A Note about Lamentation

Good Friday faces us with the death of Jesus on the cross of shame. We come to be near him in his suffering. We come also to lament the world’s sin and the fragmentation of our lives. Lamentation is an ancient form of prayer, crying out to God in the midst of senselessness, violence and confusion. It is a way to “hold God accountable,” even as we admit our complicity and helplessness. Lamentation does not contradict faith in God: it arises from the conviction that God wills life, not death; that God’s love is steadfast; and that God’s mercy is over all. We believe that God grieves with us, but we also admit that we do not understand God or ourselves, and so we express doubt, anger and desire for vindication, in God’s hearing. The Bible is full of lamentations. Jesus’ own lament, “Why have you abandoned me?”, echoes especially in our hearts tonight.

Gathering

Chant  Stay with me [Taize]

*Greeting

Beloved friends,

the peace of Christ be with you.

And on the whole world, peace.

In suffering love, our God draws near

to be with us in all our pain,

absorbing our unending tears,

the bitter food of every day.

Then let us pray tonight,

the best we can,

the hard prayers of lament,

the questions of bewildered faith,

the questions without answer.

*Prayer

O grieving God,

the suffering of the world

is gathered up tonight

in the broken body of Jesus,

our tender brother, who did no harm.

Give us the grace to cling to him,

and to share his meal of tears

at the table of the cross,

so that one day,

in the new world you are preparing,

we may share with him the feast of love

at your table of justice and joy.

We ask this in his name. Amen.

Readings and Responses

Reading   Luke 19: 41-42  Jesus weeps over Jerusalem.

Silence

*Hymn When Jesus wept

Reading  Our Warring Madness

[Note: Here different voices read brief obituaries of US soldiers killed on the Good Fridays of 5 successive years of the Iraq War. In other years at this service, excerpts from soldiers’ letters home were set to recitative chant and sung by a cantor, with a people’s sung response: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Both these pieces may be provided upon request.]

Silence

*Prayer

Let us pray.

O silent God,

the web of human violence and death

is a terrible mystery.

We wonder if there is hope for us—

any hope at all, even in you.

Answer us, O God,

and by the tears of Jesus

keep our hearts safe and our hope alive,

as we lament our losses,

speak our anger and disappointment,

grieve our human folly,

and release our pain.

We pray in his name. Amen.

Reading  Mark 15: 25-37  Jesus is crucified.

Silence

*Hymn 201  They crucified my Lord

Ritual of Lamentation

Responsive Reading Psalm 42  My tears have become my bread.

As a deer longs for flowing streams,

so my soul longs for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I behold the face of God?

My tears have been my bread, day and night,

while people say to me continually,

“Where is your God?”

Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise God, my helper.

By day the Lord commands God’s steadfast love,

and at night God’s song is with me,

a prayer to the Lord of my life.

I say to God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I walk about mournfully

because the enemy oppresses me?”

As with a deadly wound in my body,

my adversaries taunt me,

while they say to me continually,

“Where is your God?”

Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

for I shall again praise the Lord,

my help and my God.

Eating the Bread of Sorrow

 [A Note on the Ritual, for service planners:

The service takes place in a room with a round table at the center, chairs arranged in circular rows around it, aisles left open for access to the table and allow a good flow of movement. Bulletins for the service contain a slip of paper for the purpose of writing a personal lamentation. Pencils are at the seats.

On the center round table is a large clear glass bowl about full of water, two or three baskets with whole loaves of bread (challah was used for this service—it tears easily, picks up the salt well, and its sweetness provides a good contrast to saltiness), and two or three containers with mounds of ordinary table salt (a larger grained salt, such as sea salt, may also be used, although it is expensive). It is important that bread, water bowl, and salt be ample, large, visible—if possible use beautiful glass or ceramic containers, or expressive woven baskets. On a night of meager hope, abundant signs make all the difference.

