Ash Wednesday and Lent
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 is the beginning of Lent and the celebration of Ash Wednesday. Here is a brief overview of these two Christian celebrations.
The Church Year
We all used calendars to mark important dates, the passage of time, and the changing of the seasons. Throughout much of church history, a calendar referred to the Church Year (or the Liturgical Year) has been a part of many churches. The Church Year marks important seasons of time within Christianity, providing an opportunity for teaching, celebration of faith, and remembering what God has done.
In the Church Year, time is divided into two categories, Sacred Time and Ordinary Time. Sacred Time includes planned and purposeful observances of Christian holidays and seasons. There are two seasons of sacred time once centered on Christmas and the second on Easter. The first runs from the beginning of Advent to Epiphany (which includes Christmas). The second is from the Beginning of Lent (Ash Wednesday) to Pentecost (which includes Easter). The time which is not included in these two time periods is often referred to as ordinary time.
Lent: a season of preparation 
Lent lasts for 40 days (Sundays are not counted), beginning Ash Wednesday and concluding the Saturday before Easter. The Lenten season is a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter. Those who celebrate this season often do so through prayer, repentance, giving, and self-denial. Many of those who celebrate this season will give up (or fast from) something for the 40 days of Lent.
Ash Wednesday: A day of repentance
Wednesday, February 17, 2010, is the start of the Christian season of Lent. In the liturgical calendar the first day of Lent is known as Ash Wednesday. It is a day of repentance and humility before God. In the Old Testament when people mourned they would wear sackcloth and ashes a symbol of their grief. It is common to see those who celebrate Ash Wednesday marked with ashes on their foreheads as a sign of humility and repentance before God.
How do we celebrate Ash Wednesday?
Historically, churches in the Restoration Movement have not formally celebrated Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to consider our relationship with our Heavenly Father. For many of us times of contemplation and repentance are rare. This season, preceding Easter, is a wonderful time for introspection and thought regarding our spiritual lives.
Here is a good overview of Biblical repentance.