service went okay. This was the first time in his 50-something years that he ever attended an Ash Wednesday service. Along with a few others, neither of us went forward for the imposition of ashes. I think most of the "recalcitrants" just stayed home.
"It was a little weird, but I got something out of it," he concluded afterwards. "But I don't think I will ever get ashes."
~sigh~
Maybe we are both closet Baptists on this point.
"It was a little weird, but I got something out of it," he concluded afterwards. "But I don't think I will ever get ashes."
~sigh~
Maybe we are both closet Baptists on this point.
14 comments:
Well, this former Baptist has had to come to terms with pastoring people who expect the ashes. This was the first year (fourth time around) that I felt I knew what I was doing.
I like the Ash Wednesday texts a lot. I like being reminded that fancy displays are not what matters, that God really wants us to give up selfishness and thoughtlessness, to turn toward care for others. If the ashes can symbolize a moment of recognition that we are frail children of dust, and that now is the time to turn toward God, that's not so bad, is it?
(Still working through this myself.)
No, it's not so bad. I like the texts, too. That's why we went. I appreciate your thoughts on this.
I do have a question.Do you celebrate communion at the same time? We did and that seemed odd to me--but I don't really know if that has been customary in denominations that have always had Ash Wednesday services.
No, we didn't. I really had so little experience with Ash Wednesday coming into ministry. I think I had attended one noontime service at Large Church back in the mid-90's, and one service at seminary. When I had to do one myself, I turned to the UCC Book of Worship, which either didn't suggest communion or didn't make it sound necessary.
I think you'll find our other RevGals have different input on that question.
Glad El Jefe went with you. I envy those who get to sit in the pews with their sweeties every now and then.
I don't think we celebrate the sacrament at Ash Wed. but I don't recall, really.
Maybe we could do some sort of religious exchange. Y'all can come to the business meeting that we had at church on Ash Wednesday and I'll go get sooted-up at your church. Whadda ya think?
That depends...
The Ash Wednesday service lasted 55 minutes (El Jefe timed it).
How long was the business meeting?
Ash Wednesday was not part of my history in the Presbyterian, Disciples, or Nazarene churches, but as a UMC local pastor, I have led Ash Wednesday services for several years now. I emphasize the brevity of our physical life, our mortal frailty, our need for repentance and faithfulness. I invite people to receive the ashes as I say "______, remember that your are dust and to dust you will return." No, we do not have Communion as part of the service. We did join in prayer for a young boys 4-H steer that has not eaten anything nor drunk water for three weeks; the vet has no clue what the problem might be, and we rejoiced over recent answers to prayer. I also announced that the next 40 days are designated Blue Denim Days. Not to go out and buy blue jeans if you don't have any (ha, ha), but I will be wearing blue denim on Sunday mornings.
Hi QG, I thought of you during our service last night. It was made clear in the bulletin and by my invitation that you could sit or come forward and receive the ashes either on your forehead or your hand.
No Communion.
Since this is fairly new for them (and for me) I have been going with the K.I.S.S. theory. Long periods of silence, litany of confession, psalm reading, some singing and a brief meditation by me. Total we were at 40 minutes.
That sounds like a well-planned service, WS.
Having the congregation get up twice to get ashes and then again to take communion in small groups around the table seemed awkward to me.
It seems to me that if you are going to really observe Lent, that you would not take communion between Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday.
We had a nice taize-style service, except that our pianist didn't show up until right near the end. This definitely put a crimp in the flow of the service, since taize involves so much repetitive singing. But we did do ashes-- I think everyone came up, though our directions simply called for a time of silence when you could come forward for ashes if you felt moved to do so. One person on my side indicated hand instead of forehead.
This is one of two services in the year that my church does jointly with my husband's church, so we got to sit together with our two children. This NEVER happens, and I enjoyed it. It almost felt like we were normal people! ha!
We did not have commmunion. We did not have a sermon. We did have significant times of silence, four scripture readings, confession in which people were invited to write their confessions on paper and slip the papers into a hole on the chicken-wire covered cross as a way of offering them to God. The confessions will be burned (by me, at home, in my barbecue grill, since fire danger is high), and on Easter morning everyone brings fresh flowers from their homes to decorate the cross.
I've never done communion on Ash Wednesday. I have that same awkward feeling about communion on Christmas. Like somehow it doesn't fit. One nearby Pres. church did communion every Sunday during Lent last year. They tried to do it a different way each time-- different serving styles, seated or standing, gathered or individual. Don't know how that went.
Ours was about 45 minutes. Lots of silence, the readings. a very brief meditation (about 5 minutes), adn exlanation of the ash tradition, the ashes themselves, and invitation to our Lenten spiritual discipline (we are going to pray every day for every member--we drew names out of a purple bowl last night), then I shifted the service from one of emptying ourselves to one of God filling us up. That was when we did communion.
It seems to me that if you are going to really observe Lent, that you would not take communion between Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday.
Ah, the good old days of quarterly communion! In my childhood church we had communion four times a year: first Sundays in January, July and October, plus Maundy Thursday. Not that we observed Lent.
Is there some connection between wearing our good jewelry and having communion more often?
You're right on both counts, Songbird. I was used to quarterly communion, too. In fact I'm not sure I've adjusted to the once a month plus special days schedule my church now follows. (The PCUSA requires its churches to have communion at least four times a year and permits it more often.)
Good point about the jewelry/communion connection, too!
I would observe it every Lord's Day, if the Session could stand it.
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