Instructions for the ritual should be printed in the bulletin. A clear and concise verbal invitation and explanation—not of the ritual’s meaning so much as of the procedure to be followed—should also be given. It should be clear to all that one may decide not to participate: freedom should reign. [See sample written instructions below.]

When the ritual begins, people are invited to reflect on and write down a lament or other prayer for the world, the church, themselves—an expression of need or hope or of perplexity and question—then fold  the slip, come forward and deposit in the bowl of water—adding our tears to Jesus’ tears, as it were. They then approach ministers or other leaders who have been stationed in pairs—one with with bread, the other with salt—at two or three points in the room. They take a piece of bread and dip it in salt and return to their seats to await a common eating.

During this movement, music may be playing softly in the background. If there is a choir, a simple choral piece may be sung, but the music here should not overwhelm the ritual by calling too much attention to itself.

A note on wheat allergies: As with the celebration of holy communion, there should be a bread substitute available, if possible a gluten free bread (not a cracker). It should be on a dedicated plate or basket held by a third server in one of the serving groups. Make clear to people which station they should approach if they require a bread substitute.

At each station, the bread server says to each participant something like: “May the tears of Jesus feed us, and heal our suffering world.” The response is “Amen. When all have returned to their seats, the bread is blessed, and everyone eats the bread together. Then a hymn is sung.]

Participating in the Ritual

You are invited to write a brief expression of lament in solidarity with the suffering world. A slip of paper is provided. When you have finished, you may go to the table and place your lament in the large bowl of water, representing human grief and tears, including the tears of Jesus. A piece of bread will then be given to you, with the words, “May the tears of Jesus feed us, and heal our suffering world.” Please dip the bread in the salt that is also offered, then take it to your seat and wait. When all who wish to participate have returned to their seats, we will bless our laments and eat the salted bread of sorrow together.

Blessing

Holy spirit, come to us.

Bless this food of sorrow,

these morsels of pain.

Help us who taste in salted bread

the suffering of the world

become its healing and relief

by every deed of love and care

we offer in Christ’s name.

[The bread is eaten. Then all sing.]

Hymn  Bread of the world, in mercy broken

You may remain seated for the hymn.

The Good News of Consolation

Romans 8:18-39  Nothing separates us from God’s love in Christ Jesus.

Silence

*Prayer

Let us pray.

Spirit of Life, thank you

for the healing power of the cross.

Thank you for not abandoning us in our sins.

Thank you for praying in us when,

in grief and anger,

we do not know how to pray.

Thank you for giving us the tears of Christ

who bears in his body our pain and the world’s.

Thank you for the life that is to come,

the new day on a new earth

when sorrow will be no more.

Hasten that day when lament will cease

and your love will be all in all.

Now, send us into the world in hope.

Make us your tender mercy

upon the world’s suffering,

wiping away every tear.

And do not leave us when the light wanes

and the road disappears,

but bring us through all our nights

to the clear shining of Easter.

We ask this, trusting you,

in Jesus’ name. Amen.

*Blessing and Peace

Go now in peace.

Bear the weight of the cross

and the certain hope of resurrection

to all who yearn for life.

Amen.

Night and day,

may the blessing of God be upon us!

Amen.

* Hymn 335  Dona Nobis Pacem

*Greeting of Peace

The people are invited to share a sign of Christ’s peace, and leave quietly.

*[Note to worship leaders: * The asterisk indicates all the places where the people may stand. In this service all that is needed to get them to stand is example—the leaders should know when to stand and sit and do it decisively—and clear hand gestures. Try not to interrupt the flow of the service with constant invitations and instructions.]

