Ash Wednesday- March 2, 2022

you you the lord be with you let us pray almighty and everlasting god you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent create and make in us new and contrite hearts that we worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness may obtain of you the god of all mercy perfect remission and forgiveness through jesus christ our lord who lives and reigns with you and the holy spirit one god forever and ever amen a reading from the book of joel 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 like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes their like has never from old be seen nor will be seen again in ages to come yet even now the lord says 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 and steadfast love and relents from punishing 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 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 why should it be said among the peoples where is your god hear the spirit hear what the spirit is saying to god's people the lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger and of great kindness he will not always accuse us nor will he keep his anger forever he has not dealt with us according to our sins nor rewarded us according to our wickedness for as the heavens are high above the earth so is his mercy great upon those who fear him as far as the east is from the west so far has he removed our sins from us as a father cares for his children so does the lord care for those who fear him for he himself knows whereof we are made he remembers that we are but dust a reading from ii corinthians the second letter of paul we re 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 ser servants of god we have commanded ourselves in every way through every endurance afflictions hardship calamities beatings imprisonments riots labors sleepless nights hunger by purity knowledge patience kindness holiness of spirit genuine love and 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 imposters 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 hear what the spirit is saying to god's people so so the holy gospel of our lord jesus christ according to matthew jesus said make sure you don't show off how good you are so people will think you're really holy 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 the gospel of the lord 10 or 12 years ago a phenomenon appeared in the episcopal church and other churches called ashes to go priests deacons and laypersons took containers of ashes and little cards with prayers to bus stops train stations college campuses busy intersections anywhere lots of people were likely to be and these episcopalians offered to impose ashes on anyone who wanted them there are a few things episcopalians like more than arguing with each other about liturgy this is a sin we continually need to repent for and as you might guess ashes to go provoked immediate controversy some people insisted that the meaning of the ashes loses its meaning when it's separated from the context of a church service and instead of going out to meet people where they are we should be doing more to invite people to ash wednesday's services in our churches others pointed out that lots of people have to work 12 or 14 hour days they really would like to come to a nash wednesday service in a church but no church offers worship at a time they can attend ashes to go tries to meet that need but what i find fascinating about ashes to go is not the arguments about it it's the number of people who want to receive ashes dozens and even hundreds at each ashes to go site who line up to pray and have a cross marked on their foreheads with ash why is this so popular i think it's because these ashes tell a truth that we human beings are fallible sinful mortal creatures we try to do right we try to live out jesus teachings and despite our best efforts we fail sometimes we don't even try to do right we know something is wrong that it harms others and separates us from god and we do it anyway the systems and structures of our world constrain our ability to shun evil and choose good for instance as much as most of us might care about global warming most of us have no choice but to heat our homes with fossil fuels and no matter how we live our lives everything we are everything we own everything we accomplish will one day turn into dust in a culture that wants us to believe we never have to feel bad about ourselves if only we will buy more stuff these ashes call us back to reality as much as we'd like to pretend otherwise we are not god we are all too human so we begin lent the season of preparation for easter by marking ourselves with ash these ashes look like burned buildings they look like war they look like all the horrible things we human beings do to hurt each other we place these ashes on our foreheads as a confession of sin an admission that yes we fail we try to do good and we inflict harm we've created a world where the only choices we have are wrong ones and we place these ashes as a mark of repentance a visible sign of our desire to live more faithfully with greater love for ourselves our neighbors and god and we plead to god to heal us change us renew us this is a lot in a year that's already heavy with grief and fatigue and reminder upon reminder of human failure yet ash wednesday is only one day lent is only one season we don't stay here lent begins with this truth marked on our foreheads with ashes and it ends with another truth marked on our foreheads this time in oil lent is also a season of preparation for baptism in the early church new christians were baptized at easter and we carry on that tradition with baptisms at the easter vigil i will dip my thumb in oil make a cross on a child's forehead and say as someone once said to you you are marked as christ's own forever together we will pray grant o lord that all who are baptized into the death of jesus christ your son may live in the power of his resurrection the truth of ash wednesday is a companion to the truth of easter we human beings are