Ash Wednesday Service

[0:00] Welcome to the Pendleton Center for Ash Wednesday service. Before we get started, I wanted to do a couple of announcements. We're heading into Lent, and so we are starting fish fries this Friday.

[0:14] We could use some help with that and come out for a dinner. Also, wanted you to be aware that the Easter egg hunt, the date has changed. It's always for as long as I remember been the Saturday before Easter. It is not. It's one week earlier, so pass it on because we all got to get ready for that and be prepared for that. Also, for anyone who would like to become a member, we are having a membership class on Sunday at 1245, so that would be it for announcements. Let's pray so we can enter into worship. Gracious Lord, we thank you for this opportunity to gather together in your name.

[0:55] We pray that you'll fill this place with your presence, that we will experience you in a powerful way with your conviction, with your leading, with your praise. We thank you, Lord, and we lift your name on high. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. I'd like to invite you all to stand, if you're able, as we sing together, Have Thine Own Way, Lord.

[1:18] Have Thine Own Way, Lord, have Thine Own Way.

[1:42] Search me and try me, Savior today.

[2:12] Wash me and try me, Savior today. Wash me just now, Lord, wash me just now, as in Thy presence humbly I bow. Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way.

[2:31] Wounded and weary, help me, help me, I pray. Power, all power, surely is Thine. Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.

[2:49] Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way. Hold o'er my being, absolute sway. Fill with Thy Spirit, till all shall see, Christ only, always living in me.

[3:15] Please be seated. The early Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's Passion and Resurrection.

[3:30] And it became the custom of the church that there should be 40 days of meditation and preparation before the celebration of Easter. Now, if you actually count between Lent and Easter, you'll come up with 46.

[3:44] That's because Sunday doesn't count. Sunday doesn't count because even though it's Lent and we're remembering, we also know that Christ has come.

[3:55] He has died. He has risen from the dead. He has ascended to the Father and we are the church. And on Sunday we celebrate. So there are 40 days of Lent, but each week there is one day of celebrating the Lord's resurrection.

[4:09] This Lent time was traditionally the time when new converts were prepared for baptism and for membership in the church. Those who had fallen away from the church, fallen away into sin, were also reconciled and forgiven and brought back into fellowship with the church.

[4:27] We are all in need of God's mercy and the forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I invite you, in the name of the church, to observe a holy Lent by self-examination and repentance, by prayer and fasting, by self-denial and the reading of God's holy word, to make a new beginning in the faith, to make a right beginning of repentance.

[4:58] And as a sign of the reality of our mortal nature, I invite you to join with me in reading responsibly Psalm 143, which will be on the screen.

[5:09] Now, we're going to do this. Oh, wow, there's a lot of them over there. That's okay. We're going to lead, and Pastor Sherry is going to lead the rest in the response, so we can work together with this.

[5:22] Are we ready? My side. Lord, hear my prayer. Listen to my cry for mercy. In your faithfulness and righteousness, come to my relief.

[5:35] Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. The enemy pursues me.

[5:46] He crushes me to the ground. He makes me dwell in the darkness, like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me.

[5:57] My heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago. I meditate on all your works, and consider what your hands have done.

[6:10] I spread out my hands to you. I thirst for you like a parched land. Answer me quickly, Lord. My spirit falls.

[6:21] Do not hide your face from me, or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.

[6:35] Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you.

[6:48] Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your good spirit lead me on level ground. For your name's sake, Lord, preserve my life.

[7:02] In your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies. Destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.

[7:17] Amen. So as we prepare for the offering tonight, a time where we celebrate and give back to God in gratitude, I'd love to hear what you all are thankful for.

[7:31] What are you thankful for tonight? Yeah. We pray for Tom, that he would find a place that this is the young man, Rochester, who is home with.

[7:45] Amen. Amen. What else? What else are we thankful for? Yeah, over there. What are you thankful for? Yeah. Family. Grandmother, and we're going to pray for her for a surgery too, yeah.

[8:04] For us to have homes. We're thankful for homes, yeah. Mary. And the surgery went well.

[8:18] We're thankful for surgeries that go well and for family, yes. What else? Yeah. For health. Yeah. Yeah.

[8:29] Yeah. Lost and found. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Yes.

[8:40] Life. Absolutely. We are thankful for life. Yeah. Anyone else? Yeah, Penny.

[8:51] So thankful for grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Woo-hoo. Yeah. Anyone else?