Image:  Jame B. Janknegt, Crucifiction [sic] at Barton Creek Mall

A Word about Lamentation

Good Friday faces us with the death of Jesus on the cross of shame. We come to be near him in his suffering. We come also to lament the world’s sin and the fragmentation of our lives. Lamentation is an ancient form of prayer, crying out to God in the midst of senselessness, violence and confusion. It is a way to “hold God accountable,” even as we admit our complicity and helplessness. Lamentation does not contradict faith in God: it arises from the conviction that God wills life, not death; that God’s love is steadfast; and that God’s mercy is over all. We believe that God grieves with us, but we also admit that we do not understand God or ourselves, and so we express doubt, anger and desire for vindication, in God’s hearing. The Bible is full of lamentations. Jesus’ own lament, “Why have you abandoned me?”, echoes especially in our hearts tonight.

Preparation

Chant Jesus, Remember Me  [Taize]

Gathering at the Cross

*Greeting

The peace of Christ be with you.

His cross is our peace forever.

Beloved in Christ,

this is a night of grieving.

In our sorrow, we ask the Spirit to give us hope.

Let us pray:

Holy Spirit,

gather our hurts and losses

and all the world’s grief

into the arms of Christ,

extended to embrace us.

Help us to believe

that living or dying

we belong to God. Amen.

*Hymn 201  They Crucified My Lord

Handing on the Story

Reading   Isaiah 52: 13-53: 12

Silence

*Prayer

Gracious God,

at the cross, the lament of all human history

rises from the soul of Jesus.

We believe that in him

you yourself grieve,

until promised morning comes.

Praise to you in shadow and light,

in gladness and grief,

in every breath,

and at the last breath.

Amen.

Reading   Mark 15: 25-37

Silence

Hymn  Were You There?

You may remain seated for the hymn.

Reading Mark 15: 42-47

Silence

*Prayer

Silent God,

the suffering of the innocent

is a terrible mystery.

We wonder if there is hope

for our world – any hope at all,

even in you.

Answer us, O God,

and by the tears of Jesus

keep our hearts safe and our hope alive

as we lament our losses,

speak our anger,

grieve our disappointments

and release our pain. Amen.

 

A Time for Lamentation

Expressing Our Grief, Questions, and Laments

[A Note to worship planners: In this service, a center table is set with bare branches and baskets filled with iron nails. In another place in the room, to which there should be easy access,  a large cross is either standing or lying on the floor. Other symbols of the passion may be at the cross—hammers, nails, thorns, rope… whatever the artistic imagination suggests. A bucket or other resonant container is also placed there, to receive people’s lamentations.

At the time of the ritual, people are invited to reflect on the world, its need, pain and sorrow, and to allow the deep questions about the “why’s” of human suffering to surface. Ample time should be given for people to reflect in silence, or with music playing softly “beneath” their reflections.

They may come to the table at any time during this period, take a nail or several from the baskets on the table, then move to the cross and pray silently. When they are finished, they may deposit their nails in the container and return to their seats. [Some participants should be prepared ahead of time to go first and model what is to be done.]

Instructions for this time of lament should be printed in the bulletin and delivered aloud, briefly and concisely by the leader of the service. Sample written instructions are given below. When all who wish to participate have done so, a hymn is sung, and the service continues.

It should go without saying that other rituals suited to a congregation’s culture and imagination  may be substituted for this one.]

 Participating in the Ritual

During this time, if you are moved to do so, you may take nails from the table, approach the cross and express your questions and lamentations in silent prayer, then place your nails in the container at the foot f the cross. You may also choose not to take nails, but simply to go to the cross and pray silently. If you wish to remain after the service and pray near the cross, please stay as long as you like.

*Hymn 190   When Jesus Wept

The Good News of Consolation

Reading   Romans 8:18-39

*Prayer

Let us pray.

Spirit of Life, thank you

for the healing power of the cross.

Thank you for not abandoning us in our sins.

Thank you for praying in us when,

in grief and anger,

we do not know what to say.

Thank you for joining us forever to Christ,

who bears our pain and the world’s great sorrow.

Thank you for the life that is to come.

Hasten the day when lament will be no more.