fallible sinful mortal and we are marked as christ's own forever baptized into his death and raised with him to new life and absolutely nothing not a pandemic or war or systemic sin or environmental collapse or death itself can ever separate us from god's love in christ jesus it may seem like lent never ends yet every year these 40 days pass and easter gets here the cross is marked in ashes then in oil as surely as winter warms into spring i think that's the other truth that the crowds at ashes to go are craving god's redeeming work in the world is not done the forces of sin and death don't get the last word god gets the last word and god is not finished yet god is at work in 12-step groups that accompany people from the tomb of addiction to the new life of recovery god is at work in welcome teams that help refugees heal from the trauma of war and build new lives in safety and peace god is at work in people discovering who god created them to be using their particular gifts to love their neighbors throughout the season of lent we plead to god to heal us change us renew us and in the season of easter we notice all the ways that god has answered our pleas and brought us through the grave and gate of death into new life lent is here dear ones forty days to embrace the truth of these ashes and when lent is over we will embrace the truth of this oil we are sinful and we are beloved we are buried with christ in his death and we are raised with him to new life we have made a mess of this world and god's redeeming work in the world still goes on we embrace the truth of ash wednesday so that we'll be ready for the truth of easter when it comes as it surely will dear people of god the first christians observed with great devotion the days of our lord's passion and resurrection and it became the custom of the church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting this season of lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for holy baptism it was also a time when those who because of notorious sins had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness and restored to the fellowship of the church thereby the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the gospel of our savior and of the need which all christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith i invite you therefore in the name of the church to the observance of a holy lent by self-examination and repentance by prayer fasting and self-denial and by reading and meditating on god's holy word and to make a right beginning of repentance and as a mark of our mortal nature let us now kneel before the lord our maker and redeemer 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 so [Music] so [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] so [Music] let's read psalm 51 together have mercy on me o god according to your lovingkindness in your great compassion blot out my offenses wash me through and through from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin for i know my transgressions and my sins ever before me against you only have i sinned and done what is evil in your sight and so you are justified when you speak and upright in your judgment indeed i have been wicked from my birth a sinner from my mother's womb for behold you look for deith deep within me and will make me understand wisdom secretly purge me from my sin and i shall be pure wash me and i shall be clean indeed make me hear of joy and gladness that the body you have broken may rejoice hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities create in me a clean heart of god and renew a right spirit within me cast me not away from your presence and take not your holy spirit from me give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful spirit i shall teach your ways to the wicked and sinners shall return to you deliver me from death o god and let my tongue shall sing of your righteousness o god of my salvation open my lips o lord and my mouth shall proclaim your praise had you desired it i would have offered the sacrifice but you take no delight in burnt offerings the sacrifice of god is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart o god you will not despise most holy and merciful father we confess to you and to one another and to the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth that we have sinned by our own fault in thought and word and deed by what we have done and by what we have left undone we have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves we have not forgiven others as we have been forgiven we have ignored your call to serve as christ served us we have not been true to the mind of christ we have grieved your holy spirit we confess to you lord all our past unfaithfulness the pride hypocrisy and impatience of our lives our self-indulgent appetites and ways and our exploitation of other people our anger at our own frustration and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts and our dishonesty in daily life and work our negligence in prayer and worship and our failure to commend the faith that is in us accept our repentance lord for the wrongs we have done for our failure to see human need and suffering and our indifference to injustice and cruelty for all false judgments for uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors and for our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us for our waste and pollution of your creation and our lack of concern for those who come after us restore us good lord and let your anger depart from us accomplish in us the work of your salvation by the cross and passion of your son our lord almighty god the father of our lord jesus christ who desires not the death of sinners but rather that they may turn from their wickedness and live has given power and commandment to god's ministers to declare and pronounce to god's people being penitent the absolution and remission of their sins god pardons and absolves all those who truly repent and with sincere hearts believe the holy gospel therefore we beseech god to grant us true