Ash Wednesday is a Holy Day that marks the first day of lent. It is 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter Sunday and always falls on a Wednesday. Most Catholics and some protestants participate in Ash Wednesday Service, though the Eastern Orthodox Church marks the beginning of Lent on “Clean Monday.”

My first experience of this Holy Day and the imposition of ashes occurred in El Paso, TX. The formality of High Church was a new experience to me. All I knew of lent was Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter morning. I’d heard of a Holy Week but had missed Maundy Thursday completely, and this important day where we acknowledge our own mortality - that had skipped right past me!

Ash Wednesday’s Importance

If you’re from a more traditional church (Catholic, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist) I doubt you need to be sold on the importance of honoring Ash Wednesday or participating in lenten discipline.

However, (if you’re Evangelical, Independent, Quaker, or from one of many other protestant denominations) Ash Wednesday Services may be a new concept for you. It was for me, a preacher’s kid with a seminary education, so don’t for a second think you’re alone. 

I do want you to consider the opportunity that this holy day presents. It’s an opportunity to share with your congregation a long history of repentance, one that started in the 11th century and is believed to be first spoken of in the book of Daniel.

Ancient tradition is not all stuffy and meaningless. There is a reason it has survived the test of time. A lot of it holds real value.

There is a purpose behind this common practice of the Christian faith.

It ties us to our history, to the men and women of faith who paved the way for us to worship freely, and to the people who will come after us.

It reminds us that all human beings, even you and me, die.

Our ancestors did, we will, and our descendants will as well.

It reminds us that it is not just death that we share.

God’s forgiveness, Christ Jesus, and eternal life are all gifts that we share with the people before and after us.

It’s a beautiful thing to be in a community of tradition.

We’re missing a lot of that in the church today - connection to our past and to our future. I don’t mean holding on to our past, more acknowledging the past for what it was and the people who lived in it as a part of how we got to today. 

When we partake in rituals it connects us to a much larger community, something we are all craving these days.

Ash Wednesday: A Reminder We Are All Connected

The practice of drawing an ash cross on our foreheads is a reminder of our own mortality and an everlasting God who loves us.

From the outside looking in, I thought the ritual smudge on people’s foreheads as a reminder of death was a strange practice - and then I took part in it and experienced an overwhelming peace and deep understanding of God’s forgiveness and mercy.

We may feel like insignificant small human beings made from the dust of this earth whose lives are insignificant… but Jesus’ words are a promise of eternal life. Ash Wednesday is a reminder that the glory of God outshines all of our imperfections.

What are the Ashes?

Some churches keep the palm branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday and burn them to make the ashes used on Ash Wednesday.

In 2019, when churches were starting to close their doors, the kids and I held our own Ash Sunday service at the dining room table. We each wrote out our regrets, struggles, and sins and then burned them in a small ramekin. We dipped our fingers in olive oil and then the still warm paper ash before making the shape of a cross on each other’s foreheads and saying, “from dust you came and to dust you will return.”

Tradition doesn’t have to be fancy or formal to hold meaning or to be powerful. Often times it’s the simplest act, a moment of normalcy in a turbulent world that refocuses us on the gracious gift of God’s love.

31 Ash Wednesday Sermon Ideas

The beginning of Lent is coming up quickly (March 2, 2026), so I’ve put together a list to get you started on your Ash Wednesday sermon and service ideas. Make sure you come back and share with us in the comments how your Ash Wednesday service went.

1. Jesus’ Words on Prayer & Fasting (Luke 18:1-4) 

Jesus spoke often on prayer and the importance of being both persistent and humble. Lent is always a good time to revisit Jesus’ words on prayer and fasting with a helping of humility on the side. 

2. Praying on the Street Corners

Matthew 6:5-15 is a reminder that we do not pray for others in the room, but it is a practice that we should be doing in the quiet places of our lives. It is about a relationship with God, not a competition because God meets us where we are and accepts us exactly as we are - no comparisons.  

3. God’s Forgiveness Leads to New Life

God’s forgiveness leads to new life, not just eternal life, but new life here and now. We are called to model God. What does that look like? What are healthy boundaries we can put into place to keep ourselves safe from abusers but still forgive from deep within? 

There is a fine line here to walk between placing the burden on the one that has been injured as opposed to the one that has never repented. 

Share how modeling God’s forgiveness is not letting someone get away with something. Forgiveness does not mean that there are no consequences for the wrong that has been done. 

But forgiveness does bring healing to our bodies and our souls when we release ourselves from carrying the hurt the other person put on us. 

4. The Fear of Death

We’ve all got it, so let’s talk about it. I mean head-on address the ugly topic in the room. Why are we afraid of it? Is it natural to fear death?

In Philippians 1:19-26, Paul says to die is gain but to live is Christ. 

God has work for us to do here on earth. Fearing death is natural, but knowing that God’s got us even when we enter the unknown takes a little of that sting out of it. 

