Wednesday's Catch: 'Ash Wednesday from ancient tradition to modern practice' And More

Ash Wednesday from ancient tradition to modern practice
Ash Wednesday signals the start of the Lenten season, the 40-day season of prayer, fasting, and repentance leading to Easter. Each year, millions of Christians approach the altar to receive a small cross of ashes on their foreheads, where they hear the solemn words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” or “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

But where did this tradition come from? Let’s turn to the Bible and Church history to obtain the answer.

Also See: Why ashes? The gift of finding our finitude in a digital world; What is the biblical basis of Ash Wednesday?

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe’s Ash Wednesday letter to the church
When God told Moses to lead the ancient Israelites out of slavery in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh stood in his way. Pharaoh wanted power and control over God’s people, and Exodus tells us that the more serious the situation got, the more hardened his heart became. Despite locusts and frogs and all manner of chaos in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh remained trapped by his view of the world, which had himself and his power at the center. He could not see that God’s imagination was far bigger and more expansive than his. He could not imagine liberation for God’s people—or for himself....

Update: TPUSA event at First Baptist Orlando appears to be canceled
Turning Point USA apparently has canceled First Baptist Church of Orlando as a stop on its “Make Heaven Crowded” tour.

Trump supporters' extreme views driven by personal insecurity: research
PsyPost reports that a new study published in the journal Advances in Psychology suggests that White people who personally perceive themselves as ranking at the bottom of the racial economic hierarchy or “tied” with Black Americans were the most likely to support President Donald Trump.

Also See: Trump support in 2024 linked to White Americans’ perception of falling to the bottom of the racial hierarchy; White Americans’ feelings of being “last place” are associated with anti-DEI attitudes, Trump support, and Trump vote during the 2024 U.S. presidential election

Resisting the Lure of Catholicism and Orthodoxy
Why are students drawn to Rome or Constantinople?

Coffee-growing countries becoming too hot to cultivate beans, analysis finds
Yes, climate change now threatens the church's coffee hour! Will donuts be next?

Is Your Faith in Someone or to Get Something?
Faith isn’t about getting something; it’s about responding to God in obedience.

4 Reasons Your Church Should Read Scripture in Community
When Scripture is studied within a community, it gives the church a shared story sturdy enough to bear the weight of real life.

A Guide to Praying the Daily Offices
In this article I offer a basic guide to praying the Daily Offices. The four offices with which Anglicans and Episcopalians in North America will be most familiar are the services of Morning and Evening Prayer, the service of Noon Day Prayer, and the service of Compline, or Prayer at the End of the Day. Some may be familiar with the Lucenary, or Lamp-Lighting Service, called the Order for Worship in the Evening in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer; others may be familiar with the Litany, or General Intercession, used as a separate service.

Can AI Preach My Sermon?
We have crossed a strange and significant line. For centuries, those who gathered to hear the preaching of God’s Word could safely assume that the messages they heard were prayerfully prepared by a human pastor. That pastor was someone called by God, shaped by Scripture, and burdened with the task of proclaiming it. In 2026, that assumption can no longer be made.

AI researchers are sounding the alarm on their way out the door
“The world is in peril,” warned the former head of Anthropic’s Safeguards Research team as he headed for the exit. A researcher for OpenAI, similarly on the way out, said that the technology has “a potential for manipulating users in ways we don’t have the tools to understand, let alone prevent.”

Mark DeYmaz: When Actions Speak Louder
In the 21st century, then, what we say about Jesus means very little apart from meaningful action that represents him well. For this reason, I believe we’re living in a Matthew 5:16 century. In this particular passage, Jesus emphasizes, “Let them see your good works. That’s what will compel them toward your Father in heaven” (paraphrase mine).

Also See: Vox Church: Broader Impact