Now make us your tender mercy

upon the world’s suffering.

Do not leave us when the light wanes

and the road disappears,

but bring us through all our nights

to the clear shining of Easter.

We ask this, trusting you,

in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

*Blessing and Peace

Go now in peace.

Bear the weight of the cross

and the hope of resurrection

to all who yearn for life.

Amen.

Night and day,

may the blessing of God be upon us.

Amen.

*Hymn Dona Nobis Pacem

*A SIGN OF PEACE

When you have offered one another a sign of Christ’s peace,  you may leave quietly.

*[Note to worship leaders: * The asterisk indicates all the places where the people may stand. In this service all that is needed to get them to stand is example—the leaders should know when to stand and sit and do it decisively—and clear hand gestures. Try not to interrupt the flow of the service with constant invitations and instructions.]

Images: Pieta, Roy de Maistrel Deposition, Ludwig Karsten

 

PRELUDE

*HYMN Come gather in this peaceful place  (aka Come gather in this special place)

GREETING AND INVITATION

Dear Friends in Christ,

peace be with you on this holy night.

Why do we gather? What is this night?

It is a night of love —

for on this night Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment:

to love each other as he loved them.

It is a night of communion —

for on this night Jesus gave not only a commandment,

but also a sign: bread and wine broken and poured,

to remember him.

It is a night of loving service —

for on this night Jesus gave us not only a commandment,

not only a sign,

but also an example: on his knees with basin and towel,

washing feet.

It is also a night of betrayal —

for on this night a man Jesus loved

sold him for money,

and brought soldiers to seize and bind him

as he prayed.

This night is joyous, fierce, tender, terrible.

We begin in light, with memories and stories, friends and feasting.

We end in shadows, with a queasy fright.

We begin as the friends of Jesus did long ago: together, as one.

We end as they did: scattered in the dark.

We begin as they did: singing of love and deliverance.

We end as they did: without a single sound.

Friends, be at peace on this holy night.

Enter it with open hearts.

Now let us pray.

PRAYER

[This Collect may be offered by the leader or prayed in unison.]

God of deliverance and love,

look with pleasure on your people who gather here.

Send your Spirit to embrace us,

so that with hearts for a time made free of care,

we may receive in abundance the blessings of this night.

With Jesus we pray that whatever may come in life or in death,

your will, not ours, may be done.

Glory to you, yesterday, today, and forever.

Amen.

A READING FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES Exodus 12:14-17; 24-27a

Remembering God’s deliverance: Observing the feast of Passover.

 SILENCE (allow 40-60 seconds)

*RESPONSE

[The people stand for prayer.]

Let us pray.

Holy Deliverer, Breaker of Chains,

long ago you acted with power to save your people,

enslaved in the land of  Egypt,

and in every generation

the people of your heart remember.

At table they tell the story and they sing your praise.

On this holy night, with Jesus, our brother,

we too remember: We tell the old, old story

and we praise your faithful love.

As we eat the food and drink of liberation,

free us forever from the violence

that is our way of life,

and set us on a pilgrimage of peace.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

 A  READING FROM THE EPISTLES I Corinthians 11: 23-26

What we have heard, we hand on to you: When they were eating, he took bread…

*RESPONSE  HYMN  Draw us in the Spirit’s tether

A READING FOM THE HOLY GOSPEL John 13: 1-17, 31b-35

The mark of the new community is love and service.

 SILENCE (Allow a full 40-60 seconds, or longer.)

RESPONSE ANTHEM Jesu, Jesu

[The choir sings this hymn in unison, unaccompanied, slowly and meditatively. A footwashing ritual takes place during the song. [See note on footwashing at end.] When footwashing is over, the confession follows. If footwashing is not done in the service, the following Collect might be used as a response in place of the anthem, with the people standing.:]

*COLLECT

Gracious God, on this holy night,

impress upon our hearts the example of Jesus,

whose love embraced all people

and whose service extended even to the washing of feet.

