Ash Wednesday Silence

Ash Wednesday

Silence

Order of Worship

Prelude & Lighting of Candles

Stand

Call to Worship:

The Pastor and Assistant lead the litany from the back of the sanctuary.

P: Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near- a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness!

C: Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come.

A: Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.

C: Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God?

P: Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, "Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations.

C: Why should it be said among the peoples, `Where is their God?'" Joel 2:1-2, 12-17.

Savior, When in Dust to You

Savior, when in dust to you

low we bow in homage due;

when, repentant, to the skies

scarce we lift our weeping eyes;

oh, by all your pains and woe

suffered once for us below,

bending from your throne on high,

hear our penitential cry!

By your helpless infant years,

by your life of want and tears,

by your days of deep distress

in the savage wilderness,

by the dread, mysterious hour

of the insulting tempter's pow'r,

turn, oh, turn a fav'ring eye;

hear our penitential cry!

By your hour of dire despair,

by your agony of prayer,

by the cross, the nail, the thorn,

piercing spear, and torturing scorn,

by the gloom that veiled the skies

o'er the dreadful sacrifice,

listen to our humble sigh;

hear our penitential cry!

By your deep expiring groan,

by the sad sepulchral stone,

by the vault whose dark abode

held in vain the rising God,

oh, from earth to heav'n restored,

mighty, reascended Lord,

bending from your throne on high,

hear our penitential cry!

Text: Robert Grant, 1779-1838, alt.

Music: Joseph Parry, 1841-1903

Tune Name: ABERYSTWYTH

Silence

P: Without you the night seems endless, O God. Without you the silence seems empty. We are lost in the dark, wandering and afraid. Yet, out of the emptiness your voice whispers through our souls, pulling at our minds, calling us, leading us, filling the darkness, awakening the silence to life. Fill our darkness. Fill our silence. Be with us, merciful God.

C: Amen.

Sit

Silence

Suggested Choir Anthem: Holy Darkness (Dan Schute)

Silence

The Pastor and Assistant move to the front.

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

Imposition of Ashes:

P: Into the silence of the void the Creator spoke, and the world came into being. The Word of God in the vastness brought light from darkness, matter from nothing, flesh from dust, life from lifelessness. Yet, we have rejected that Word. What once had life now reaps death. Flesh becomes dust again.

C: Have mercy on us, O God. Amen.

Silence

Those who wish may come forward for the imposition of ashes. As the Pastor marks the sign of the cross on the congregants forehead the words "Dust you are and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19) are spoken.

When all have returned to their seats the Pastor continues:

P: As darkness falls, as silence enfolds us we come to you, O God.

A: Hear our prayers.

C: Be merciful to us for we have sinned.

P: Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. Isaiah 58:1-3

P: As darkness falls, as silence enfolds us we come to you, O God.

A: Hear our prayers.

C: We have not delighted in your ways. We have turned our backs on your laws, we have sought out only our selfish desires. We have not loved you, O God.

Be merciful to us for we have sinned.

Silence

P: "Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?" Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Isaiah 58:3-7

P: As darkness falls, as silence enfolds us we come to you, O God.

A: Hear our prayers.

C: We have not done justice or sought to be kind. We have turned out backs on the poor, the needy, the homeless, the sick, the oppressed. We have not loved our neighbors as our selves. We have not been Christ to the world. We have not loved you O God.

Be merciful to us for we have sinned.

Silence

Be Merciful, O God (Psalm 51)

Refrain: Be merciful, O God, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, ...cleanse me from my sin. Refrain

For I confess to you ... done evil in your sight. Refrain

O God, create in me a clean ... not your spirit from me. Refrain

Oh, give me back the joy of ... declare your praise. Refrain

Silence

Stand

P: Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in. Isaiah 58:8-12

Know that God has heard our prayers and the confession of our sins. Be comforted for God forgives us all our sins and takes us back and makes us whole.

C: Amen.

Greeting of Peace:

P: In giving us back our lives, O God, you have forgiven us more than we deserve. Out of thankfulness and joy we share that gift with those around us, forgiving as you forgave. Peace be with you.

C: And also with you.

All may share a greeting of peace. When all have returned to their seats the Lector continues.

