February 26, 2020: Ash Wednesday: 7pm Holy Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes

[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] 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 a view 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 for ever and ever please be seated a reading from the Prophet 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 light has never been from of old nor will be again after them an ages to come it even now says the Lord return to me with all your heart with fasting with weeping and with morning ring 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 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 that the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her canopy between the vegetable 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 nation's why should it be said among the peoples where is their God the word of the Lord [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] a reading from the second letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 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 Labor's 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 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 the word of the Lord [Music] [Music] the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew Jesus said 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 know what your left hand do not let your left hand to 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 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 sees 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 Oh Lord upholds on me that I may uplift thee amen in just a little while all of you who are interested will be invited to come forward for the imposition of ashes this is a practice which has been observed in the church since the 8th century and the cross of ash placed on each of our foreheads symbolizes our mortal nature and serves to remind us of our need for repentance for me the most powerful aspect of tonight's service comes not with the ashes but with the words spoken when the ashes are applied remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return these are cutting words stark words that give ash Wednesday its power they are words that harken back to the creation of the world and the words at the beginning of the second chapter of Genesis the Lord God formed man of the dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being isn't all human life if you think about it really bracketed by ash as Frederick Hart's beautiful stone carving on the front of this Cathedral reminds us our Lord created ex nihilo out of nothing out of nothing more than the dust of the earth it was God's power God's Spirit which is called Ruach in Hebrew that gave form and life to the dust of the earth without God's Spirit we would still be dust and the writer of Genesis wants us to understand that without God we are nothing and just as we were created from the dust of the earth we all must die one day and return to the earth to lie in the ground once more as dust earth to earth ashes to ashes dust to dust as we read in the burial office we might think that all this sounds quite morbid we might find it depressing to confront the truth that we possess life only for a brief instant but this night is it intended to be morbid or depressing only honest even if that honesty seems rather brutal in fact Ash Wednesday is the one day of the year when we are forced to see the truth about ourselves it's the one day of the year when there is no self-delusion remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return this kind of life honesty is a hard thing for many people in our world today our culture is full of gadgets and gimmicks designed to help us forget our essential nature as living dust there are creams to hide our wrinkles and dyes to hide our gray and plastic surgeons to hide the passing of the years all thriving in a society where youth is infinitely valuable there's even a group that has attracted some thousands of followers whose sole purpose is to deny the reality of death members of this group pay significant sums of money to attend seminars where they learn techniques that the leaders say will enable them cheat death death is optional they are told if they just think the right way associate with the right people have the right attitude but trying to beat death is no more fruitful than trying to catch our shadows rather the secret of living well is to face death and in facing death to come to term with the source of our life I recently read a wonderful story by Deborah Griffin Bly she writes my husband and I sing as part of a vocal quartet at Grace & st. Paul Lutheran Church in Manhattan after a lovely reverent and rueful Ash Wednesday service a small group of us adjourned to the subway and our trekked home we were still energized from the solemnity and sweetness of the service and we stood around talking waiting for the train to show up when a rather wild apparently homeless man came up to us pointing at the large ash crosses on our foreheads as the train pulled in we piled on and the semi scary man kept her ragging us as the subway door kept bumping into him he shouted whose ashes are they which dead persons and we kept repeating they're not from a person they're from from palms from the palms of Palm Sunday but he kept on palms don't have ashes he said who is on your heads the door closed the man stood there on the platform shouting as the train left the station he was so sure that we were marked with human remains as of course in a way we are it is Jesus on our heads we are all marked somehow carrying our wounds our memories it is such a deep connection I can still hear his voice who is on your head as members of Christ's body we are as st. Paul says hid with Christ in God where death cannot ultimately harm us God brought us from nothing into life and the course of life will lead us once again and to nothing but the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ says that God loves us so much that He gave His life for us and because of his death and resurrection we are not bound by that nothingness rather we have been given the promise of life conquering death on this Ash Wednesday as we prepare ourselves for a holy Lent let us remember who and what we are who we are is a group of fragile and imperfect people in need of love and forgiveness what we are is the body of Christ and the children of God when you come up to receive your ashes this evening remember that you bow your head to the God who created you the God who sustains your life and the God who knows you inside and out remember that this God loves you and gave himself to die on a cross so that