Thousands of Christians across Lawrence will join millions of others around the globe today in marking Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten season of penitence.

Their foreheads will bear the familiar mark of the sign of the cross made in ashes. It’s an outward sign of inner faith as they begin Lent, a 40-day period of turning to God and preparing for the coming of Easter, which is April 11.

“It’s a call to the remembrance of baptism and the beginning of the penitential season of Lent … to remember that you are made by God, baptized by Christ and called to a life of baptism — to live daily in that walk with God,” said the Rev. Jeff Lilley, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2211 Inverness Drive.

The imposition of ashes on the foreheads of followers is done in imitation of the spiritual mark or seal that is put on Christians at baptism, initiating them into a life of righteousness and belief in Christ.

This will take place in services that will be attended by Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Lutherans and some members of other denominations.

The ashes used today are made by burning the palm fronds that were given out to Christians on the previous year’s Palm Sunday.

Many Christians keep the palms in their homes during the year to remind them of the Passion of Jesus, then return them to their churches in the days before Ash Wednesday to be burned and blessed.

Bearing the ashes in the sign of the cross is an important act for Christians, Lilley explained.

“You have this symbol (the palm fronds) of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which of course ends in his death. And it now becomes the symbol that we wear on our foreheads as a sign of our own brokenness,” he said.

Local Ash Wednesday services

The ashes represent something else, too, according to the The Rev. Charles Polifka of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 1234 Ky.

“People like to have some kind of a starting point in their lives — of wanting to be a better person, of wanting to make some important changes in their lives,” said Polifka, pastor of St. John.

“Hopefully, they will follow through on that. It’s a symbolic starting over.”