[9:03] God is good, gives us all things, and you are still thankful. What are you thankful for? For what? Food. I'm very thankful for food. Yes. Absolutely.

[9:15] Anyone else? You're way over there. Yeah. Yeah. For what? Kitties? As in kitty cats. Okay. And what do you think? Water.

[9:26] Yeah. I mean, we could go all night, couldn't we? We could just keep going and going and going because God is just so amazing. I see Lucas back there. What are you thankful for? God. God who made us all and gave us all things.

[9:38] Yeah. Yeah. So we're thankful that Jesus died on the cross for us and rose again. Amen to that. I think with that, we're going to transition because there is no greater gift than that.

[9:53] And in great gratitude for the life that God has given to us, let's return our gifts, tithes, and offerings to the Lord. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[10:04] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[10:14] Amen. Lord, F Donovan, V foodsomenic programs commencing programs are en rent in those places and manuscripts I am surrounded by your grace.

[10:38] I come with heavy heart and soul. I long for you to take control.

[10:51] And I surrender, Lord. Yes, I surrender, Lord.

[11:04] As I come before your presence, I surrender, Lord.

[11:18] I come to offer all my life. I trade my darkness for your light.

[11:32] I give to you my every care. By every sorrow you will bear.

[11:43] And I surrender, Lord. Yes, I surrender, Lord.

[11:55] As I come before your presence, I surrender, Lord.

[12:07] All to Jesus I surrender.

[12:21] All to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.

[12:39] Oh, I surrender all. I surrender all. I surrender all.

[12:52] All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

[13:05] And I surrender, Lord. I surrender, Lord.

[13:21] As I come before your presence, I surrender, Lord.

[13:34] I surrender, Lord. Amen. People are bulbous, love, who we meet again. simply choose His love. Amen.

[13:47] Amen.chte books areoup Absolutely obrigado. 뒤에ں caredで eternally Amen. Amen.

[14:31] Lord, we thank you for your goodness. We thank you for your blessings. And we give back to you a portion in gratitude and love. And we pray that your blessing will be upon these gifts.

[14:42] That they will go out and transform the world. Bringing your light into the darkness. We praise your name in Jesus' name. Amen. Please be seated.

[14:55] We heard some of the concerns on people's hearts. Are there other things that you'd like to have lifted up this evening for prayer? Yeah.

[15:07] The shooting that happened today. All the families involved. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, Judy. Elizabeth Geary?

[15:17] So baby Elizabeth is very sick again. So please keep Elizabeth in prayer. Any other prayer concerns? Yeah, Becky.

[15:33] For safety of all our children. Yeah. Absolutely. Anyone else? Anyone else? Okay.

[15:49] All right. Let's pray. Gracious and loving Lord, we come to you this night. Praising you and yet with heavy hearts.

[16:00] We pray, Lord, that your goodness will reach out. That your compassion will reach out.

[16:13] That lives will be transformed and people will know you and be comforted by you. We pray, Lord, the people who have experienced great loss.

[16:26] That you will wrap them in your loving arms and hold them tight and help them to see you in the midst of it. Know that you are there. We pray for the families, Lord, of those who are mourning.

[16:38] We pray for our families, Lord, that you will keep our families safe and whole. That you'll put a blanket of protection over them and hold them close.

[16:54] Lord, we pray for those that are needing healing. Healing in their bodies, healing in their minds. Lord, we pray for people that are hurting to become whole and well.

[17:09] That you'll cast away disease. And you'll give your presence for those who are struggling in their minds. Lord, we pray that your hand will be upon anyone who is hurting.

[17:19] Anyone who is suffering. Lord, we pray for those who don't know you. That they will come to know you.

[17:32] That we'll be able to witness to you. No matter what's going on in our lives, Lord, we always praise your name. That you may be glorified through our lives.

[17:42] And we pray so much that you will have your hand on our lives. And on the lives of our loved ones, Lord. We thank you for the healing you're doing.

[17:55] We thank you for your mercies. And we pray that you'll lift us up. Help us to walk through.

[18:08] To lean on you. To trust you. As we place our lives in your hands. We thank you, Lord, for your presence.

[18:20] And we pray that you'll continue to reach out. And help us to be a part of that reaching. That your name be praised.

[18:32] And the darkness of this world turn to light. For it's in your name we pray. Amen. Now let's hear from the word of the Lord. Good evening.

