Ash Wednesday
Worship
Lectionary Worship Aids
Series VI, Cycle A
Object:
Theme: The Life Of Righteousness
Call To Worship
Leader: Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them.
People: We come before the Lord our God with humble and contrite hearts.
Leader: When you pray, do not pray so that you may be seen and heard by others.
People: We lift up our hearts and voices to our Father in heaven.
All: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all God's benefits.
Invocation
We come into your presence, Father, offering nothing but ourselves: with hands ready to receive, minds waiting to be nourished, and lives eager to do your will. Amen.
Confession
A Litany Of Penitence
All: Most Holy and Merciful Father, we confess to you and to one another, and to the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth, that we have sinned by our own fault in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
Leader: We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.
People: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Leader: We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit.
People: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Leader: We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the pride, the hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives.
People: We confess to you, Lord.
Leader: Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people. Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves.
People: We confess to you, Lord.
Leader: Our excessive love of worldly goods and comforts, and our dishonesty in daily life and work.
People: We confess to you, Lord.
Leader: Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to commend the faith that is in us.
People: We confess to you, Lord.
Leader: Accept our repentance, Lord, for the wrongs we have done: for our blindness to human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty.
People: Accept our repentance, Lord.
Leader: For our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us.
People: Accept our repentance, Lord.
Leader: Restore us, good Lord, and let your anger depart from us.
People: Favorably hear us, for your mercy is great.
Leader: Accomplish in us the work of your salvation,
People: that we may show forth your glory in the world.
Leader: By the cross and passion of your Son our Lord,
People: bring us with all your saints to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.
Words Of Absolution
Leader: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
People: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
Offertory Prayer
O Lord, with this offering we dedicate ourselves to live as faithful and obedient citizens of your holy kingdom. Amen.
Hymns
"Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind"
"Depth Of Mercy"
"Take Up Thy Cross"
Call To Worship
Leader: Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them.
People: We come before the Lord our God with humble and contrite hearts.
Leader: When you pray, do not pray so that you may be seen and heard by others.
People: We lift up our hearts and voices to our Father in heaven.
All: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all God's benefits.
Invocation
We come into your presence, Father, offering nothing but ourselves: with hands ready to receive, minds waiting to be nourished, and lives eager to do your will. Amen.
Confession
A Litany Of Penitence
All: Most Holy and Merciful Father, we confess to you and to one another, and to the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth, that we have sinned by our own fault in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
Leader: We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.
People: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Leader: We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit.
People: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Leader: We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the pride, the hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives.
People: We confess to you, Lord.
Leader: Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people. Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves.
People: We confess to you, Lord.
Leader: Our excessive love of worldly goods and comforts, and our dishonesty in daily life and work.
People: We confess to you, Lord.
Leader: Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to commend the faith that is in us.
People: We confess to you, Lord.
Leader: Accept our repentance, Lord, for the wrongs we have done: for our blindness to human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty.
People: Accept our repentance, Lord.
Leader: For our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us.
People: Accept our repentance, Lord.
Leader: Restore us, good Lord, and let your anger depart from us.
People: Favorably hear us, for your mercy is great.
Leader: Accomplish in us the work of your salvation,
People: that we may show forth your glory in the world.
Leader: By the cross and passion of your Son our Lord,
People: bring us with all your saints to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.
Words Of Absolution
Leader: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
People: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
Offertory Prayer
O Lord, with this offering we dedicate ourselves to live as faithful and obedient citizens of your holy kingdom. Amen.
Hymns
"Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind"
"Depth Of Mercy"
"Take Up Thy Cross"
