritual or practice that is not in harmony with the teaching of Jesus or the Apostles. Thus, since there is no such commandment in the New Testament, and since there is no New Testament example for an “Ash Wednesday” (because the holiday wasn’t invented until long after the Apostles were gone), we do not, in general, celebrate Ash Wednesday.
HOWEVER, there is nothing sinful about putting a smear of ash on your forehead. It’s one thing to say “there is no New Testament example where such observance is kept” but it’s very different to say “because there’s no example it is automatically wrong to do it.” The former is my position; the latter is not. I suppose, as long as your action is not done immodestly (to be seen by others as a way to show how especially holy you think you are, etc), then there is nothing generally wrong with it.
I would only condemn an action that is condemned, either by direct statement, example, or obvious implication, in the New Testament. At the same time, I would never command someone to observe something that likewise was not authorized in the New Testament, either by a direct statement, example, or obvious implication.
So no, we—as a congregation of believers—do not “celebrate” Ash Wednesday because the congregations of believers in the New Testament did not. But individuals doing individual things that do not go against the doctrine of Christ is left to the individual to observe…
Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
(Romans 14:13-14).Thank you for the question,come visit us anytime.
~ Matthew