Ash Wednesday

GOD WELCOMES US 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. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen.

We sing a Lenten hymn/song

We confess our sin and pray for forgiveness - Psalm 51 Have mercy on me, O God,    according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy    blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,    and cleanse me from my sin! Be merciful, be merciful, O God.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. Be merciful, be merciful, O God.

You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Be merciful, be merciful, O God.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Be merciful, be merciful, O God.

 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance. Be merciful, be merciful, O God.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you have no delight in sacrifice, if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Be merciful, be merciful, O God.

We pray a Lenten Prayer The Lord be with you And also with you. Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for….. ….for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Old Testament Reading (after the reading) GOD SPEAKS TO US   Old Testament Reading Hear the word of the Lord as it is written in… (after the reading) This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God

All praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory. Epistle Reading Hear the word of the Lord as it is written in … (after the reading) This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God For our sake, God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. All praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Gospel Reading (after the gospel) Amen. Hear the gospel of the Lord as it is written in … (after the gospel) This is the gospel of the Lord Praise be to you, O Christ Lord Jesus, thank you for giving up everything for us. Make us truly repentant, and help us to worship our heavenly Father in our hearts. Amen.

We sing a hymn/song

We listen to the address

Imposition of Ashes We are all born weak and helpless. All lead the same short, troubled life. We grow and wither as quickly as flowers; we disappear like shadows. In the midst of life we are in death. To whom can we go for help, but to you, Lord God, though you are rightly displeased because of our sins?

And yet, Lord God Almighty, most holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us from the bitterness of eternal death. You know the secrets of our hearts; mercifully hear us, most worthy judge eternal; keep us, at our last hour, in the consolation of your love. Amen.

Dust we are and to dust we shall return. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. May these ashes be for us a sign of our mortality and penitence, and a reminder that we receive eternal life by God's gift alone, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Those who desire to receive ashes may come forward to any of the people administering ashes. Children as well as adults are invited to participate. The minister/assistant makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of each person with ashes, saying: Remember that you are dust, and that to dust you shall return.

We sing a hymn/song as our offering is received GOD RECEIVES OUR OFFERING   We sing a hymn/song as our offering is received

We pray an offering prayer Let us pray. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your free Spirit.

We pray for ourselves and the world Prayer response: Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer.  

The Lord’s Prayer Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

Christ our crucified Saviour draw you to himself, so that you may find in him the assurance of sins forgiven and the gift of eternal life. And the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with us now and always. Amen

We sing a hymn/song