17 February 2026
Years ago I was sitting in a Starbucks, working on my computer and also observing people who came into the space for their morning jolt of caffeine. One woman caught my eye because of the large birthmark on her forehead. “Poor thing,” I thought.
On a second glance I realized it wasn’t a birthmark, it was the smear of ashes she received at a morning service of Lent. She, no doubt, wore the ashes all day, and every time someone remarked about the mark she was reminded of her fragility. “You came from dust and to dust you will return.”
The observance of Lent began centuries ago in the early years of the church. In its early versions, Lent was a time set aside for people wanting to be Christians. At that time Lent was meant to be a 40-day preparation for baptism. Later, Lent became a formal observance in the Christian year, intended to be a time of reflection and renewal.
Unfortunately Lent has strayed from its noble intent and has a become a time for quitting a bad habit or laying off an unhealthy practice. All this with little thought of its connection to Jesus and the path to which he calls us.
We hope you will join us this year for 40 days of reflection on the Beatitudes. These “blessed are” statements serve as the opening description of the sort of people who find the teachings of Jesus attractive and desirable.
Over the 40 days of Lent we will examine the lives of people in the Bible who made the decision to follow the Lord Jesus. I hope you will find these stories encouraging and motivating as you walk through Lent. Every day there will be a new post at this same website.
Bruce Logue