Ash Wednesday is a great opportunity to discuss topics that make us uncomfortable. It’s a yearly reminder that we can’t avoid death no matter how much we might want to. 

The truth is we don’t know exactly what heaven will be like - and that’s ok. 

5. The Wilderness - An Introduction to Fasting

Lent isn’t about giving something up to fast… it’s about so much more. It’s about walking into the wilderness willingly, knowing that God will meet you there, and walking it with so much more. 

Read The Wilderness Exam and then invite those you lead to walk through the desert 

6. What is the Sign of the Cross

Ash Wednesday Service presents a great opportunity to introduce the members of our churches to other Christian practices. 

We have become so divided and eager to preach that the others are wrong that we’ve lost the opportunity to learn and appreciate one another. We worship the same God and Holy Days are a perfect opportunity to remember the connection between us. 

Discover with your congregation what the sign of the Cross is, why it is performed, and what it means to those who practice it (read more at Why Catholics Make the Sign of the Cross).

7. Job Repented

Preaching on Job is a great tie-in to ashes and the importance of humility when repenting.  

This man of God repented in dust and ashes, a reminder that when death comes our bodies will return to the dust from where it came. 

For more about dust and ashes throughout scripture go to GotQuestions. 

8. Prophet Joel (Joel 2:1-2,12-17)  

Joel can preach, and so can Rev. Dr. Alfie Wines. 

In this Working Preacher commentary on Joel, Wines asks, “Why? Why are people so reluctant to repent even when they know that blessings are waiting?” Repentance necessitates recognition and admission of guilt, of having done wrong, of being sorry for the hurt one caused another. Individually or collectively, propped up by a false sense of self, people would rather live in denial than have a contrite spirit, admit they were mistaken, and say “I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

Ash Wednesday presents a great opportunity to ask our congregations the same question. Why are we so reluctant to repent? 

9. What is Everlasting Life

Eternal life does not start after we die, it has already begun. 

This Ash Wednesday consider doing a deep dive word study on everlasting life.

Instead of giving your congregation the answer, walk them through how to do a word study in the Bible. 

10. What is Steadfast Love

The prophet Joel describes God’s character as steadfast and faithful. 

I love this quote from Rolf Jacobson’s commentary on Joel at the Working Preacher, “because God’s character is to be faithful, the horizon, dark and gloomy with storm clouds of judgment as night falls, can now shine crisp and clear with the Lord’s favor, when morning dawns.” 

The last few years have been hard on the individuals you are leading. We are struggling as a nation with so much guilt and grief. We don’t know how to collectively acknowledge the sins of our past or push forward through the economic burden of this pandemic. 

People are suffering all around us. 

Knowing that tomorrow doesn’t promise perfection or a release from those burdens we are carrying makes this image even more beautiful! 

The Lord’s favor is on us all because regardless of our mistakes, God is faithful. 

11. A Lenten Journey: An Introduction to Lent

As a group, make a commitment to read through Wondrous Encounters Scripture For Lent daily. On Ash Wednesday you could pass out the books and talk about the wonder and beauty of knowing God and being loved by God. 

This book will take you on a deep journey into the mystery of God and a reminder that death leads to the richness of resurrection. 

12. The Early Church Understood Repentance 

What is repentance and how did the early church understand it? 

Here are a few resources to get you started: 

Whatever Became of Repentance? (Christianity Today

Sacrament of Penance in the Early Church (EWTN)

The Doctrine of Repentance in Church History (Bible.org)

Gleanings from Orthodox Christian Authors and the Holy Fathers (Orthodox.net)

13. A Season of Lent

Chris Sea in A Place At The Table challenges readers to eat like the poor for forty days and then to donate the money they save on groceries to a community in need. 

If this is something you would like to pursue with a group I’d love to introduce you to The Bautista Project, a nonprofit organization I work closely with to help end homelessness. Our friends who are living on the streets are in desperate need of the very things we have in abundance (and don’t even realize it is an abundance). 

14. Presence of God in Our Everyday Lives

Walk your congregation through the practice of the Examen. Its purpose is to detect God’s presence and discern God’s direction for us by reflecting on the events of the day.

15. Remembering Last Year, and the People We’ve Lost

There are so many stories throughout the Bible of grief. Perhaps this Ash Wednesday is a time to talk about a woman who was bitter towards God because of all she had lost. 

This woman didn’t completely give up though because she had a reminder in her life of God’s provision, her daughter-in-law. 

It was through her relationship with Ruth, that Naomi was able to hold on to hope and one day see the beauty of God’s promises come to life. 

Ruth isn’t a typical Lenten story, but it is a beautiful one of rising from the ashes into God’s grace. (See more at Cru.org)

Also, be sure to take a look at When Healing Doesn’t Come. 

16. God’s Mercy and Grace

God is both a God of grace and a God of mercy. The two are not the same but work in conjunction with one another. Explore their differences and the depth of who God is.  

17. Adam was Made From the Dust of the Ground

Going back to the beginning is always a good reminder of where we’ve come from. Explore the reason God made all of us and the charge we were given in the garden to be caretakers of this world.

