ash wednesday service…hymn 215 - what wondrous love is this unison prayer scott hovey holy god, in...

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICEFEBRUARY 17, 2021

Leading us in Worship Today:Gloria Johnson, Associate Pastor for Outreach Scott Hovey, Pastor, St. John's Baptist ChurchBarry Young, Pastor, Oberlin Baptist Church

Chris Brady, Pastor, Wilson Temple United Methodist Church Christopher Edmonston, Pastor

Cate Church Norman, Associate Pastor for Pastoral CareAnne Galliher, Pastoral Resident

Kelly Gold, Director of Children’s and Youth MusicKirsten Homdrom, Associate Director of Music

Eric Nanz, Associate Director of Music and Worship ArtsKarl Zinsmeister, Director of Music

ASH WEDNESDAY ORDER OF SERVICE

Prelude - Hymn Medley 187, 465, 52

Welcome and Announcements Christopher Edmonston

Call to Worship Gloria Johnson One: The Lord is my light and my salvation;All: whom shall I fear?One: The Lord is the stronghold of my life;All: of whom shall I be afraid?One: To you, O Lord, I call;All: my rock, do not refuse to hear me.One: O Give thanks to the Lord, for God is good.All: God’s love endures forever, and we worship in gratitude this day.

Hymn 215 - What Wondrous Love is This

Unison Prayer Scott Hovey Holy God, in these forty days lead us into the desert of repentance, that in this pilgrimage of prayer, we might learn to be your people once more. In prayer and service, bring us back to your heart. Open our eyes to your presence in the world, and free our hands to lead others to the radiant splendor of your mercy. Loving God, keep us in communion with you, and in community with one another, that we may always be ready to eat at the table with Christ. Protect and preserve us from all evil, and deliver us from the pitfalls of sin, that ransomed and restored, we may be loyal followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Psalm 51:1-17 Barry Young 1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.4Against you, you alone, have I sinned,

and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.

5Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.

6You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.8Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.9Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

11Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.12Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and sustain in me a willing spirit.13Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will return to you.14Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,

O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.16For you have no delight in sacrifice;

if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.

17The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Old Testament Lesson: Joel 2:1-2;12-17 Anne Galliher 1Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain!

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near—

2a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful

army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come.

12Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

13rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God,

for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.

14Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink

offering for the Lord, your God? 15Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; 16gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged;

gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy.

17Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, “Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make

your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’”

Ash Wednesday Meditation - "Return to Me"

Litany for Unity Scott HoveyOne: Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. As we gather in different places, allow your Spirit to fill our very being.All: You brought forth the human race, in your image, as the pinnacle of your creation. We worship as one. One. Let us rejoice and give thanks that even in our diversity, we are more alike than different. Raise our vision above barriers that seek to separate us and help us respect one another.

All: You created the body of Christ, your family; male, female; young, old; strong, weak; rich, poor; to become one in your sight.One: You have allowed us the privilege to share with and care for one another as we witness and help one another. In the spirit of Jesus who came not to be served, but to serve, awake in us the desire to seek your way of serving in the world.All: As we celebrate our oneness in creation, remind us that we are one at the communion table. Broaden our perceptions of what it means to be part of a family and teach us to live as one.

Invitation to Receive Ashes (make a sign of the cross) Christopher Edmonston/Cate Church Norman

One: Accomplish in us, O God, the work of your salvation.All: By the passion and cross of our Savior, bring us to the joy of Christ’s resurrection.One: Holy God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth. May this sign of the cross serve as a sign of our repentance.All: By your grace we were made, by your grace we shall one day rise.One: In the image of God we were made from the earth and to it we shall return.All: Have mercy on us, O God. Have mercy on us, O God.

Lord’s Supper Invitation, Prayer of Thanksgiving, Words of Institution

Communion Music – Come to Me, O Weary Traveler Come to me, O weary trav’ler; come to me with your distress;

come to me, you heavy burdened; come to me and find your rest. Do not fear, my yoke is easy, do not fear, my burden’s light; do not fear the path before you; do not run from me in fright.

Take my yoke and leave your troubles; take my yoke and come with me. Take my yoke, I am beside you; take and learn humility.

Rest in me, O weary trav’ler; rest in me and do not fear. Rest in me, my heart is gentle; rest and cast away your care.

Prayer of the Day and the Lord’s Prayer Chris Brady

Hymn 157 - I Danced in the Morning

Benediction Anne Galliher

Chiming of the Trinity

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Music included in today’s service:HYMN 187 Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us;

Text and Music Public DomainHYMN 465 What a Friend We Have in Jesus;

Text and Music Public DomainHYMN 525 Let Us Break Bread Together;

Text Public Domain; Music Arr. © 1990 Melva Wilson Costen

HYMN 215 What Wondrous Love Is This; Text Public Domain;

Music Harm. © 1965 Abingdon Press (admin. The Copyright Company)

HYMN 183 Come to Me, O Weary Traveler; Text © 1991 GIA Publications, Inc.;

Music © 1993 Selah Publishing Co., Inc.HYMN 157 I Danced in the Morning;

Text and Music © 1963 Stainer & Bell, Ltd. (admin. Hope Publishing Company)

Music presented with permission under Podcast/Streaming License with One License #714069

A special thank you to Karen Haneline, videographer

ash wednesday service…hymn 215 - what wondrous love is this unison prayer scott hovey holy god, in...

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