A Message From Pastor Cynthia …
Ash Wednesday: February 17th … | ♥ |
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent - a forty day period before Easter, when we remember Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. Lent is a time of reflection, repentence, sacrifice and prayer. We will begin our Lenten journey with the sign of ashes - a sign of the fraility and uncertainty of life. Ashes are also a symbol of penitence. The ashes help us remember our need for repentence, and of God's mercy, forgiveness, and love that are proclaimed by Jesus. Please join us on Ash Wednesday, February 17th, in the social hall for a simple meal of soup and bread at 6:00 p.m. Please RSVP to the church office so that we will be able to better plan for the meal. The solemn service of ashes and communion will follow.
Our Book of Common Worship’s Ash Wednesday service begins with these words: "Friends in Christ, every year before the Christian Passover we celebrate our redemption through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lent is a time to prepare for this celebration and to renew our life in the paschal mystery. We begin our journey to Easter with the sign of ashes. This ancient sign speaks of the frailty and uncertainty of human life, and marks the penitence of this community. We thus begin this holy season by acknowledging our need for repentance, and for the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. You are invited to observe a holy Lent by self-examination and penitence, by prayer and fasting, by works of love, and by reading and meditating on the Word of God."
Blessings and peace, Pastor Cynthia
