Our Ash Wednesday service is full of rich symbols. With the Imposition of Ashes and the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we are reminded that our faith, our church, and our worship life, has much outward symbolism.

The scripture for our time together this Ash Wednesday is one of those passages that seems to go against the very fabric of our tradition as we understand it. We might be tempted at first reading to wonder if everything that we traditionally do as part of a worship service is called into question, from the way we shape our prayers together, our passing of the plates so that our collection of tithes and offerings is seen by all, to having joint confessions, raising of the cup, and breaking of the bread in ways that all can see.

While historical study can aid us in understanding tha…