[19:04] The scripture tonight is from the book of Joel, chapter 2, verses 1 through 12. And then 1 through 2. And then 12 to 17.

[19:16] Blow the trumpet in Zion. Sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble. For the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand.

[19:27] A day of darkness and gloom. A day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains. A large and mighty army comes. Such as never was in ancient times.

[19:40] Nor ever will be in the ages to come. Even now, declares the Lord. Return to me with all your heart. With fasting and weeping and mourning.

[19:52] Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate. Slow to anger and abounding in love. And he relents from sending calamity.

[20:06] Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing. Grain offerings and drink offerings. For the Lord your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion.

[20:17] Declare a holy fast. Call a sacred assembly. Gather the people. Consecrate the assembly. Bring together the elders. Gather the children.

[20:28] Those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room. And the bride her chamber. Let the priests who minister before the Lord.

[20:39] Weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn. A byword among the nations.

[20:51] Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Thank you, Naomi.

[21:09] It's Valentine's Day. And it's Ash Wednesday. A day of romantic indulgence celebration.

[21:22] And a day of humble repentance. In sackcloth and ashes. How do we reconcile these two contrasting, conflicting feelings about February 14th, 2018?

[21:44] This is the first time the church has been confronted with this particular convergence of dates since 1945. I heard on the radio this morning that Bishop Malone of the Buffalo Diocese of the Catholic Church was asked by some people whether they could be excused from fasting today.

[22:09] Because it's Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day. A holy day that's moved far from honoring the saint who was martyred for his Christian faith in the third century.

[22:29] By definition, a martyr is someone who is killed because of their beliefs. There are a couple different legends about who Valentine was and why he was martyred.

[22:42] We don't know for sure what the truth is. Historians even believe there were three different Christians named Valentine during that same time in history who were martyred as punishment for actions prompted by their Christian faith.

[23:00] Somewhere along the way, the emphasis on Valentine's faith, for which he was proclaimed a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, turned into a celebration of romance.

[23:16] A reason to give chocolate and roses and expensive dinners out, lavishing material expressions of love onto someone dear to us.

[23:29] But Christ died for sins once for all. The righteous for the unrighteous to bring us to God. Now, I am not opposed to celebrating Valentine's Day.

[23:43] In fact, I enjoy Valentine's Day very much. I think it's wonderful to have a day set aside to celebrate love. Especially if it's really that God kind of love, rather than the superficial relational antics that go on among people today under the guise of love.

[24:05] You know, you know, the love that's all about me feeling good, rather than about the selfless love of God in Christ to save us from our sins.

[24:18] That kind of love is what makes marriages last throughout a lifetime. It sets aside what I want for what someone else needs.

[24:29] It seeks to put God's will above all else in this world, so that God's love can be shown to this world, for through those of us who are called out of this world, those of us called the church.

[24:51] Our scripture reading from the book of the prophet Joel reminds us of the importance of taking God seriously. Israel had been set apart by God, too.

[25:03] They were to be the people through whom God would demonstrate God's glory and authority over all the creation. Israel was supposed to obey God and live according to God's laws.

[25:18] But time and time again, even though they were warned over and over by God's prophets, they put other interests of life ahead of God by worshiping idols, ignoring God's commandments, you know, the Big Ten, and allowing the beliefs and practices of people who did not know God to become welcome in their lives.

[25:53] The passage tells of the coming invasion of Assyria into Israel as punishment for their sins. They were to be taken away from their promised land into captivity.

[26:06] God had set Israel apart to be holy because God is holy. God had set them apart to be an example of righteousness in front of all the people around them.

[26:20] And God was about to break them to get their attention and convince them to return to God with their whole hearts, with fasting and weeping and mourning, the scripture reads.

[26:38] They had been distracted from serving God, distracted by things in the world.

[26:48] There are things in the world that distract us too, aren't there? We're conflicted about how to balance life in the world and life in the church, life as Christians in the world, living out our Christian faith, being in the world, but not of the world.

[27:14] Like Israel, God calls us to be set apart, to be holy because God is holy, to live righteous lives in front of the world because God is righteous.

[27:29] Because we are broken by sin, we come to God seeking forgiveness, seeking to be better people because we see the mess the world is in, we want to be part of the solution to the problems.

[27:49] And we could be, if only we could break free from the sin that so easily entangles. In the psalm we read together earlier, the writer was crying out to God to silence his enemies and destroy his foes.

