Sermon Tone Analysis

Greeting

O God, have mercy on us, we pray.

In your mercy, make us clean from our sins.

Wipe away every failing and make us new in your sight.

Restore us, deliver us, and re-create us, O Lord.

Opening Prayer

John A. Groves

Reading

,

Matt

Opening Hymn

“Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days” #269

Reading

Message

Pastor Gary Priddy

Imposition of Ashes

Prepare

Reconcile

Repent

Mercy

Mortality

Death

Prayer

Prayer

Fasting

Denial

Discipline

Read

Holy

Scripture

Scripture

Listen

Silence

Dust

Ashes

Kneel . . .

Now

These words are important during Lent.

For centuries, the church has held in high esteem the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection,and so, it became the custom of the Church that before the Easter celebration there should be a forty day season of spiritual preparation.

During this season, new converts to the faith were prepared for Baptism.

And those persons who had committed serious sins and had separated themselves from the church and the community of faith were reconciled by repentance and forgiveness, and restoring them to full participation in the life of the Church.

iveness, and restoring them to full participation in the life of the Church.In this way the whole congregation was reminded of the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Christ because we all have a need to renew our faith.Today, we are reminded of the same mercy adn forgiveness.The same message of Good News that has transformed lives for generations.Tonight, we take the opportunity toward the renewal of our faith.I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to observe a holy Lent: to practice self examination and repentance; to engage in prayer, fasting, and self denial; and invest time reading and meditating on God's Holy Word.We receive tonight a cross of ash as a mark of our mortal natureAs we begin this season of repentance, let us now bow before our Creator and Redeemer.

In this way the whole congregation was reminded of the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Christ because we all have a need to renew our faith.Today, we are reminded of the same mercy and forgiveness.

The same message of Good News that has transformed lives for generations.

Tonight, we take the opportunity toward the renewal of our faith.

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Christ and the Church, to observe a holy Lent: to practice self examination and repentance; to engage in prayer, fasting, and self denial; and invest time reading and meditating on God's Holy Word.

We receive tonight a cross of ash as a mark of our mortal nature as we begin this season of repentance, let us now bow before our Creator and Redeemer.

Invite to receive

Hymn

“I Surrender All” #354

Confession:

God, this is a hard time.

The focus of Lent is on the pain and suffering of Jesus and our own need for penitence.

It is a time of gathering darkness.

But we would rather skip this part and go straight to Easter.

We would rather ignore the suffering—in you and in the world—and avoid the hard work of true self-examination.

Forgive us for wanting this to be bright and painless and easy, when we know that Jesus did not take the easy way, but chose the path of the Cross.

Teach us the true meaning of penitence, so that we use this Lenten season to humbly seek a clean heart and a renewed spirit.

We pray in the name Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Assurance

The truth is this: God’s love and mercy are never-ending.

God knows us in our inward being; God cleanses us from our sins and shortcomings, and restores to us the joy of salvation.

Hymn

“Seek Ye First” #405

The Great Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing,

always and everywhere to give thanks to you,

Father, Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth.

You brought all things into being and called them good.

From the dust of the earth you formed us into your image

and breathed into us the breath of life.

When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast.

When rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights,

you bore up the ark on the waters, saved Noah and his family,

and made covenant with every living creature on earth.

When you led your people to Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights,

you gave us your commandments and made us your covenant people.

When your people forsook your covenant,

your prophet Elijah fasted for forty days and forty nights;

and on your holy mountain, he heard your still small voice.

And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven,

we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

ft them up to the Lord.Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.It is right to give our thanks and praise.It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you,Father, Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth.You brought all things into being and called them good.From the dust of the earth you formed us into your image and breathed into us the breath of life.When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast.When rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights, you bore up the ark on the waters, saved Noah and his family, and made covenant with every living creature on earth.When you led your people to Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights, you gave us your commandments and made us your covenant people.When your people forsook your covenant, your prophet Elijah fasted for forty days and forty nights; and on your holy mountain, he heard your still small voice.And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ.

When you gave him to save us from our sin,

your Spirit led him into the wilderness,

where he fasted forty days and forty nights to prepare for his ministry.

When he suffered and died on a cross for our sin, you raised him to life,

presented him alive to the apostles during forty days,