you might be free therefore as we cross ourselves with the ashes of our mortality from the palms of Palm Sunday let them be as well the ashes of our salvation the mark of Christ himself and the mark of Christ's sacrifice given for us all amen 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 repair 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 of 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 own 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 is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Savior amen [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the congregation is invited to kneel as you are able or you may remain seated 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 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 been deaf to 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 you Lord all our past unfaithfulness the pride and the 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 blindness to human need and suffering and our indifference to injustice and cruelty for all false judgments foreign charitable 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 accomplished 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 they that they may turn from their wickedness and live as given power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to his people being penitent the absolution and remission of their sins he pardons and absolves all those who truly repent and with sincere hearts believe his holy gospel therefore we beseech him to grant us true repentance and His Holy Spirit that those things may please him 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 his eternal joy through Jesus Christ our Lord please stand as you were able the peace of the Lord be always with you please be seated good evening my name is Randy Hollerith I'm the Dean of the Cathedral and on behalf of Bishop buddy and all of us who serve the Washington National Cathedral we're so glad that you're here with us tonight and I hope that this Ash Wednesday will be the beginning for you of a very holy 40 day period as we prepare ourselves for the resurrection of our Lord Jesus I hope that it will be a fruitful time for you and and I'll be lifting that up in my prayers please know that as we move now into the Eucharist Holy Communion everyone is welcome to receive Communion this evening it does not matter your church affiliation or lack thereof if you desire to be fed at Christ's table then please come forward and be fed in our Episcopal Church traditions you put one hand on top of the other as you approach a member of the clergy and they'll put a piece of bread in your hand we have gluten-free bread for those who need it so just ask and then you may eat your piece of bread and take a sip from the chalice or if you prefer you may just eat your piece of bread and and knocks it from the chalice either one is fine both is preferable but either one is fine and if you'd rather not receive communion you're welcome to stay in your seat but I hope you'll come forward when others come forward and just cross your arms over your chest like this that way we know you'd rather not receive Communion and we'll just offer you a prayer and a blessing thank you for being with us tonight and remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ how he said it is more blessed to give than to receive [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the Lord be with you lift up your hearts let us give thanks to the Lord our God it is right and a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to you Father Almighty Creator of heaven and earth through Jesus Christ our Lord who was tempted in every way as we are yet did not sin by His grace we are able to triumph over every evil and to live no longer for ourselves alone but for him who died for us and rose again therefore we praise you joining our voices with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your name [Music] [Music] holy and gracious father in your infinite love you made us for yourself and when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death you and your mercy sent Jesus Christ you're only an eternal son to share our human nature to live and die as one of us to reconcile us to you the God and father of all he stretched out his arms upon the cross and offered himself in obedience to your will a perfect sacrifice for the whole world on the night he was handed over to suffering and death our Lord Jesus Christ took bread and when he had given thanks to you he broke it and gave it to his disciples 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 and when he had given thanks he gave it to them and said drink this all of you this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins whenever you drink it do this for the remembrance of me therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith Christ has died Christ is risen Christ will come again we celebrate the memorial of our redemption O Father in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving recalling his death resurrection and ascension we offer you these gifts sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the body and blood of your son the holy food and drink of new and ending life in him sanctify us all so that we may faithfully receive this holy sacrament and serve you in unity constancy and peace and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal Kingdom all this we ask through your son Jesus Christ by him and with him and in him in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours almighty father now and forever and now as our Savior Christ hath taught us we are bold to say 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 and ever [Music] [Music] [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 [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] praying together eternal God Heavenly Father you have graciously accepted us as living members of your son our Savior Jesus Christ and you have fed us with spiritual food in the sacrament of his body in blood send us now into the world in peace and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart through Christ our Lord let us bow down before the Lord grant most merciful Lord to your faithful people pardon and peace that they may be cleansed from all their sins and serve you with a quiet mind through Jesus Christ our Lord amen [Music] let us bless the Lord

Channel: Washington National Cathedral

Views: 4,782

Keywords: Washington National Cathedral, Washington DC, cathedral, music, architecture, choir, organ, singing, tourism, tourist destination, united states

Id: fOdluoHs5Vk

Length: 92min 22sec (5542 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 26 2020