Ash Wednesday Service, Feb 17, 2021

Dear Veradale UCC,

I hope this finds you warm and safe!

This Wednesday we begin Lent with our Ash Wednesday Service. The link and bulletin are below. This is a combination of four churches and will be a new way of entering Lent. The service is expected to be about 45 minutes (maybe less). Hope you can join us at 6pm.

Pastor Gen

Join 6pm, Wednesday, February 17, Ash Wednesday by Zoom Video:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/327581574?pwd=ZE81bHBzQWh3SGxZcTdLTE93aVJuZz09

You shouldn’t need but if asked for Passcode: 1890

Join Ash Wednesday by Phone:

+1 253 215 8782

+1 346 248 7799

When prompted, enter Meeting ID: 327 581 574 then # and # again

Ash Wednesday
February 17, 2021

Gathering

Welcome: Pastor Jim CastroLang, Colville UCC

Call to the Lenten Journey

We gather in the sacred places where we live and open ourselves sincerely to God. Tonight, we begin our Lenten journey.
With the assurance of God’s love and forgiveness, we face the close examination of Lent and gain a new and deeper relationship with the Divine.
It is in the assurance of Easter that we set ourselves on this path.
Wholeness brings a peace in ourselves and our relationships with God and our neighbors.

“Motherless Child” music video
(Colville UCC) Art Metzger on harmonica, slides prepared by Jane Metzger

Reflection on Lent Pastor Gen Heywood, Veradale UCC

Breaking Open the Word

Sacred Text: II Corinthians 6:1-10 Pastor Jess Peacock, Chewelah UCC

6 As we work together with him,^[^a^] we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. ²For he says, “At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.”

See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! ³We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, ⁴but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, ⁵beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ⁶by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, ⁷truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; ⁸in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; ⁹as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; ¹⁰as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

“What Wondrous Love is This?”
(Chewelah UCC) Ron Peterson, keyboard

Reflection on Ash Wednesday Pastor Andy CastroLang, Westminster Congregational, UCC

Call to Confession
Pastor Gen Heywood, Veradale UCC
The people of faith have long recognized the relationship between confession and wholeness. Being responsible for our choices, our actions, and our inactions is important step to becoming whole. It is something each one of us must do for ourselves. It is also something that we do together. As a community, we share each other’s brokenness and pain. The forgiveness comes from God. It is a gift.

Sound the alarm. Return to God with all your heart. Seek those life-changing opportunities that God holds out to us every day of our lives.

Prayer of Confession (Unison)

Holy One, we open our hearts to you. See our brokenness. See how

we have not trusted in you. See our need for your direction and

healing. Show us your compassion. Heal us. Help us confront who we are and who you know we can be. Give to us the blessing of forgiveness. Give to us the freedom of repentance and transform our lives by the healing of our souls. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Silent Reflection

2 minutes for this reflection

Assurance:

Pastor Andy CastroLang, Westminster Congregational, UCC

God forgives us:

O Majesty, O Magnificence, O Mystery, come!

Be the hammer, and break our indifference.

Be the sun, and splinter our shadows.

Be the wind, and scatter our despair.

Yea, in the dry country of our souls, let thy grace rain;

so that we take root in thee, and grow.

Make us trees strong in all seasons, bearing fruit,

giving shade to all the weariness

and shelter to them that are lost.

So we pray to the glory of Jesus Christ

who made the cross tree green and flourishing forever.

Amen.

Reflection on Ash Wednesday and Lent:

Pastor Jess Peacock, Chewelah UCC

“Precious Lord”
(Veradale UCC) Marvin Wilson, Vocals

Prayer over the Ashes
(at this time everyone is invited to hold the package of the ashes in their hands and place the oil near them)

God be with you.

And with you also.

Let us pray.

All: Gracious God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth

and stars. Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our

mortality and penitence, so we may remember that only by your

gracious gift are we given life everlasting. Bless this oil to be a reminder of your healing, abundant love. That the only separations from you are ones we create as you are always with us. We pray through the love and mercy of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Invitation for Receiving of Ashes and Oil

Pastor Gen Heywood, Veradale UCC

As we hear the next solo, you are invited as an ancient sign of repentance to kneel or rise as you are able. Take the ashes and place them on your hands. Feel their texture and remember that we are mortal. Place the ashes where you most want God to receive your repentance:

Pastor Andy CastroLang, Westminster Congregational, UCC

In the place you have gone or not gone (feet), the things you have done or not done (hands), the things you have heard or not listened to (near your ears), the things you have seen or refused to see (near you eyes), the things the things you have spoken or not spoken (near mouth), the things you have thought or denied (on the forehead). As you take these these dry ashes upon yourself you could say something like,” Forgive me, God” or “I return to you, Loving God.”

Pastor Jim CastroLang, Colville UCC
Then as a sign of forgiveness and healing, receive an anointing with oil. If someone is with you, let them anoint you and you them. If you are alone, receive the oil to yourself and anoint that place where the ashes have been placed

Pastor Jess Peacock, Chewelah UCC

As you are anointed, words like, “God loves you and hopes in you. You are forgiven,” might be said. And you might respond, “Thanks be to God.”

“Just As I Am”
(Westminster UCC) Jasmine Meredith, Flute

Benediction and Sending Forth

Pastor Jim CastroLang, Colville UCC

Call from the Ashes into the Lenten Season

“Just As I Am”
(Westminster UCC) Jasmine Meredith, Flute

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