Gathering Music

“Gather Us In”

Call to Prayer

One: God’s people have been called to gather and repent.
Many: From those who wear their faults on their sleeves, to those whose secret hearts are broken, all are welcome.
One: God’s people have been called to be reconciled to the Holy One.
Many: From those who have turned away, to those whose pain whispers in the night, all are welcome.

Opening Hymn

“Lord Who Throughout These 40 Days” UMH #296

1 Lord, who throughout these forty days
for us didst fast and pray,
teach us with thee to mourn our sins
and close by thee to stay.

2 As thou with Satan didst contend,
and didst the victory win,
O give us strength in thee to fight,
in thee to conquer sin.

3 As thou didst hunger bear, and thirst,
so teach us, gracious Lord,
to die to self, and chiefly live
by thy most holy word.

4 And through these days of penitence,
and through thy passiontide,
yea, evermore in life and death,
Jesus, with us abide.

5 Abide with us, that so, this life
of suffering over past,
an Easter of unending joy
we may attain at last.

First Reading

Genesis 2:4-9 (NRSV)

These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— then the Lord God formed a human (adam) from the dust of the ground (the adamah), and breathed into that human the breath of life; and the human became a living being. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there God put the human. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

One: Hear what the spirit is saying
Many: We are listening

Sung Response

“Hananim”

Second Reading

Selections from “Ash Wednesday” by T.S. Eliot

One: Hear what the spirit is saying
Many: We are listening

Sung Response

“Hananim”

Special Prayers of the People

Imposition/Gifting of Ashes

Rev. Dr. Jennifer Quigley and Dr. Kate Ott

Invitation

Imposing and Receiving

Music During Receiving

“Dust I Am” by Mark Miller

Unison Prayer

Gracious God, out of your love and mercy you breathed into dust the breath of life, creating us to serve you and neighbors. Call forth our prayers and acts of tenderness, and strengthen us to face our mortality, that we may reach with confidence for your mercy; in Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Blessing

Rev. Dr. Jennifer Quigley and Dr. Kate Ott

Sending

“Hananim” (instrumental)

All are invited to leave in silence when they feel so moved.

---

Worship Notes: 

Call to Worship: adapted by Kelsey Wallace from https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/02/call-to-worship-for-ash-wednesday.html 
Unison Prayer: Book of Common Worship, pg. 222
Liturgy for the Imposition of Ashes: https://enfleshed.com/pages/ash-wednesday