Sit

Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10

So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you." See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

R: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Silence

Suggested Choir Anthem: Canticle of Hope (Gary Hallquist)

Stand

Reading: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. "So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

R: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Sit

Silence

Message

Silence

Stand

Theme Song: Be Thou My Vision

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

naught be all else to me, save that thou art:

thou my best thought by day and by night,

waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;

I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.

Thou my soul's shelter, thou my high tower,

raise thou me heav'nward, O Pow'r of my pow'r.

Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise,

thou mine inheritance, now and always:

thou, and thou only, first in my heart,

great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.

Light of my soul, after victory won,

may I reach heaven's joys, O heaven's Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

Text: Irish 8th-10th cent.; tr. Mary E. Byrne, 1880-1931; vers. Eleanor H. Hull, 1860-1935, alt

Testimony of Faith:

Into the silence of the void the Creator spoke, and the world came into being. The Word of God in the vastness brought light from darkness, matter from nothing, flesh from dust, life from lifelessness.

In the quiet of a small town in Palestine the Word of God came to us. Even though of one being with the Creator, Jesus our Christ, taking on human form, was born, lived and walked among us, speaking the words of life. He was crucified, died, and was buried. He rose from the dead and speaks to us today. He is the one who saves us from ourselves.

In the stillness of our souls the Spirit of God, who is one with the Creator and the Christ, whispers the Word, and calls us back to the Creator, back to the Christ, back to the wholeness of everlasting life in the unity of the Creator, Christ and Spirit.

Sit

Offering

Stand

We Are an Offering

We lift our voices,...

we are an offering.

Tune Name: OFFERING

Stand

Offering Prayer:

A: O God of our being, we give you thanks and praise for the life you have given us.

C: You have created us and restored us, blessing us with more than we can ever name or ever repay. We offer to you, O God, these tokens of love and gratitude: our time, our talents, our possessions. Use them and us as you will for we are yours. Amen.

In silence all gather in a circle before the altar for the Prayers of the People.

Prayers of the People:

A: God of all, we bring before you the prayers of our hearts, the concerns of our minds, the yearnings of our soul. Listen to our prayers and bless us with your lovingkindness. In your mercy,

C: Hear our prayer.

O God, Hear Us (repeat 2-3 times)

A: We pray for the world and all the people. Shower your grace and mercy on all burdened with guilt. Comfort those who sorrow. Heal those who suffer. Send your Spirit to move among us all. In your mercy,

C: Hear our prayer.

A: We pray for our nation and all our neighbors. Bestow your wisdom on those who govern. Enlighten those who are blinded by ignorance and hatred. Awaken those who are apathetic and careless of others. Send your Spirit to move among us all. In your mercy,

C: Hear our prayer.

A: We pray for our congregation and the community of all believers. Send your Spirit to move among us all. May you set ablaze those you call to lead your people in new directions, giving them the courage to speak your Word. May you inspire those you enjoin to serve those in need, giving them the energy to do your will. May you open the hearts of all to hear your Word of radical love. In your mercy,

C: Hear our prayer.

O God, Hear Us

A: We pray for ourselves, O God, asking you to take into your willing hands all for whom we pray....

Individuals may offer petitions.

In your mercy,

C: Hear our prayer.

O God, Hear Us

P: God of all love and mercy, into your hands we commend all for whom we pray knowing that you have heard us. All that we ask, we ask through our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ who taught us to pray,

C: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

Silence

All return to their seats and the Assistant continues.

Prayer:

A: You have had mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;

C: According to your abundant mercy you have blotted out my transgressions. You have washed me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleansed me from my sin. You have hidden your face from my sins, and blotted out all my iniquities. You send me forth a new person. Amen.

Blessing:

P: May the Lord God be with you in all things.

In your silences.

In your busyness.

In your joys.

In your sorrows.

May God bless you now and always.

C: Amen.

Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth

Mothering God,...are my rain, my wind, my sun.

Mothering Christ,... body for my peace.

Mothering Spirit, .... flow'r, until I know.

Text: Jean Janzen, b. 1933, based on Julian of Norwich, c. 1342-c. 1413 (c) Jean Janzen, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

Tune Name: NORWICH

Dismissal:

A: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Postlude

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