May we know him from this day forward

not only in the broken bread and brimming cup,

but also in the bent knee, in the water poured,

in the touch of selfless hands —

in service given and received,

and shared with all the world.

In remembrance of him we pray. Amen.

INVITATION TO CONFESSION

Jesus said: If anyone has something against you,

before you come to the table with gifts, make peace.

Then bring your gifts, then bring your lives.

Dear friends, let us make peace in our hearts.

Then, let us lay down the burdens

that keep us from loving each other and our God.

SILENCE (Allow at least one minute or longer for people to reflect.)

SONG OF CONFESSION  These I lay down [Chalice Hymnal]

You may remain seated for the song.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

Beloved, by the mercy of God

we have put down our burdens

at the feet of the one who in suffering love

laid down his life for us.

Rejoice and be glad:

Pardon, healing and peace are ours

through Jesus Christ, good brother and friend.

[Continue immediately with the invitation to share a sign of peace, below…]

*PEACE

On this night he gave us a charge:

Love one another as I have loved you.

Faithful to his commandment,

we forgive each other’s faults, as we confess our own,

and we offer each other a sign of his peace.

[The people share a sign of peace, after which they sit for the anthem.]

 ANTHEM   Now the silence [Jaroslav Vajda]

[Note to choir: Where the text has “the Father’s…” substitute “our dear God’s…”]

 GATHERING AT THE TABLE

[When the anthem concludes, there is a brief silence, followed by this invitation to gather. After the invitation, the people come forward to stand in a circle around the table in the chancel. They remain standing for the entire communion liturgy, until the Service of Light and Shadows begins. Provisions should be made for those who have mobility challenges, or who prefer to remain in their seats.]

Come now and take your places at this table,

citizens of the kingdom,  heirs to the riches of God’s love,

friends of Jesus, who is our peace.

[Once all are assembled, the leader begins the Eucharistic prayer.]

 INVITATION

Beloved, let us celebrate with Jesus at the table of peace.

For he loved his own, even to the end.

Let us eat the Feast with him.

For now nothing can separate us from his love.

And let us love one another well,

For he laid down his life for us all.

PREFACE

Praise to you, God of glory!

Your love created the universe and sustains it.

You breathed life into our dust and placed us in paradise.

You found us when we hid ourselves, ashamed of our sin.

Your love shaped a people,  and you are their God to this day,

in an alliance that lasts forever.

In the fullness of time, you called us also to be your own,

through the tender ministry of Jesus.

You spoke to us with his human voice

and healed us with his human hands.

He gave us his life in bread and wine,

and suffered for his faithfulness on the cross of shame.

But you loved him faithfully, raising him from the dead.

You sent his Spirit into our hearts

and adopted us, making us heirs of his glory;

forever we belong in your household of joy.

Holy and wonderful God, all your creatures testify to your love.

With them, we too declare it, as with the angels of heaven we sing:

SANCTUS Holy, holy, holy…

REMEMBERING AND GIVING THANKS

Now, O God, we remember Jesus.

SILENCE (15-20 seconds)

We remember that he longed to celebrate the Passover with his friends.

He arranged for a meal, his last in this life.

We remember that he gave them a new commandment:

“Love one another as I have loved you.”

We remember that he gave them an example:

He knelt before them and washed their feet.

We remember that his betrayer was with him.

Jesus loved and served him too.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

And we remember that on that night,

with danger and death in the air,

Jesus remembered with joy

the deliverance of his ancestors

from the oppression of Pharaoh.

He told the victory story, ate bitter herbs,

shared the unleavened loaf,

and drank the cup of blessing.

In love for us, he took the bread,

gave thanks to you, and broke it.

[Note: The bread is not to be broken here, but at the fraction, below.]

He gave it to them, saying:

“Take and eat this, all of you:

this is my body, broken for you.

