wednesday's ashes

Today I will attend the Ash Wednesday service at the Cathedral of the Ascension. It is a beautiful, old church with abundant history, built in 1850. Since it is in Kentucky's capitol city, many of the state's governors and other dignitaries have worshipped there, and the community is richer and prettier because of its presence and outreach.

The service today will be mostly quiet. We'll recite, sing, pray and kneel - mostly in unison. My church upbringing pretty much allowed and encouraged everyone to do their own thing during services as long as it was prompted of the Spirit and not distracting. Sometimes it was definitely not the first and certainly was the second - depending on the worshippers personality. It was what we were used to, so no one but the visitors from other traditions paid much attention.

The songs we'll sing today probably won't be found in the old red-back Church Hymnal that I grew up with. "I'll Fly Away" and "When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder" are wonderful, old pieces of music that mean a lot to me. But I'm just as moved by the very classical and majestic songs we'll enjoy inside the beautiful cathedral of stained glass, statued saints and pipe organ today. We will reverently approach the ornate and grand altar to receive the Eucharist and ashes from robed priests moving along the rails in a steady, flowing motion. It is a beautiful and spiritual thing for me. It reminds me that God is large and aware of us.

I got in trouble once and was sorta scolded by a Pentecostal pastor who took issue with my speaking from prepared notes during a revival service. He felt I was not yielded enough to the immediate direction of the Holy Spirit. My response to him was that I was sure the Lord was only obligated to give me the message once, and since no one was around to preach it to then, I wrote it down and saved it for later. The pastor, as sincere as he is, probably would not appreciate a recited prayer such as the one we'll honestly and contemplatively speak to God today from the Book of Common Prayer. When I consider its words seriously, I find it hard not be humbled.

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.

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. Have mercy on us, Lord.

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. Have mercy on us, Lord.

We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives, We confess to you, Lord.

Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people, We confess to you, Lord.

Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves, We confess to you, Lord.

Our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and our dishonesty in daily life and work, We confess to you, Lord.

Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to commend the faith that is in us, We confess to you, Lord.

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, Accept our repentance, Lord.

For all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors, and for our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us, Accept our repentance, Lord.

For our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us, Accept our repentance, Lord.

Restore us, good Lord, and let your anger depart from us; Favorably hear us, for your mercy is great.

Accomplish in us the work of your salvation, That we may show forth your glory in the world.

By the cross and passion of your Son our Lord, Bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desires not the death of sinners, but rather that they may turn from their wickedness and live, has given power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins. He pardons and absolves all those who truly repent, and with sincere hearts believe his holy Gospel.

Therefore we beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do on this day, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen