Ash Wednesday

February 25, 2004 in Faith & Religion, Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday - a time of self examination as Lent begins.

A collect for Ash Wednesday from the New Zealand Prayer Book.

God of the desert, as we follow Jesus into the unknown,
may we recognise the tempter when he comes;
let it be your bread we eat,
your world we serve and you alone we worship.

An excellent contemporary collect for urban dwellers is A Collect for the City Desert by Matt Humm.

More about Ash Wednesday at BBC - Religion & Ethics - Ash Wednesday.

For more on Lent and why “purple” see BBC - Religion & Ethics - Lent. (Some Christian traditions use different colours for Ash Wednesday and Lent (including unbleached linen)).