Ash Wednesday Service

[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] uh [Music] so [Music] [Music] good evening everyone i welcome you to this ash wednesday service at first united methodist church and i want to welcome those of you who are joining us online as well so i also want to offer those of you who are at home to think think about something so later in our service we're going to participate in the traditional imposition of ashes and i realize you may not have ashes at home but if you want to participate in that you don't need any ashes at all but if you want to find some things you could find a soot from a candle from a fireplace flower chalk eye shadow baby powder basically anything with a powdery substance and uh if you'll have that ready for that time in the service you can participate in that if you want to do that that way i invite you all to stand as we join in our greeting the grace of our lord jesus christ be with you bless the lord o my soul and all that is within me bless god's holy name who forgives all your sins and heals all your infirmities let us pray most holy god your son came to save sinners we come to this season of repentance confessing our unworthiness asking for new and honest hearts and the healing power of your forgiveness grant this through christ our lord amen [Music] me oh [Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] foreign [Music] and so as we stand here before our lord let us hear with joyful hearts these words that are written from the gospel of matthew 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 the 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 arms 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 in 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 heaven and your father who in secret sees in secret will reward you do not store up for yourself treasures on earth where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal but store up for yourself treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust consume and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there your heart will be also this is the gospel of the lord thanks be to god you [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] shall my voice [Music] in my [Music] me [Music] me [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] oh [Music] be free [Music] so [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] save me [Music] is [Music] me oh [Music] is [Music] foreign [Music] brothers and sisters in christ christians have always observed with great devotion the days of our lord's passion and resurrection and it is the custom of the church to prepare for easter with a season of penitence fasting and prayer and i just have to tell you that for me lent is coming at the perfect time uh it just seems like there are so many catastrophes happening in our world every time we turn around and it's so easy to be pulled off center and so i need this time of returning i need this time to be reminded of who i am and whose i am so during these 40 days we will be reminded of the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel of jesus christ and the need that we all have to renew our baptismal faith therefore i invite you to observe a holy lent by self-examination penitence prayer fasting and by reading and meditating on the word of god to make a right beginning and as a mark of our our mortality we come now to kneel before god our creator and redeemer so i do want to invite those of you who are at home if you have whatever your ash is going to be to hold it up and join me in this time of prayer the lord be with you r almighty god you have created us from the dust of the earth grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence so may we remember that only by your gracious gift are we given everlasting life through jesus christ our savior amen and what we want to invite you to do is when when you're ready to come forward and kneel at the altar rail and we'll impose the ashes on your forehead stay in prayer if you'd like as long as you'd like and then return to your seats by the side aisles if you will for those of you at home if you want to place ashes on your forehead and hear these words repent and believe the gospel [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] please join me in the psalm of confession as printed in your hymnal on page 785. [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] have mercy on me o god according to your steadfast love wash me thoroughly for my iniquity and cleanse me from my sins against you you only have i sinned and done that which is evil in your sight so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless in your judgment [Music] you desire truth in the inward being therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart make me hear with joy and gladness let the bones which you have broken for rejoice sins [Music] creating me a clean heart o god and put a new and right spirit within me restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me in a willing spirit deliver me from death o god god of my salvation and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance for you have no delight in sacrifice were i to give a burnt offering you would not be pleased just [Music] and so let us join together as one voice as we pray the prayer that jesus taught us to pray saying our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever [Music] [Applause] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh oh [Music] uh [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] ah [Music] [Music] go forth into the world in the strength of god's mercy to live and to serve in newness of life amen may jesus christ the bread of heaven bless and keep you amen may the lamb of god who laid down his life for all graciously smile upon you may the lord god order all your days and deeds in peace go in peace you

Channel: First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge

Views: 54

Keywords: first united methodist church of baton rouge, united methodist, church

Id: eIIonWHJ1v0

Length: 38min 25sec (2305 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 02 2022