[28:09] There is a cry to God to rescue him from the enemy that was crushing him. The church has enemies too.

[28:22] Enemies of our faith. Who are they? In this country, Christians are not often confronted by people with weapons who will harm us physically.

[28:33] We are not likely to become like the Valentines who were martyred for their Christian faith. That kind of oppression exists in other places in the world, but not here so much.

[28:46] Here, the church faces subtler enemies. Enemies that appear to be, in many cases, our friends.

[28:57] These enemies can make us feel better for the short term. They can make us feel we're doing something worthwhile because we enjoy it and it satisfies us.

[29:12] All the while, though, it's actually taking us away from God's will for our lives. It's those things in the world that distract us, that occupy our time in ways that disconnect us from God.

[29:30] Those are the things that are our enemies today. We each have some of these, don't we? There are many things we enjoy in this world that are not going to be happening this week in church.

[29:45] Right? We may love our work. We may love our studies. In school, we may love going bowling with friends. We may enjoy reading stories to our children at night, sitting by the fireplace, curled up with someone we love.

[30:01] But we are the church in the world. When we're enjoying those things, is God with us? Are we aware of God's presence in the midst of all those things?

[30:18] are we aware that if we disconnect from that awareness of God in moments of our lives, we are putting ourselves in a position to move away from God's will for our lives?

[30:37] And we will, ultimately, if we keep at it, become of the world instead of being the holy, righteous example of God's holiness and righteousness for the world.

[30:53] The world mocks Christian devotion to God by doing everything it can to pull us away from living holy lives.

[31:08] It tries to convince us that there are better things than holiness, better things than being holy because God is holy. but it's through holiness that we are able to approach God.

[31:25] Not that we can be holy out of our own efforts. We are made holy and righteous because of God's work in Jesus Christ, because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for our sins.

[31:37] But by the help of the Holy Spirit, we are able to cooperate with the Spirit's work in us. And because of our obedience to the Spirit's leading, we can live holy lives.

[31:55] But we have to give up our selfish desires. We have to stop allowing the distractions of this world to keep us from drawing on God's love and power to help us to be the people God intends for us to be.

[32:13] Joel wrote that God said, even now, if you return to me with your whole heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning, you can return to God.

[32:26] You can receive a blessing that will make you a blessing to the world, the very world that is trying to pull us away from God.

[32:37] Christ died for sin once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. So we no longer regard life from a worldly point of view because if we are in Christ, we are new creations.

[32:53] The old ways of viewing the world, of living in the world, are gone. We have become new. Just like in baptism, we identified with Christ's death and resurrection.

[33:08] We died to our worldly selves and have been made holy. So why do we keep on allowing the enemy to distract us from attention to God's will and pull us away from God?

[33:27] Are you struggling tonight over whether you should be enjoying chocolate truffles because it's Valentine's Day or fasting because it's Ash Wednesday?

[33:42] We pray in each worship service, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

[33:54] If we are committed to doing God's will and we fail, oh, and we will fail, God will heal us in our brokenness.

[34:06] But we must come before God as the broken people we are and ask God to put us back together. And when we ask, we have to allow God to put us back together the way God wants to put us back together.

[34:26] Blow the trumpet in Zion. Declare a holy fast. Call a sacred assembly. Gather the people. Consecrate the assembly. The ashes in the form of a cross are a sign that says we belong to Christ and that we will try to live that out in the next 40 days of Lent so we can grow in our devotion to God, in our ability to be the holy, righteous people God has called us to be.

[34:57] I have chosen one thing that I know regularly distracts me from drawing closer to God. I'm not going to tell you what it is.

[35:12] I don't particularly want to know what your ungodly distractions are either unless you want to make an appointment to meet me in my office. You know, it doesn't have to be a bad thing to be an ungodly thing.

[35:31] It only has to be something that keeps us from growing closer to God and keeps us from being an example of holiness out there in the world.

[35:44] It could be a very good thing but if it's not what God wants us doing it's ungodly for us.

[35:58] Thy kingdom come Thy will be done. I'm going to fast my source of distraction all throughout Lent. I hope that by the time Lent is over I won't be distracted by it anymore.

[36:17] And if I am I pray God breaks me with it so I can give it up for good. If it's going to continue to be a thing that distracts me from Him.

[36:35] It's not a bad thing. It's just a thing that pulls me away from time with God. We live in a social context in America where we are being more influenced by the world around us than by the holiness of God.

