Liturgical Prayers for Ash Wednesday.

Liturgical Prayers for Ash Wednesday.

(Or if Ash Wednesday is not observed, for the first Sunday during the Lenten Season).

Call to worship:

Grace, mercy and peace be with you, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord, through the gracious work of the Holy Spirit.  

From Psalm 24: 

Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?  Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.  They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Saviour.

Come, let’s worship the God of love and mercy –

Opening Hymn!

Prayer of Worship and Adoration:

We worship you, Almighty God, there is none like you.  We give you praise, for you are our righteousness. We worship you, almighty God, there is none but you!

And now we give you thanks, Father God, because through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour you have given us the spirit of discipline that we may triumph over evil and grow in grace.

You have established for your people a season of grace to renew and purify our hearts and minds;

so that freed from harmful desires we may so live in this passing world, as to set our hearts on the things that are eternal.

So grant, we pray Father God, that the risen Lord Jesus may bring us to true life by the work of the Holy Spirit and make us one body, with him as our only Head.

So may we live in the world to the praise of your glory and at last be raised up from the dust, from the ashes, to celebrate with all your saints in light, the wedding feast of the Lamb with his Bride.

Lord Jesus, tonight we declare our love for you anew. We worship you and stand in awe before you. Glorify your Name, dear Lord, here tonight, and all over the world that every knee will bow before your majesty and grace.  

To you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit we bring our thanks and declare our allegiance – now – and forevermore! 

Through Jesus Christ our Lord, we pray.

Amen.

Two or more hymns and songs of praise and worship are sung.

Prayer for enlightenment

Guide us, O God, by your Word and Spirit, that in your light we may see light, in your truth find freedom, in your will discover our peace and by your grace receive eternal life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Readings and Sermon.

Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17 or Isaiah 58: 1-12; Psalm 51; 2 Corinthians 5: 20b - 6 :10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18.

After the sermon: A Litany  (with responses)  for the confession of sins:

Minister   (M):  God spoke these words and said:

I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods but me.

Congregation    (C):   Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: You shall not make for yourself any idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

You shall not bow down to them or worship them.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M:  You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M:  Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M:  Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: You shall not murder.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: You shall not commit adultery.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: You shall not steal.  

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour. .

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.”

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near:

C: Lord have mercy upon us and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us!

OR:

Use this alternative litany for the confession of sins:

Minister   (M):  God spoke these words and said:

I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods but me, you shall not make for yourself any idol, you shall not take the Lord’s Name in vain and remember to keep the Lord’s day holy!.

Congregation    (C):   Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M:  Honour your father and your mother. You shall not murder, commit adultery, steal, tell lies or covet what belongs to your neighbour!

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all your mind.  You shall love your neighbour as yourself.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

C. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

M. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

C. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

M. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

C. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

M. Lord have mercy on us.

C. Father, have mercy on us.

M. Lord have mercy on us.

C. Jesus, have mercy on us.

M. Lord have mercy on us

C Holy God, have mercy on us.  Amen.

Congregation remorsefully sings a hymn of repentance. 

Minister:  Now in silence we repent because we have sinned against God - and commit ourselves to spiritual growth during the Season of Lent that awaits us!  

Soft music is played for a couple of minutes.

Absolution:

Minister:  

To all those who truly acknowledge that they are sinners, humble themselves before God, and look to Jesus Christ for their salvation, I declare the forgiveness of their sins,

in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Congregation:

Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!

Amen.

As those who receive forgiveness are called to faith, let us, with the Church of all ages and with the one holy, universal and apostolic church, profess of our Christian faith together:

Congregation recites the Apostle’s or Nicene Creed.

Prayer of thanksgiving and Intercession:

O God of life and mercy.

We thank you for forgiveness, for grace in Jesus Christ and for a new life by the power of your Holy Spirit.

We thank you for your Word and that through this double edged sword our biggest enemy, our weak human nature and sinful hearts, is slain and you, dear Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God, became the king of our lives and the Lord of our destiny.

Remember us Lord, and listen to our prayers, as bring before you all the needs of our lives......

Remember us Lord, and listen to our prayers as we bring before your throne of mercy our brothers and sisters who are ill, afflicted or suffering from sadness, depression and heartache......

Grant us and all your children a blessed Lenten Season. Make it a time of spiritual growth, commitment to you and your Kingdom and a time to strengthen and increase our love for you, our Redeemer and our Saviour.  

Prepare our hearts by remembering what Jesus did for us when he suffered, died and was buried for our sake to, at a time so soon to come, be truly able to celebrate that for our sake and for the glory of your name, you rose from the dead, ascended to heaven and graciously reign over us as exalted Lord and God of your Church and of all creation.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord

Amen.