Ash Wednesday Service Feb. 26, 2020
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Ash Wednesday Service Feb. 26, 2020
Ash Wednesday Service Feb. 26, 2020
Glad to see every one here this evening. I thought that I would give a quick reminder about the mark of the cross that you are about to receive. This mark is given as a reminder of our mortality and because of sin,,, dust is what our bodies return to. This mark is given to help us remember that,,, because of sin,,, we need forgiveness and we need to confess our sins. There is no set length of time for leaving the ashes on the forehead,,, it can be wiped off immediately,,, left until you get home or left on all day tomorrow. There is no right or wrong way,,, although,,, some leave it on until the next day for witnessing opportunities. Also,,, you can receive the mark of the cross on the forehead or the back of the hand,,, again,,, it's entirely up to you. So,,, lets take our handout as we begin…
GREETING
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
And also with you.
Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
God's mercy endures for ever.
Prayer (Let us pray)
O God, maker of everything and judge of all that you have made, from the dust of the earth you have formed us and from the dust of death you would raise us up.
By the redemptive power of the cross, create in us clean hearts and put within us a new spirit, that we may repent of our sins and lead lives worthy of your calling; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
the early Christians observed with great devotion
the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection,
and 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 converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism.
It was also a time when persons who had committed serious sins
and had separated themselves from the community of faith
were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness,
and restored to 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
and the need we all have to renew our faith.
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church,
to observe a holy Lent:
by self–examination and repentance;
by prayer, fasting, and self–denial;
and by reading and meditating on God's Holy Word.
To make a right beginning of repentance,
and as a mark of our mortal nature,
let us now bow our heads in silent prayer before our Creator and Redeemer as we come before God in prayer,,, each silently asking forgiveness as we make our start of the season of Holy Lent. After a few moments of silent prayer,,, I'll say the prayer of thanksgiving over the ashes to close our prayer.
Let us pray a few minutes silently:
A brief silence is kept, the congregation bowed in prayer.
Thanksgiving over the ashes:
Prayer:
Minister: Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Minister: People of God, come now in the spirit of penitence, and receive on your head in ashes the sign of the cross, the symbol of our mortality, a symbol of the cost of sin, and yet the sign of our salvation and promise of eternal life. Once you receive the sign of the cross,,, you may return to your seat.
Minister: Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ.
Hymn - "Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior" - Page 351
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INVITATION
Sacraments are embodiments of the good news of God’s Word, so as you’re invited to the table remember that while you may be dust, you are baptized dust. You are so precious to God that our Lord has been broken so that you might know the wholeness of eternal life. He was baptized with the baptism of death, drinking to the empty dregs the cup God placed before him, so that we might know life in all its fullness. This bread of life, this cup of blessing are both set before us to nourish us as the body of Christ’s blessing for the world. So come, let us join in this foretaste of the meal of God’s Kingdom, spread out for us as we serve,,, and are served,,, in Christ’s name.
Join with me in the responsive reading in the handout under the Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving.
GREAT PRAYER OF 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 truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise, eternal God, creator and ruler of the universe.
You hold all our days in your hand, the same hand that placed stars in the sky and shaped dust into human form.
You breathed your life into us, and set us in your world to love and serve you.
But we reject your love.
Yet you continue calling us through your prophets to return to a covenant of love with you. Therefore, with all of creation, the heavenly angels, and all saints, we lift our voices in praise:
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.
We praise you that you sent Jesus to capture us with your love.
Living as one of us, baptized in the Holy Spirit, he taught us your Way.
Even as our sin was betraying him, he sat at the table with his disciples and took bread and blessed it and broke it, saying,
This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
Then he took the cup, gave thanks to you, and said,
“Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
We remember your faithfulness unto death, O Lord, and look with a renewed awareness of your sacrifice for us on the cross.
We celebrate Christ’s rising that released us from bondage to sin.
Following you into the promised Dominion of God, we confidently sing the mystery of faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this table set as a sign of your Kingdom in our midst.
Come now, Holy Spirit, and move among us
that we might perceive your presence and our union with all the saints of all times and places as we partake of this covenant meal in memory of your mighty acts and your coming again.
We offer ourselves to you as a living sacrifice, devoted to following you.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at His heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever,
Amen
Communion:
Hymn: "Just As I Am, Without One Plea" - Page 357
Closing Prayer: (let us bow our heads for our closing prayer)
Even as we come to the table tonight remembering our frailty with the dust on our heads, we also give God our thanks for this meal. We give our gratitude that we have come together as one Body of Christ. In these next 40 days and as we walk the road to the crucifixion, continue to keep us awake to the ways we can bring Jesus the Christ’s servant-leadership to our world,,, our community,,, and into our lives! We ask all of this in Jesus' name,,, Amen.