[36:52] It's subtle and the stuff it distracts us with is not necessarily bad but it's very effective in pulling us away from God.

[37:04] When I'm distracted from being the person I'm supposed to be in the lives of my family and my friends I can understand how that could make them angry or sad because of the way I'm breaking relationship with them.

[37:22] How much more so is God who has given me everything so that I might have the hope of eternal life. I'm going to take a few minutes now and reflect on the holiness God calls the church to live in so the world can see Christ in us.

[37:42] Let God speak to your heart. Let God point to something that distracts you from him. Then we're going to have a prayer of confession so we can give it up.

[38:16] Holiness Holiness Holiness Holiness Holiness It's what I long for Holiness It's what I need Holiness Holiness It's what you want For me For me Oh yeah Righteousness Righteousness Righteousness

[39:17] It's what I long for Righteousness It's what I need That's what I need Righteousness Righteousness It's what you want For me For me So take my heart Take my heart Come for it Take my mind Transform it Take my will Come for it To your heart To your heart To your heart To your heart Oh yeah Brokenness Brokenness It's what I long for

[40:19] Brokenness It's what I need Gotta be broken Brokenness Brokenness Brokenness Brokenness Brokenness It's what you want For me For me For me So take my heart Take my heart And open Take my mind Take my mind Transform it Take my will Transform it Take my will Transform it Take my will Take my will To your heart dictator Into your heart And open God Take my heart Take my mind

[41:20] Black mind Transform my mind Transform my mind Take my will Take my will Take my will To your heart Bye.

[41:49] Bye. Take my will Take my will Take my will Take my will Take my will Oh Lord Oh Lord Oh Holiness Holiness Is what I long for Holiness Is what I know I need Gotta be Holy Holiness Is what you want For me I'm gonna be Holy Is what you want For me Gotta be holy Is what you want For me For me Went to Israel

[43:02] When I went to Israel, I went to Bethlehem And in Bethlehem And in Bethlehem There's a place Where they carve branches from olive wood trees And they never actually Take down an entire tree Olive trees are really resilient And they live for years and years and years We actually saw an olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane That is dated back to the time of Christ And is still alive They take branches That they see can be made into something And they use them and the tree continues to grow In spite of the branches being harvested And we were in the place where they were carving these things And we heard all about how they carve them And what they do And I kept going back There was only one of these You can't see it It is Hands

[44:05] Holding a book And in the book is printed The Lord's Prayer Or carved The Lord's Prayer And I kept going back to it In the midst of all my shopping And getting things I wanted to bring back To give to different people And the stuff that was going on with that And I kept going back To this one Everything there is That is this kind of a size is unique And I kept going back to this one About the fourth or fifth time I went back to it I looked up and I said Lord Because I knew it was Not going to be easy to Deal with purchasing I said Lord can I buy that?

[44:45] Buy that? And in an instant I heard in my spirit Yes, buy it And give it to the church I knew in that moment Because I was covered with the presence of God And filled with the presence of God That it was exactly what I was supposed to do I knew it And all the while there was another part of me That was saying Are you crazy?

[45:14] Are you out of your mind? Do you know how many weeks you are going to have to work to pay for that? Do you know what is going to come of that? You have to go home and tell Romney about that And I was upset and worried And as I was looking at it on the counter with the man who was writing up the bill And who had taken my credit card out of my hand I was saying God No I don't want it I definitely don't want to give it away I definitely don't want to give it away Yeah, okay, I want it I want to take it home but I definitely don't want to give it away And I will tell you the truth I wrestled and struggled with this the whole trip From that day on every night I was awake in the middle of the night going Oh my Lord, what did I do?

[46:12] Oh my Lord, what did I do? And I got home And for the whole first week that I was home There were times when I said, oh Lord, what did I do? And he was just quiet Because that's what God will do When he knows that he's told you to do something And you've done it And you know that you don't like it Or you do like it or whatever And you're asking God about it God will just be quiet There will be no additional words of assurance There will be no pats on the head There will be no warm fuzzy hugs There will just be quiet Because you know you've done what God was wanting you to do Here's the interesting thing I struggled with it and struggled with it and struggled with it And the day the box came I struggled with the box Because they packed it with more tape than my mother would have used And when I finally got it open and picked it up And set it on my table I looked at it and I said, huh, not mine