Do this and remember me”

And when the supper was over,

he took a cup filled with wine,

blessed it in your name,

and passed it to them, saying:

“This is the cup of a new covenant in my blood.

Do this and remember me.”

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

Holy Spirit, come make all things new.

Bless this bread and cup, and us who share them.

May they be for us life-giving food and drink.

Give us love for each other,

and make us your servants in the world

until your new age of justice comes,

and every creature  beholds it.

We pray in the name of Jesus,

who welcomes us all and taught us to say:

THE LORD’S PRAYER

THE FRACTION

[An appropriate chant or song is sung by all as the one loaf (or loaves) is broken into many pieces and placed on plates and baskets for distribution. The deacons assist in the fraction. Song suggestions: One Bread, One Body…. Ubi Caritas…]

 INVITATION

Friends, if you are hungry for a taste of what is to come,

when all creatures great and small will feast together

without fear in the household of God;

if you yearn to feast on a love

without condition and without end;

if you are thirsting for forgiveness,

given and received in humility and in joy,

then open your hearts to this meal,

a sign of grace, a gift of peace, the bread of life, the cup of joy:

[lifting bread and cup, if desired]

The gifts of God for all God’s people!

SHARING BREAD AND CUP

[Communion bread is distributed to all, followed by cups for intinction. After all have received, the people give thanks together.]

*THANKSGIVING

Let us rise and give thanks.

Thank you Holy God,  

for life in the Spirit of Jesus,

for gladness in this bread and cup,

for love that cannot die,

for peace the world cannot give,

for joy in the company of friends,

for the splendors of creation,

and for the mission of justice you have made our own.

Give us the fruits of this holy communion:

oneness of heart, love for neighbors, forgiveness of enemies,

the will to serve you every day, and life that never ends.

In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

 [Dismissing the people to return to their pews, the leader says:]

“And after they had sung the hymn,

they went out to the Mount of Olives.”

[The people return to their seats. The communion table and chancel are cleared of all signs of celebration. Appropriate instrumental music may accompany the people’s return to their seats and the clearing of the chancel.]

SERVICE OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS

[Here follows a brief and very simple service of short readings about the garden prayer, arrest, and “trial” of Jesus, interspersed with responsive chants, verses of a hymn, short choral pieces, or brief prayers or collects. After each reading and response, lights are dimmed or candles are extinguished until the sanctuary is in darkness. There is a time of silence, then lights are brought up just enough so that people may depart in safety. The people should leave in silence.]

 ******

Footwashing

Footwashing may be done in a symbolic way, e. g., one member of the congregation or the pastor washes another person’s feet in a stylized, mime-like ritual, center chancel. If this option is used, opportunity for others to wash and be washed might be provided before or after the liturgy, perhaps during an pre-service agape meal or love feast, or after the service in a chapel or fellowship hall set aside for this purpose. Footwashing of more than one person or a small group of representative disciples may also be done in the service itself: there may be a general invitation to wash one another’s feet at stations set up around the sanctuary, or the deacons of the church may be sent to stations to wash the feet of those who wish to participate. The congregation needs to be prepared for a slightly longer overall service. If footwashing of all who wish to take part is the choice, quiet music or appropriate hymn-singing should accompany the ritual.

NOTE: This order of service is in a straightforward traditional form, nothing fancy or hip; so it will not appeal to everyone, nor be useful in congregations that prefer more laid back styles of worship–although I think its formality is not stuffy, only serious. Note also that this order of service includes communion, which is a fitting beginning to the season of Lent–food for the journey, companionship along the way, the centrality of Jesus, etc.There is, however, no sermon in this service. What ‘sermon’ there is is in the form of brief introductory reflections and commentary throughout the liturgy. I have preferred to let the rituals of Ashes and the Table take center stage instead of the sermon. The service may seem long and wordy at first glance, but without a sermon, it actually runs about 45-50 minutes, depending on how many people receive ashes and communion, how many ministers may be assisting, and how much time is given to the silences that give rhythm to the section, ‘readings and responses.’ Nearly all the ‘words’–intros, readings, communion liturgy, are also fairly brief, and will move smoothly if uninterrupted by unnecessary directions, such as “Now please stand and join me in singing hymn #235,” No verbal directions at all need to be given if everything is clearly marked, and if the worship leaders lead by confident example, gesturing with gentle movement for people to stand or sit if need be.

