Episcopal Church Foundation Vital Practices

The history of putting messages in a bottle pre-dates the imposition of ashes. Trusty Wikipedia reports that the first recorded message in a bottle was sent in 310 BC by the ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus, as part of an experiment to show that the Mediterranean Sea was formed by the inflowing Atlantic Ocean. The tradition continued through the ages, with bottled messages informing about weather patterns and enemy positions. Queen Elizabeth I even created an official position of "Uncorker of Ocean Bottles," – with a death sentence facing anyone else opening the bottles.

Poor, suffering Job talks in the Bible about dust and ashes as he repents a “wandering eye.” Scripture has other references as well to ashes as a means to express mourning. Pope Urban II formalized the custom of receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday during his tenure from 1088-1099, and in the 12th century, the tradition began of using the ashes from the previous year’s palms to mark a cross on the forehead of the penitent.

Today, people will fill churches and Ashes to Go stations across the country to partake in this ancient tradition.

I don’t have any plans to give up shiny and new, to turn off the iPad in exchange for paper and a bottle. But like churches and communities of faith, I must leave room for the mystery and power of centuries-old rituals and let the ashes on my forehead keep me rooted.