repentance and the holy spirit that those things may please god which we do on this day and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy so that at the last we may come to god's eternal joy through jesus christ our lord amen the peace of the lord be always with you peace through with you all thanks for reading peace walk in love as god loved us and gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to god thank you thank you me [Music] me foreign [Music] [Music] is is i think i may be left me foreign [Music] me oh is thank you [Music] foreign [Music] whose death our sins are dead look on the heart by sorrow broken look the tears by sinners shed and be thy feast that by thy grace our souls [Music] the lord be with you lift up your hearts let us give thanks to the lord our god god of all power ruler of the universe you are worthy of glory and praise at your command all things came to be the vast expanse of interstellar space galaxies suns the planets in their courses and this fragile earth our island home from the primal elements you brought forth the human race and blessed us with memory reason and skill you made us the rulers of creation but we turned against you and betrayed your trust and we turned against one another again and again you called us to return through prophets and sages you revealed your righteous law and in the fullness of time you sent your only son born of a woman to fulfill your law to open for us the way of freedom and peace and therefore we praise you joining with the heavenly chorus with prophets apostles and martyrs and with all those in every generation who have looked to you in hope to proclaim with them your glory and their unending him [Music] [Music] lord god [Music] full of your glory [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Music] and so father we who have been redeemed by him and made a new people by water and the spirit now bring before you these gifts sanctify them by your holy spirit to be the body and blood of jesus christ our lord on the night he was betrayed he took bread said the blessing broke the bread and gave it to his friends and said take eat this is my body which is given for you do this for the remembrance of me after supper he took the cup of wine gave thanks and said drink this all of you this is my blood of the new covenant which is said for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins whenever you drink it do this for the remembrance of me remembering now his work of redemption and offering to you this sacrifice of thanksgiving lord god of our mothers and fathers god of abraham isaac and jacob god of tamar miriam and deborah god and father of our lord jesus christ open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us deliver us from the presumption of coming to this table for solace only and not for strength for pardon only and not for renewal let the grace of this holy communion make us one body one spirit in christ that we may worthily serve the world in his name accept these prayers and praises father through jesus christ our great high priest to whom with you and the holy spirit your church gives honor glory and worship from generation to generation as our savior christ has taught us we now pray 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 amen [Music] [Music] the gifts of god for the people of god take them in remembrance that christ died for you and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving the body of christ the bread of heaven amen the body of christ the bread of heaven amen the body of christ the bread of heaven amen the body of christ the bread of heaven the body of christ the bread of heaven amen the body of christ the bread of heaven amen the body of christ the bread of heaven amen the body of christ the bread of heaven amen the body of christ the bread of heaven the body of christ the bread of heaven amen the body of christ the bread of heaven [Music] the body of christ the bread of heaven amen the body of christ the bread of heaven the body of christ the bread of heaven the body of christ the bread of heaven the body of christ the bread of heaven the body of christ the bread of heaven [Music] the body of christ the bread of heaven the body of christ the bread of heaven [Music] [Music] the body of christ the bread of heaven the body of christ the bread of heaven the body of christ the bread of heaven [Music] the body of christ the bread of heaven the body of christ the bread of heaven [Music] the body of christ the bread of heaven the body of christ the bread of heaven [Music] the body of christ the bread of heaven the body of christ the bread of heaven [Music] the body of christ the bread of heaven [Music] i just ran out if you're able to [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] let us pray almighty and ever living god we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious body and blood of your son our savior jesus christ and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the body of your son and heirs of your eternal kingdom and now father send us out to do the work you have given us to do to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of christ our lord to him to you and to the holy spirit in honor and glory now and forever keep this your family lord with your never failing mercy that relying solely on the help of your heavenly grace they may be upheld by your divine protection through christ our lord amen [Music] [Music] my [Music] moved by your love and toward your presence [Music] to the way [Music] oh [Music] knowing ourselves baptized into your death so we are dead and live in god if dead in you so can [Music] all the faithful dead and as through stony ground the green chutes break glorious in springtime [Music] glory shall we let us go forth in the name of christ thanks be to god sounded good how are you you

Channel: St. John's Episcopal Church - Worthington, Ohio

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Id: Z6cJyA2Lte0

Length: 69min 56sec (4196 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 02 2022