An Ash Wednesday Experience Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. (March 9, 2011). It marks the first day of Lent. For the next 40 days, 46 if you include Sundays, we are invited as the followers of Jesus to do four things:
- to turn toward God in prayer
- to repent or turn away those habits and patterns (sin) which stand in the way of us enjoying a relationship with God
- to reach out and help those who are in need
- to practice the discipline of self denial
Last evening, it was my pleasure to be able to meet with the teens (14) who are part of the youth group in the O’Leary -West Cape Pastoral Charge. Rachel Ellsworth who leads the group asked if I would talk about Lent and lead them in an Ash Wednesday Worship experience.
After a delightful time talking about Lent we moved into a quiet time. When I say “quiet time” keep in mind I am talking about teens.
Gathering in a circle around small table in the parlor and we lit a candle, symbolizing the presence of Jesus Christ who is the light of the world.
Then we slowly read the following from Psalm 51:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love.
Create in me a clean heart O God,
And put a new and right spirit within me
Do not cast me away from your presence
And do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
And sustain in me a willing spirit.
Next each person was invited in private to write down on a small piece of paper one change they would like to make in their life over the next forty days.
As a sign of seeking God’s help to make this change, one at a time each person came forward, touched their piece of paper to the Christ candle so that it would catch fire and dropped it into a bowl to burn.
In order to keep the flames down, I sprinkled the flames with a small amount of water creating a bit smoke as a sign of our prayers were being carried up to God.
Once everyone had an opportunity to bring their piece of paper forward, we repeated together the ancient prayer:
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world.
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world.
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world.
Grant us you peace.
As the last bits of paper were burning, I poured water into the bowl.
These ashes remind us that we often make mistakes and need God’s help.
This water reminds us, that God loves us and is prepared to help us with every struggle we may face. Marked with the sign of the cross, we remember Jesus always walks with us. He is our friend.
Each person then came forward again to be marked with the sign of the cross using the water which was mixed with the ash from the burning paper.
As each person was marked with the sign of the cross, they were told:
You are God’s Temple. God loves you. Go from this place as one of God’s servants.
We dismissed each other by saying together the Hebrew blessing:
May God bless and keep you,
May the face of God shine on you,
And be gracious to you,
May the presence of God be with you and give you peace.
The teens thought it was a neat experience! And of course the Committee that met in the room following our time of worship complained to me about the smoke that lingered in the room, the danger of setting the place on fire and maybe it was something better done in the hall rather than the parlor.
As a church we say we want young people to participate but I wonder? Are we prepared to as the followers of Jesus to do three things?
- Are we prepared to turn toward God in prayer and do so in ways which connect with young people?
- Are we prepared to create and enter into worship experiences which will capture the imagination and appeal to the senses?
- Are we willing to practice the discipline of self-denial and allow space to be used in new ways?
The Season of Lent invites us as individuals and as a church to walk with Jesus to the cross, to die, to trust God is at work raising us to new life. I thank God for teens who ask us hard questions. May God bless and keep you this week.
Bob