[47:14] And I had perfect peace Sometimes doing what God wants us to do Isn't an immediately peaceful, wonderful thing Sometimes doing what God wants us to do is hard And it makes us angry And it makes us scared But this is for the prayer room It's a prayer room From Bethlehem We're going to move into our time of imposing of ashes And celebrating communion We're going to have the servers And the pastors and those who are imposing ashes Come forward first And we'll serve you And we'll get us all taken care of So that we're going to be ready and prepared To take care of all of the rest You'll receive ashes

[48:16] And when you come up It'll be Pastor Sherry and Judy, right? You can receive them either on your forehead Or on the back of your hand You can receive your hand That's fine They're not mixed with anything So they're just It's just ashes When you get home, take care You know, try and wipe off as much as you can You don't want to use water And soap and stuff on that If you decide you don't want to receive ashes For whatever reason All you need to do when it's your turn to come up When you're in line and you come up Just pass by Or you can ask them for a blessing You don't have to receive ashes You can just receive a short prayer A simple blessing as you go by Your choice, it's up to you And then you'll come in line Or come to the rail for communion When you are at the rail You may kneel or not You know your knees I don't I don't ask people to kneel who really can't And yeah, don't kneel if you can't You're welcome to stand But you'll receive the bread first

[49:20] And then you'll receive the cup Hold them both And wait Because then I have A prayer for you And you'll take All of you together at the rail We'll take the bread And then all of you together at the rail We'll take the cup And then a final blessing And you'll leave And the next group will come up It's gonna take a few minutes But we only do it once a year If you are in need of gluten free When the server comes to you All you need to do is say I need gluten free And as soon as they finish serving the rest of the roll They'll come and they'll take the plate They won't touch the bread They'll take the plate and hold it out for you So you can take your bread All right?

[50:06] All righty We need to have Thanksgiving over the ashes, Pastor Sherry We need to have a prayer for you We need to have a prayer for you That's all All righty We need to have a prayer for you If you have a prayer for you Almighty God You have created us out of the dust of the earth Grant that these ashes may be a sign to us Of our mortality and penitence So that we may remember that only by your gracious gift Are we given everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Savior Amen As we draw near to God through repentance and communion Let us offer our prayer of confession From the old Methodist book of worship Let us pray Almighty and most merciful God We have erred and strayed from the ways like lost sheep

[51:10] We have followed too much The devices and desires of our own hearts We have offended against thy holy laws We have left undone Those things which we ought to have done And have done those things Which we ought not to have done But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us Spare those, O God Who confess their faults Restore thou those who are penitent According to thy promises declared unto humankind In Christ Jesus our Lord

[52:12] And grant, O most merciful Father For Jesus' sake That we may hereafter live A godly, righteous and sobering For Jesus' sake A godly, righteous and sober life To the glory of thy holy name Glory to thy holy name Amen O Lord, we beseech thee Absolve thy people from their offenses That through thy bountiful goodness We may be delivered from the bonds of those sins Which by our frailty we have committed Grant this, O Heavenly Father For the sake of Jesus Christ Our blessed Lord and Savior Amen In the name of Jesus Christ Your sins are forgiven In the name of Jesus Christ

[53:14] Your sins are forgiven Glory to God Amen In the United Methodist Church All are welcome to receive at the table If you love God, repent of your sin And seek to live in peace As disciples of Jesus Christ You are welcome to come and share In the empowering, amazing means of grace That God offers us today That Christ invites us to partake in That the Spirit will minister to us through So come to the table Come expecting that God is going to make you well able To do all God has called you to do To be all God has called you to be The Lord be with you Also with you Lift up your hearts Let us give thanks to the Lord our God It is right and a holy and good and joyful thing always and everywhere to be all God has called you to be.

[54:13] 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.

[54:31] You brought all things into being and called them good. From the dust of the earth you formed us into your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away and our love failed, your love remained steadfast.

[54:46] And so with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

[55:01] Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy are you and blessed is your son Jesus Christ.

[55:11] When you gave him to save us from our sin, your spirit led him into the wilderness where he fasted 40 days and 40 nights to prepare for his ministry. When he suffered and died on a cross for our sin, you raised him to life, presented him alive to the apostles during 40 days and exalted him at your right hand.

[55:34] By the baptism of his suffering, death and resurrection, you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death and made with us a new covenant by water and the spirit.

