Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent and marks 40 days until Easter, excluding Sundays. This first day of Lent reminds us that new life with Christ involves a daily surrendering of the old life and the first step on this Lenten journey invites us to acknowledge our mortality and our need for God by the imposition of ashes. We invite all to participate in the Ash Wednesday service as we begin our journey through Lent.