Bulletin – Ash Wednesday 2021
Service Opening
Blow the trumpet; sound the alarm on Zion, God’s sacred hill. Tremble, people of Judah! The day of the Lord is coming soon. Come back to the Lord your God. He is kind and full of mercy; he is patient and keeps his promise, he is always ready to forgive and not punish.
Blow the trumpet on Mount Zion; give orders for a fast and call an assembly! Gather the people together, prepare them for a sacred meeting; bring the old people; gather the children and the babies too. Even newly married couples must leave their room and come.
(Joel 2:1, 13b, 16 – Today’s English Version)
Call to Worship
One: The world says “turn to face me.” And the world is filled with people telling us what to do, with voices calling us to hate and to be greedy, that hurting other people is okay, and all sots of sin. As we begin Lent, do you turn your back on all the sin that the world says is OK?
All: We turn towards Christ and say “I do.”
One: We come together today telling God that we do turn our back on selfishness and greed, on looking out only for yourself and those you love and getting what you want?
All: We turn towards Christ and say “I do.”
One: Still, do you turn your back on using violence against people we do not like? Do you turn your back on hitting and hurting and name-calling?
All: We turn towards Christ and say “I do.”
One: Finally, do you turn your back on anything that keeps you from loving God?
All: We turn to Christ. We promise to be Christ’s faithful disciples, obeying God’s Word and showing God’s love, to our life’s end. We do this with God’s help.
Opening Prayer
God, selfishness and greed and violence and so many other evils call to us powerfully. Every day we have to decide not to respond to them, but to be your loving disciples. So, at the beginning of Lent, we admit that this is so, and promise once more to keep working at turning away from all the evil and toward your great love. Be with us. Love us and guide us and give us your loving power as we keep turning away from sin and toward you and sharing your love with the whole world. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Song – “Come, Lord Jesus”
Come, Lord Jesus,
Come, Lord Jesus,
Come, Lord Jesus:
Come and be born in our hearts.
Our hearts are open,
Our hearts are open,
Our hearts are open:
Come and be born in our hearts.
Scripture Reading: Jonah 3:1-6
1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.
6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
Meditation – “Jonah gets a Second Chance”
Song – “Second Chance”
God’s given gifts to each of us;
Through them we share His love.
But often fear closes our hearts;
Holds back gifts from above.
Yet God on high can take our gifts
And make all fears depart.
He gives us courage to stand tall
And make another start.
Ash Wednesday Craft
Start with a large red piece of paper. We will cut a red paper heart out of the paper.
The baby Jesus was like God’s valentine telling us that God loves us. God became one of us and lived among us as a baby who grew into a man who talked about God’s love and really loved every person he met. One would think everyone would like Jesus. But, they did not. Jesus’ love made them feel like they should be more loving than they wanted to be. Jesus talked about forgiving love and loving EVERYONE. Enough people got angry enough that they killed Jesus. The totally amazing thin is that Jesus did not get angry. Jesus FORGAVE them. He still loved them. After he rose and was no longer dead, Jesus kept loving them and reached out to them.
Draw a large black cross on the red heart.
So, on this red heart that is God’s valentine to us we draw this black cross with a black crayon. This cross represents how some people didn’t love like Jesus hoped that we would love and so they put Jesus on a cross, but God and Jesus forgave the people and THAT is love! I invite you to take your paper heart and put it up in your house somewhere for the season of Lent, until Easter, to always remind you how much God loves us.
Imposition of Ashes
Prayer
One: Thank you God that you love us and hear us when we pray. We are sorry for things we have done that have hurt your and others.
One: We have not loved you or others as much as we could.
All: God, we are sorry.
One: We have not helped others as Jesus helped us.
All: God, we are sorry.
One: We have been impatient.
All: God, we are sorry.
One: We have been angry.
All: God, we are sorry.
One: We have been jealous of others.
All: God, we are sorry.
One: We have told lies.
All: God, we are sorry.
One: We have forgotten to pray.
All: God, we are sorry.
One: Hear us and help us, God. Work through us so that we can share your goodness and love in the world. Show us the joy and new life that Jesus brings. Hear us now as we continue to pray in the words that Jesus taught us;
All: 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. Amen.
Hymn – “Jesus Loves Me”
Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to him belong,
In his love we shall be strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me still today,
Walking with me on my way,
Wanting as a friend to give
Light and love to all who live.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Benediction
We know that you love us, God, and we thank you for your love in our lives. We also know that we, like Jonah, are always given a second, third, and even a fourth chance. Helps us to be more like Jesus through this season of Lent until Easter. Help us to live more like you want us to live, to be more loving, more patient, more forgiving. As we leave this time together, we know that you will always be with us, giving us your love. Amen.