Assembling for Worship

Prelude

*Greeting and Introduction

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

And on the whole world, peace!

Friends in Christ:

The holy season of Lent has begun, by God’s grace and mercy. And what a mercy it is to begin this season in this way, together. For now, more than ever, we need each other—each others’ faith, each others’ presence, each others’ compassion. Because Lent is a time of conversion; a time when, with the Spirit’s help, we open ourselves to change. We ask the Spirit to turn our lives around so that they are oriented towards God and towards the good of our neighbor. We contemplate the temptations and suffering of Jesus, and humble ourselves with him, as he travels the way of the cross, bearing in his own body the weight of human grief and need. On Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, we are asked to face without flinching the unyielding realities of human experience—

that we are creatures made from the stuff of earth, beautiful and good in God’s sight;

but that we are not God—we are mortals, and we shall one day die;

that none of us comes to the end of our lives without having contributed something regrettable, of our own making, to the great abyss of suffering;

and that no one comes to the end of life without having been wounded by the sin of another.

Sobered by these things, but not alone, we will make our way through this season with truth and gratitude, until the light of resurrection breaks. Let us begin the journey, then, with Jesus, with each other, and with the whole church everywhere.

*Hymn I want Jesus to walk with me

Readings and Responses

1. Ashes, a sign of creation

Now we acknowledge that we are creatures, wonderfully-made. In receiving ashes, we gratefully honor our earthy origins and our likeness to all other creatures; and we welcome God’s sovereignty over all that exits.

Reading Genesis 2:4b-9

Silence

*Response  From Psalm 8

O Lord, our God, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

When I look to the heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars you established—

what are human beings that you are mindful of us?

mortals that you care for us?

Yet you have made us only a little less than divine

and crowned us with glory and honor.

O Lord, our God, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

2. Ashes, a sign of mortality 

Now we acknowledge that we are discontented creatures; we fall into to estrangement and alienation. We confess too that we are finite creatures, and we will one day die. In receiving ashes, we express our trust that in life and in death, by divine mercy, we shall always be safe in God.

Reading Genesis 3:8-13, 17-19

Silence

*Response Hymn By gracious powers

3. Ashes, a sign of repentance 

Now we acknowledge that we sin, and that we are much-sinned-against; we need forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation. In receiving ashes, we ask God to change our hearts, to make us and others whole, and to help us offer reconciliation in this world.

Reading Isaiah 58:1-12

Silence

*Response From Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord

Lord hear my voice!

Be attentive to my supplication!

If you should count our sins against us, Lord, who could stand?

But with you is forgiveness, so that you may be revered.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits for God,

more than those who watch for the morning,

more than those who watch for the dawn.

Hope in the Lord forever,

for with God is steadfast love and power to save.

4. Ashes in the sign of the Cross

Now we acknowledge that Jesus freely chose a life of service that led him to lay down his life in love. In receiving ashes, we humbly follow his Way, and commit ourselves to love kindness, mercy and justice as he did, even if it means laying down our own lives.

Reading Matthew 16:21-26a

Silence

*Response Hymn What wondrous love is this?

The Ritual of Ashes

Blessing of the Ashes

Bless by your Holy Spirit, O God, these ashes, this dust of the earth. May all who receive them, and all who look upon them, be moved to repentance and renewal, for their own sakes and for the sake of the suffering world. May these ashes be no empty sign; but by your mercy, may all who bear them live what they signify—your steadfast love for our mortal flesh,  your power to save, and your boundless mercy. Praise to you, Holy One! In life and death we belong to you.

