The Service in PDF format is at: 03-06-2019 – Ash Wednesday Service
or the service is as follows:
Ash Wednesday
March 6, 2019
Peace Lutheran Church
Leader: Jesus Christ, you are the light of the world;
All: the light no darkness can over-come;
Leader: Stay with us now, for it is evening,
All: and the day is almost over.
Leader: Let your light scatter the darkness,
All: and shine within your people here.
All:
- Joyous light of heavenly glory, loving glow of God’s own face, you who sing creation’s story, shine on every land and race. Now as evening falls around us we shall raise our songs to you, God of daybreak, God of shadows, come and light our hearts anew.
- In the stars that grace the darkness, in the blazing sun of dawn, in the light of peace and wisdom, we can hear your quiet song. Love that fills the night with wonder, love that warms the weary soul, Love that bursts all chains asunder, set us free and make us whole.
- You who made the heaven’s splendor, every dancing star of night, make us shine with gentle justice, let us each reflect your light. Mighty God of all creation, gentle Christ who lights our way, Loving Spirit of salvation, lead us on to endless day.
Leader: May God be with you all,
All: and also with you;
Leader: Let us sing our thanks to God,
All: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Leader: Blessed are you, Creator of the universe – from old you have led your people by night and day. May the light of your Christ make our darkness bright, for your Word and your presence are the light of our pathways, and you are the light and life of all creation.
All: Amen
All: Let my prayer rise up like incense before you, the lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.
Group One: O God, I call to you, * come to me now; O hear my voice when I call to you, Let my prayer rise up like incense before you, the lifting up of my hands as an offering to you. Keep watch within me, God; deep in my heart may the light of your love be burning bright. Let my prayer rise up like incense before you, the lifting up of my hands as an offering to you. All praise to the God of all Creator of life; all praise ge to Christ and the Spirit of love. Let my prayer rise up like incense before you, the lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.
* At this point Group two starts
P: May our prayers come before you, O God, as incense, and may your presence surround and fill us, so that in union with all creation, we might sing your praise and your love in our lives.
C: Amen (Silence for meditation)
Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
P: The Light shines in the darkness
C: and the darkness has not overcome it.
P: Dear brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ, on this day the Church begins a holy season of prayerful and penitential reflection. Our attention is especially directed to the holy sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. From ancient times the season of Lent has been kept as a time of special devotion, self-denial, and humble repentance born of a faithful heart that dwells confidently on His Word and draws from it life and hope.
Let us pray that our dear Father in heaven, for the sake of His beloved Son and in the power of His Holy Spirit, might richly bless this Lententide for us so that we may come to Easter with glad hearts and keep the feast in sincerity and truth.
Silence for reflection
P: O Lord, C: have mercy.
P: O Christ, C: have mercy.
P: O Lord, C: have mercy.
P: O Christ, C: hear us.
P: God the Father in heaven, C: have mercy.
P: God the Son, Redeemer of the world, C: have mercy.
P: God the Holy Spirit, C: have mercy.
P: Be gracious to us. C: Spare us, good Lord.
P: Be gracious to us. C: Help us, good Lord.
P: By the mystery of Your holy incarnation; by Your holy nativity; by Your baptism, fasting, and temptation; by Your agony and bloody sweat; by Your cross and passion; by Your precious death and burial; by Your glorious resurrection and ascension; and by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter: C: Help us, good Lord.
P: In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in the hour of death; and in the day of judgment: C: Help us, good Lord.
P: We poor sinners implore You C: to hear us, O Lord.
P: To prosper the preaching of Your Word; to bless our prayer and meditation; to strengthen and preserve us in the true faith; and to give heart to our sorrow and strength to our repentance: C: We implore You to hear us, good Lord.
P: To draw all to Yourself; to bless those who are instructed in the faith; to watch over and console the poor, the sick, the distressed, the lonely, the forsaken, the abandoned, and all who stand in need of our prayers; to give abundant blessing to all works of mercy; and to have mercy on us all: C: We implore You to hear us, good Lord.
