Here's the Ash Wednesday Gathering we did last year- I think we'll end up using much of this this year as well, but I wanted to post this in case you are still struggling to put something together for Ash Wednesday.
On Screen as people enter: The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart you will not despise. -Psalm 51.17
Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me- The Jesus Prayer
Welcome:
Welcome to our service of ashes for Ash Wednesday.Ash Wednesday is the traditional start of the season of Lent, a season when we focus in various ways on Christ's journey towards crucifixion, a journey He took, knowing full well it would end with Him laying down His life for you and I.
For those of us who are trying to hear the voice of Christ and follow, we need regular times of focusing on Christ's call to follow, to lay down our lives for one another. Lent is one of those times- a period of 40 days not including Sundays which are given to considering what we will lay down, what we will not. What our lives count for, or how they fail to count. We hear the call of Jesus and struggle all over again to die to ourselves and live for Christ and others. The Journey of the next 40 days ends on Good Friday and Easter with us seeing in sharp relief the exact cost of our sin, and the means by which God will restore all things.
Ash Wednesday begins Lent by reminding us that the journey towards the Cross is one every Christ follower must make- step by step, selfish impulse by selfish impulse. And Ash Wednesday also reminds us that the time is finite, limited... because it reminds us of... our mortality.
So, we invite you this year, to observe a Lent, of self-examination and repentance; of prayer, and fasting, of saying "no" to self and "yes" to God and others; and of reading and meditating on God's Word, listening all over again for the call of Christ on your life.
We'll have a moment of Silence, and then we'll pray.
SILENCE
Prayer
Let’s read this together
ON SCREEN: Joel 2
That is why the Lord says,
“Turn to me now, while there is time.
Give me your hearts.
Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Don’t tear your clothing in your grief,
but tear your hearts instead.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He is eager to relent and not punish.
1 Song
Leader: You can be seated...
In Genesis as God explains the consequences of their sin to Adam and Eve, He makes this statement: (on screen)You are dust and to dust you shall return.
Has anyone ever told you that?No? It's not something we often say to one another... at least very often. “You are dust and to dust you shall return.”
Why do you think God might have made that statement to Adam and Eve? What do you think He might have been trying to communicate?
Ash Wednesday is a day to remember that our days are numbered- that our lives, no matter how long we live, are short. That every day is a gift and with it we serve either God or ourselves. We spend it either binding ourselves tighter and tighter to the things, idols, or following more and more closely in the steps of Jesus. The problem is, we really can't do both. We're heading in either one direction or the other.
And even when we are heading in a generally God-ward direction, it's all too easy to pick up extraneous baggage- things which slow us down, things which hinder us in this race we are trying to run.
Hebrews says: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin."
"Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up" While it should be an all day, every day kind of thing, the reality is- we forget. We forget to "throw off" the things that slow us down. We pick up attachments, we pick up weights, we pick up sin. And Lent is that intentional time in the Christian Calendar when we begin to think about putting things down again.
Fasting is not a discipline many of us practice- Some of you who have fasted in the past- whether from food, or from certain things like TV, etc or in past Lent seasons... what did you learn from that time? What did it do to/for you?
One of the most beautiful parts of this time of Lent is that it shows us just how deep the connections we have made throughout the year with this world go- how deep our need for self-soothing through sweets, food, alcohol, TV, or whatever has become. How little we have relied on Jesus and how much we have relied on everything else... on things that will themselves ultimately become nothing more than ashes and dust.
A couple years ago we went through the book of Luke- I love the narrative of that Gospel. It's structured as one long walk by Jesus from the northern part of Israel, all the way down to Jerusalem. It shows us that His ministry- teaching people, healing people, forgiving people, feeding people- all of it came in the context of a journey towards the Cross. All of it was important, all of it mattered... but all of it served the larger plot of Jesus laying down His life for you and me.
Jesus calls us on that journey with Him. Following in His steps, taking up a cross...
Take a few minutes and visit these prayer stations in order. Give each other a bit of space to process, to think, to pray by being as quiet as you can during this time.
Prayer Stations (20 Minutes)
Leader: We'll read now from Scripture in an effort to remind ourselves not only of our sin, but of God's infinite mercy and forgiveness. Verses from the Old Testament and New Testament will come up on the screen in turns- the Ten Commandments juxtaposed with words from Jesus and others... can we have male voices read the OT (first) ones and female voices read the NT (second)?
ON SCREEN:
Hear these commandments which God has given to his people, and take them to heart:
I am the lord your god: you shall have no other gods but me.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength.
You shall not make for yourself any idol.
God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.
You shall not dishonor the name of the lord your god.
You shall worship him with reverence and awe.
Remember the lord's day, and keep it holy.
Christ is risen from the dead: set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth.
You shall not covet anything which belongs to your neighbor.
Remember the words of the Lord Jesus: It is more blessed to give than to receive. Love your neighbor as yourself, for love is the fulfilling of the law.
Together: Lord, have mercy on us,
and write these your laws in our hearts.
Leader: A few years ago we began a tradition that perhaps we'll keep for years. We set aside the palms from Palm Sunday, and tonight they form the ashes for this service. What represented our praise and declaration of Jesus' lordship in our lives on Palm Sunday, tonight on Ash Wednesday represents our repentance at the ways in which we have stumbled this last year, the ways in which we have practically denied Jesus' kingship, His authority. Our sorrow for the sin which has so easily... too easily, entangled us.
In Scripture, people would put ashes on their heads to symbolize mourning and repentance. Tonight, if you are willing, we will do the same.
I know this is probably a new ritual for many of you- There's no need to participate if you are too uncomfortable. But sometimes being a little uncomfortable can be a good thing.
Take a minute to consider all we have said and done and read and heard so far tonight. And in a minute, I’ll invite you to come, and receive this physical reminder…
After, visit one of the two stations and interact with them...
(If a large crowd, ask people to "impose" others behind them. If not, do it with one or two others...)
Prayer:
Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth.
May these ashes be a sign of our mortality and repentance and a reminder that only by your gracious gift are we given forgiveness and life through Jesus Christ our Savior.
2-3 Songs (Jesus Prayer?) Imposition of Ashes
People come forward-Ashes applied with the phrase: Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Stations- “The sin that so easily entangles” Large note pad, markers, art work
Q: What are you too tied to? What are you giving up for Lent- name it. Why? Tell us.
to end:
Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ.
Repent and believe the Good News: God longs for you to be whole
Let's pray this Final Prayer together: (ON SCREEN)
Oh, Lord our God,
grant us grace to desire you with our whole heart;
that so desiring, we may seek and find you;
and so finding, may love you;
and so loving, may hate those sins
from which you have delivered us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessing:
Christ give you grace to grow in holiness,
to deny yourselves,
and to take up your cross and follow him;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be with you, and remain with you always. Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
thanks for posting this resource Bob. it's great. we are going to have an Ash Wednesday service with our college ministry tonight. what were the different prayer stations focused on?
Posted by: ryan paulson | February 17, 2010 at 08:28 AM