Our Ash Wednesday worship with Aloha United Methodist Church will not include an online option. However, for those who are unable to join us in person, we will be providing a pre-recorded Ash Wednesday worship opportunity on our ChristChurch YouTube channel. Look for a Special Faith News email with the link to this worship video in your inbox on Wednesday morning, February 22nd.

The phrase we recite when we make the sign of the cross in ashes on our foreheads and acknowledge our mortality and our ‘createdness’ is taken from Genesis, chapter 3, verse 19: “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” 

Here are a couple of tips if you plan to participate in the Ash Wednesday ritual from your home: While it is traditional to use ashes, the passage from Genesis reminds us that it is completely appropriate to use soil from your garden as a substitute for ash. 

If you do have access to ashes from your fireplace or woodstove, please remember to only use a vegetable oil (olive oil works well) when preparing your ashes. Never use water to mix with the ashes because ashes mixed with water will cause a chemical reaction that can burn the skin. Only vegetable oil, never water.

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