P: To turn our hearts to You; to turn the hearts of our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers; and graciously to hear our prayers: C: We implore You to hear us, good Lord.
P: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, C: we implore You to hear us.
P: Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, C: have mercy.
P: Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, C: have mercy.
P: Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, C: grant us Your peace.
P: O Christ, C: hear us.
P: O Lord, C: have mercy.
P: O Christ, C: have mercy.
P: O Lord, C: have mercy. Amen.
P: O God, You desire not the death of sinners, but rather that they turn from their wickedness and live. We implore You to have compassion on the frailty of our mortal nature, for we acknowledge that we are dust and to dust we shall return. Mercifully pardon our sins that we may obtain the promises You have laid up for those who are repentant; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.
All are invited forward to receive ashes on the forehead in the sign of the cross as the words are said:
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Sermon Hymn: “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
Crown him with many crowns, The Lamb upon his throne;
Hark, how the heav’nly anthem drowns All music but his own.
Awake, my soul, and sing Of him who died for thee,
And hail him as thy matchless king Through all eternity.
Crown him the virgin’s Son, The God incarnate born,
Whose arm those crimson trophies won Which now his brow adorn;
Fruit of the mystic rose, Yet of that rose the stem,
The root whence mercy ever flows, The babe of Bethlehem.
Crown him the Lord of love – Behold his hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified.
No angels in the sky Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bend their burning eyes At mysteries so bright.
Crown him the Lord of life, Who triumphed o’er the grave
And rose victorious in the strife For those he came to save.
His glories now we sing, Who died and rose on high,
Who died, eternal life to bring, And lives that death may die.
Message “Remember Steadfast Love”
Luke 1: 26-28, 30-32, 38
Leader: An angel went from God to a town called Nazareth to a woman whose name was Mary. The angel said to her, “Rejoice, O highly favored, for God is with you. You shall bear a child, and his name sall be Jesus, the Chosen One of God Most High.” And Mary said, “I am the servant of my God, I live to do your will.”
(Immediately to “The Magnificat”)
Luke 1: 46-55
- My soul proclaims your greatness O God, and my spirit rejoices in servant here, and blessed be all my life though. Great and mighty are you. O Holy One, strong in your kindness evermore. How you favor the weak and lowly one, humbling the proud of heart.
- You have cast the mighty down from their thrones, and uplifted the humble of wondrous things, and left the wealthy no part. Great and mighty are you, O Faithful One, strong is your justice strong your love. As you promised to Sarah and Abraham, Kindness forever more.
- My soul proclaims your greatness O God, and my spirit rejoices in servant here, and blessed be all my life though.
All: (Hum first round then sing) God of mercy, Hold us in love,
Leader: In peace, in Peace, we pray to you:
All: God of mercy, Hold us in love,
Leader: For peace and salvation, we pray to you:
All: God of mercy, Hold us in love,
Leader: For peace between nations, for peace between peoples:
All: God of mercy, Hold us in love,
Leader: For us who are gathered to worship and praise your:
All: God of mercy, Hold us in love,
Leader: For all of your servants who live out your gospel:
All: God of mercy, Hold us in love,
Leader: For all those who govern, that justice might guide them:
All: God of mercy, Hold us in love,
Leader: For all those who labor in service to others:
All: God of mercy, Hold us in love,
Leader: Grant weather that nourishes all of creation:
All: God of mercy, Hold us in love,
Leader: Keep watch on our loved ones and keep us from danger:
All: God of mercy, Hold us in love,
Leader: For all the beloved who res in your mercy:
All: God of mercy, Hold us in love,
Leader: Help us, comfort us, all of our days:
All: Keep us, hold us, gracious God.
Leader: Great and merciful God, Source and Ground of all goodness and live, give to your people the peace that passes all understanding, and the will to live your Gospel of mercy and justice, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All: Amen
Leader: God, remember us in your love and teach us to pray:
All: 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. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, mow and forever. Amen
Leader: Let us bless our God:
All: praise and thanks to your.
Leader: May God, Creator bless us and keep us, may Christ be ever light for our lives, may the Spirit of Love be our guide and path, for all of our days.
All: Amen