It was the night before Ash Wednesday. It was time for Fastnacht! Our Connecticut congregation gathered each year for a traditional German feast. Knockwurst, bratwurst, sauerkraut – and much more, all prepared by the men of the church. Yes, Fastnacht was our custom; time to eat and have fun.

I never knew for sure just what “Fastnacht” meant. I’ve learned it’s actually a Pennsylvania Dutch celebration, their version of Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. The tradition is to eat the very best foods which are part of the German tradition, and lots of it, before the Lenten fast. In Pennsylvania Dutch farm families, “fastnachts” were actually a fried dough similar to a donut.

Here at Joy we’ll celebrate Shrove Tuesday tomorrow.  Head to New Orleans and you’ll celebrate Mardi Gras for sure.  And somewhere I’m sure someone is celebrating Fastnacht.  Whatever the custom, Ash Wednesday will arrive the next day. Its official name is “Day of Ashes”, so called because of the practice of rubbing ashes on one’s forehead in the sign of a cross. We think of Lent as a period of spiritual discipline. We may think of self-denial, moderation, fasting, and forsaking sinful activities and habits. But it’s not just about what we “don’t do”; Lent is about what we “do”. We do come to our Lord with humble hearts. We ask our Lord to show us how we can best serve Him in these weeks to come.

“You do not want sacrifices, or I would offer them; you are not pleased with burnt offerings. My sacrifice is a humble spirit, O God; you will not reject a humble and repentant heart.” Psalm 51:16-17.

Judy