Ash Wednesday Bulletin

February 14, 2024  7:00 PM

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Prelude             “Unto Thee I Cry, Lord Jesus”                            J.S. Bach

*HYMN          “Jesus Stand Among Us”

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Gentle and holy God, we acknowledge to you, to one another, and to ourselves that we are not what you have called us to be.  We seek to lay up treasure on earth, while neglecting permanent values and selfless commitment to causes greater than ourselves. Forgive us, we pray, and restore us. Amen.                                                                                                  
DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS

IMPOSITION OF ASHES

All those who would like to receive the ashes are invited to come forward at this time.

ANTHEM “Treasures in Heaven”                                     Joseph Clokey

SCRIPTURE LESSON   Isaiah 58:6-12                                    page 688

MESSAGE                                                              Father Rick Swanson

* A STATEMENT OF FAITH
We are not alone. We live in God’s world. 
We believe in God: who has created and is creating, 
who has come in Jesus, the word made flesh, 
to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the church: to celebrate God’s presence, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God! 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE 
Leader: Lord, in your mercy, 
All: Hear our prayer. 

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION 

WORDS OF REMEMBRANCE

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION

SHARING OF THE BREAD AND CUP 
Please come forward at the direction of the ushers.

COMMUNION MUSIC

 “O Bread of Life from Heaven”                                        Isaak/Johnson

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING 
Bountiful God, we give you thanks that you have refreshed us at your table by granting us the presence of Christ. Strengthen our faith, increase our love for one another, and send us forth into the world in courage and peace, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 
 

*HYMN          “Near to the Heart of God”                                #581

BLESSING 

POSTLUDE   “O Master Let Me Walk with Thee”             Smith/Jordan

OUR LENTEN JOURNEY 
The season of Lent is an invitation to face, in a deeper sense, the Gospel story of death and resurrection - Jesus’ and our own. Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or volunteering and giving of themselves for others. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness prior to the beginning of his ministry. 

REFLECTION
"Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten journey to Jerusalem. The way is often desert, but the destination holds most meaning for those who make the trip.  And since the way is often desert, it is best not to journey alone."    - Fred Craddock