The Reformers discontinued the use of ashes in the liturgy, and they would not again become a normal fixture of Protestant liturgies until the late 20 th century. To the great surprise of many, the Protestant use of ashes for Ash Wednesday services is a modern phenomenon. It is also easy to assume that this has always been the Anglican practice.īut the actual history tells another story.
To observe Ash Wednesday simply is to impose ashes upon the congregation, we assume.
Because of this relatively rapid consensus, it is easy to assume that the ritual and the day stand or fall together. This custom is nearly (though not entirely) universal among Anglicans, is very widely practiced among Lutherans, and is becoming more and more common among Presbyterians and other evangelical bodies. Ash Wednesday is upon us and most people who conduct services on the day also practice the ritual imposition of ashes as a part of the liturgy.