What does that mean? We came from the dust and to the dust, we will return. What is our responsibility to this planet while we do live here? Do we have one?

18. Do You Have a Good Reason to Skip Lent

The purpose of Lent is to draw closer to God. We can’t get anything past the one who created us. Discuss motivations, not in a condemning way but as a gentle reminder that we do not practice fasting or prayer on the street corners in order to draw in the praise of others. Instead, it is a personal commitment between ourselves and God. It’s one of the reasons we each personally choose what or if we are going to give something up. 

19. What Does it Mean to Have Contrite Hearts

David’s heart was broken because of his sin and because of the loss of his son. Ash Wednesday Service is a moment where the outside world stops and we can spend time examining our own hearts and the pain that we carry, whether that is pain from what has happened to us or what has happened because of us. God offers healing for all broken hearts, regardless of the source. 

20. Bad Habits From the Past Year

Ash Wednesday is a great time to take an assessment of our past year and ask if we’ve been On The Right Track. 

The things we do today that might feel like small decisions actually are leading us somewhere. Take the evening to access if that somewhere is the direction God wants you to go, as a church and as an individual. 

21. Isaiah - We’ve Got Work to Do

“To those who might feel that they have every right to say each man for himself, God through Isaiah’s legacy says, You are not too poor to do justice. Times are not so hard that you’re relieved of the obligation to do what is right.” - Rev. Wil Gafney

22. The Right Place at the Wrong Time (John 21)

The disciples were fishing, it’s what they did. There was nothing wrong with what they were doing other than it was not where God had told them to be. God had something else for them, something bigger. But they had to obey and step out in faith first. 

Is your Church currently serving in the right place but at the wrong time? Are there areas you as a leader need to explore and ask if you’re in the right place but not at the right time? 

Ash Wednesday is a reminder to look deep into ourselves, to examine our hearts and our motivations, and to confess if there is an area where we need to change. 

23. The Left Hand & the Right Hand

Matthew 6:3 is yet another reminder that we aren’t to shout our good deeds from the rooftops, but we are to live life humbly. When we give to the poor we shouldn’t be plastering their pictures all over social media but rather doing it because we care for the person in front of us more than we care for the social media follows and likes. (Read Poverty Porn: How to raise awareness without exploiting those you are helping)

24. Breath of Life

On a day that focuses on our own mortality, we are also supposed to remember the one who gives us the very breath we breathe. (Hebrew words every Christian should know)

25. Take Deep Breaths

We all need to slow down and just breathe. Just be still in the presence of God and in this moment that we exist together. Have an evening of silence and meditation. Read scripture and then sit silently with it in a dark room lit only by candlelight. Breath in and out. Focus on the breath that is life, the breath that God gave us. 

26. Matthew’s Gospel

Take the season of Lent to read through and preach the Gospels. Start with Matthew’s Gospel for your Ash Wednesday Sermon. Encourage those you lead to read through the Gospels with you with this Lenten Gospel Reading Plan. 

27. Let’s Talk Christian History

How often do you share stories of the men and women who paved the way for us to worship like we do today? Ash Wednesday is a great opportunity to talk about our connection to the people who formed the church and kept it alive. The ones who grappled with the Word when literacy was not as common and when the tools we have at our disposal did not exist. 

Here are a few from the past (in no particular order) to share with your congregation: 

Teresa of Avila 

St. Augustine of Hippo

Cyprian

Thomas Aquinas

Julian of Norwich

Jonathan Edwards

Karl Barth

Tertullian

Hilda of Whitby

28. Words of the Psalmist - Psalm 51

Read Psalm 51 out loud and then spend the remainder of the service in prayer. What topics does this Psalm bring up for your congregation?

29. Story of Jonah

Jonah is a powerful story on the grace and mercy of God. Here are a few lessons I learned from this prophet’s stubbornness. 

30. Grace of God

I really don’t think the amazingness of God’s grace can be emphasized enough. It’s one of my favorite topics to write about. 

A Broken Vessel: John 4

The complexity and simplicity of grace

Grace in the Middle

 The Beauty of Grace

31. Start a New Habit on Ash Wednesday 

Discuss the importance of discipline. Often during Lent, the discussion is on giving something up. Start your journey through lent with a commitment to a new daily practice. 

According to Healthline it takes an average of 66 days for a person to turn an action into an automatic daily routine. 40 isn’t a bad start. 

Use these calendar templates and corresponding ideas on new habits to form Praying in Color. Personally, I like the idea of reading one Psalm every day and choosing a word from that Psalm to write down. 

Are You Ready for Lent?

I hope that you found this list helpful. Drop a comment below if you have one you’d add to the list or just if you want to chat about any of the ideas above. I’m always looking to make more connections with people following their calling! 

And remember, Ash Wednesday might be the first day of Lent, but let’s not forget the fun of fellowship that can come from a good Fat Tuesday pancake dinner celebration the night before!

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