The Sign of Ashes

If you wish to receive ashes, please come forward. As ashes are placed on your forehead, a minister will address you with one of the following admonitions:

Remember, [name], that you were made from the earth in the image of God.

Remember, [name], that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

[Name], repent and believe the Good News!

During the distribution of ashes, there may be a choir anthem (e. g., Senzeni Na?) or suitable Ash Wednesday/Lenten hymns of Taize chants may be sung.

Holy Communion

Hymn These I lay down, insert  [Chalice Hymnal]

Please remain seated for the hymn.

Invitation

L: Friends, we have acknowledged before God and in each others’ presence that we depend on God for our lives, that we are sorry for our sins, that we long to be reconciled in the peace of Christ, and that we are ready to turn around and walk in  a new way of love. Come now to the table of Jesus, where he presides, our gracious host. Come to the table of Jesus, where he calls us and where he waits for us, eager to heal us, to persuade us of his love, to welcome us with an unconditional welcome. Come to the table of Jesus, where he feeds his friends with wonderful gifts. Come to this table, from which we always arise with a blessing, no longer strangers, not even guests, but children all alike of our merciful God—children safe at home.

Thanksgiving and Praise

Holy God, we thank you for the gift of life, for time to turn around, and for your steadfast love. Most of all we thank you for Jesus, our teacher, savior and friend, who made his way through this life, delighting you and serving us. We rewarded his tenderness and truth with derision and a cruel death; and he loved us still: “Forgive them,” he said to you, “They do not know what they are doing.”

Words of Institution

And we remember that on the bleak night of betrayal, he gathered his friends. Even with his betrayer beside him, he was grateful to you for life and all the gifts of this earth. He blessed and broke the bread, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, broken for you. Eat it and remember me.’

And when supper was over,

he took a cup filled with wine, and blessed it.

He gave it to them saying,

‘Take this and drink it,

it is my life-blood poured out for you

so that sins may be forgiven.

And then he said, “When you do these things together, remember me.”

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit, bless these gifts that earth has given and human hands have made.

By our eating and drinking,

fill us with the joy of Christ

and keep us persevering in his way,

honoring our bodies,

serving our neighbor, 

and praising your name.

The Lord’s Prayer

Sharing the Meal

Communion should be by intinction if possible. During the distribution of the elements, there may be a choir song, suitable congregational hymns or chants, or instrumental music only.

*Thanksgiving

Let us give thanks.

Thank you, God,

for life in the Spirit of Jesus,

for gladness in this bread and cup, 

for love that cannot die,

for peace the world cannot give, 

for joy in the company of friends,

for the splendors of creation,

and for the mission of justice you have made our own.

Give us the fruits of this holy communion:

oneness of heart, love for neighbors,

forgiveness of enemies,

the will to serve you every day,

and life that never ends.

In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

*Hymn How firm a foundation

Blessing, Sending, and Peace

*Blessing (Cf. Isaiah 61:1-4)

The Spirit of the Lord is upon you,

because the Lord has anointed you;

God is sending you to bring good news to the oppressed,

to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim a season of God’s favor,

to comfort all who mourn—

to give them a garland instead of ashes,

gladness instead of sorrow,

a mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

And you will be called oaks of righteousness,

the plantings of the Lord to display God’s glory.

You shall build up the ancient devastation,

repair the ruined cities,

and heal the despair of many generations.

*Response

And I shall greatly rejoice in the Lord;

for God has clothed me in garments of salvation,

and covered me with a robe of righteousness!

As the earth brings forth its shoots,

so God will cause justice and praise

to spring up before all nations!

*Peace

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!

Thanks be to God!

Now share with each other a sign of Christ’s peace!

The people share the peace and depart.

———

* All who are able may stand.

The people’s parts are in bold.