[55:46] Now, when we, your people, prepare for the yearly feast of Easter, you lead us to repentance for sin and the cleansing of our hearts that during these 40 days of Lent, we may be gifted and graced to reaffirm the covenant you made with us through Christ.

[56:07] On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread and he gave thanks to you. He broke the bread and gave it to his disciples. He said, take, eat.

[56:18] This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

[56:36] And when the supper was over, he took the cup. He gave you thanks and praise and gave it to his disciples.

[56:50] He said, drink from this, all of you. This is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.

[57:04] And so in remembrance of these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

[57:19] Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here and on these gifts of bread and wine.

[57:32] Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ that we may be for the world the body of Christ redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit, make us one with Christ, one with each other and one in ministry to all the world until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

[57:53] Through your Son, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit and your Holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty God, now and forever. Amen.

[58:04] Shall we pray together with the confidence that we are children of God, the prayer Jesus taught us? Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

[58:17] 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.

[58:32] 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.

[58:44] Amen. Will those who are serving please come forward. Amen.

[59:37] Amen. Amen.

[60:37] Amen. Amen.

[61:37] Amen. Amen.

[62:37] Amen. Amen.

[63:37] Amen. Amen.

[64:37] Amen. Amen.

[65:37] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry.

[65:49] Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. So partake together, the body of Christ, the bread of heaven. Once you were separated from God by your own doing, but now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical death to present you holy in his sight, perfect and free from accusation.

[66:17] Together now drink the blood of Christ, the cup of salvation. In the body of Christ you have received the gift of life.

[66:31] Rise now and go, renewed in your face, renewed in your hope. Amen. Amen. And the field also leave with the bedroom.

[67:06] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[67:33] Thank you.

[68:03] Thank you.

[68:33] Thank you. When we continue in our faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel, we have peace with God.

[68:44] Together now drink the blood of Christ, the cup of salvation. In the body and blood of Christ you have received the gift of life.

[68:57] Rise now and go, renewed in your faith and hope. Thank you. Thegado blood of Christ.

[69:10] God bless. God bless. Thank you.

[69:49] Thank you.

[70:19] Thank you.

[70:49] Thank you. Jesus said, I am the bread of life, the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. So partake together, the body of Christ, the bread of heaven.

[71:16] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old is gone, the new has come. Together now drink the blood of Christ, the cup of salvation.

[71:37] In the body and blood of Christ, you have received the gift of life. Rise now and go renewed in your faith and hope.

[71:58] Thank you. Thank you.

[72:13] Thank you.

[72:43] Thank you.

[73:13] Thank you.

[73:43] Thank you.

[74:13] God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in his Son and through Jesus Christ to reconcile to himself all things by making peace through Jesus' blood shed on the cross.

[74:26] Together now drink the blood of Christ, the cup of salvation. In the body and blood of Christ you have received the gift of life.

[74:41] Rise now and go, renewed in your faith and hope. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[74:52] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you.

[75:27] Thank you.

[75:57] Thank you.

[76:27] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[77:01] Thank you. Thank you.

[77:33] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[77:45] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[77:57] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[78:09] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[78:21] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. in the lives of all Catholics, and even many of our non-Catholic brothers and sisters, a dispensation will not be granted.

[78:41] Those who are accustomed to celebrating St. Valentine's Day may do so before or on another non-penitential day. As we make this sacrifice, we should consider the immense love of our Lord, who suffered and died for us.

[79:04] It is especially important that parents help their children to understand the significance of Ash Wednesday and why it supersedes the celebration of St. Valentine's Day in the life of a Catholic.

[79:21] Be assured of my prayers for you as we embark upon this Lenten season. May it be a time of grace and mercy for each of you. I pray this Ash Wednesday, we all become more aware of the sacrifice Christ made for us.

[79:39] Whether we celebrated St. Valentine's Day or not isn't the question. The question was, are we rejoicing in God? The question is, is it something that we want God doing with us?

[79:56] I pray that we are all willing to offer ourselves as the communion liturgy we just prayed says. As a living sacrifice in union with Christ's offering for us, I pray that we become more willing than ever before to evaluate the true value of the things we do.

[80:17] Are they showing the world we are wholly devoted to God above all else? Or are they as easily melted away as a piece of chocolate?

[80:29] God loves us and has made a way for us to be holy people to show the world holiness. This Lent, let's be encouraged as we walk in devotion to God.

[80:44] It's the most joyful and the most loving thing that we can do. Go in God's peace. Amen. Amen.