At every Ash Wednesday worship service — including the livestream worship service we’ll offer tonight — I share these traditional words of invitation for the holy observance of Lent:
The Words of Invitation
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ:
the early Christians observed with great devotion
the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection,
and it became the custom of the Church that before the Easter celebration
there should be a forty-day season of spiritual preparation.
During this season converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism.
It was also a time when persons who had committed serious sins
and had separated themselves from the community of faith
were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness,
and restored to participation in the life of the Church.
In this way the whole congregation was reminded
of the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Christ
and the need we all have to renew our faith.
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church,
to observe a holy Lent:
by self-examination and repentance;
by prayer, fasting, and self-denial;
and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word.
The Imposition of Ashes
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ:
the early Christians observed with great devotion
the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection,
and it became the custom of the Church that before the Easter celebration
there should be a forty-day season of spiritual preparation.
During this season converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism.
It was also a time when persons who had committed serious sins
and had separated themselves from the community of faith
were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness,
and restored to participation in the life of the Church.
In this way the whole congregation was reminded
of the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Christ
and the need we all have to renew our faith.
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church,
to observe a holy Lent:
by self-examination and repentance;
by prayer, fasting, and self-denial;
and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word.
The Imposition of Ashes
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.
I’m a firm believer, friends, that one size doesn’t necessarily fit all — or at the very least, it doesn’t “fit all” very well. Lent may look different from one year to the next, and Lent may look different from one Christian to the next. Some choose to “give up” something for Lent. Others choose to add some new faith-fostering discipline. One colleague of mine is planning to spend this Lent letting things go (rather than “giving things up”) — letting go of things like fear, control, or pride. How will you (in the words of the invitation) “observe a holy Lent”? I’d love to hear more about your unique plans!
In the meantime, I want to invite you to participate in some Lenten disciplines that can build your faith today and in the coming weeks:
Join us for Drive-Thru Ashes today (Wednesday, February 17):
- 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
- 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
(Come to the circle driveway in front of the church to receive the imposition of ashes.
Join us for Livestream Worship tonight (Wednesday, February 17) at 7:30 PM via Facebook Live.
(Though this service is offered live, there is no in-person RSVP for this worship service. This online-only format will allow us to include a group of our Celebration Ringers and an extended Contemporary Ensemble in the worship experience. This is the first time since March that we’ve been able to welcome these folks to worship, and it will be such a blessing to hear such ringing and singing again!)
Join us for a Zoom Lenten Study on Monday evenings, 7:00-8:15 PM, beginning February 22. This study will be led by a variety of Wesley Church small group leaders, and I’ll be leading the first session on 2/22. To sign up, click here
This study will also be held as an in-person study with our Thursday evening women’s group. Space is limited — to participate, contact Sue Kiefner.
Have a holy (and healthy) Lent, my friends… and remember:
Our God is bigger than coronavirus.
Our vision is bigger than coronavirus, too.
We are people blessing people.
We are Wesley Church.
Want to know more?
- Learn about our church and its ministries: https://wesleychurch.com/
- Make a gift to support our mission: https://wesleychurch.com/giving-2/
- View our recent messages: https://wesleychurch.com/sermon-message-on-video/
- View previous devotionals: https://wesleychurch.com/pastor-candys-devotionals-2/
