On Ash Wednesday we take on the sign of our humanity: ashes, which remind us that we are mortal, finite. Which leads us to the question, what do we do with the time we are given? Our only option is to be human—fully, openly, children of God, made in God’s image, human.
We invite you to join us on Ash Wednesday, March 5, at 6:30 PM in our beautiful sanctuary. We will have a simple service of Evening Prayer, which will include the imposition of ashes for all who come forward for them. This will be the first of our Lenten Evening Services, from March 5 through April 9, all on this theme of “Being Human.” You are invited! All are welcome.
You can join us for worship in our beautiful sanctuary, or right here online. Worship is live-streamed; videos are available here or on Youtube following the service. You are always welcome!
Ash Wednesday
Being Human!
Psalm 51; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10
Union Presbyterian Church
March 5, 2025
Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube
Prelude Rev. Pat Raube
“Beautiful Things,” Michael Gungor, Lisa Gungor
©2009, worshiptogether.com Songs
Used by Permission. CCLI License #CSPL068847
Opening Sentences
Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening,
And the day is almost over.
Jesus Christ is the light of the world,
a light no darkness can overcome.
Behold, now is the acceptable time;
now is the day of salvation.
Hymn # 244 W & R
“O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High” (v. 1-3, 6)
(Public Domain)
O Love, how deep, how broad, how high,
How passing thought and fantasy:
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortals' sake.
For us baptized, for us he bore
His holy fast and hungered sore;
For us temptations sharp he knew,
For us the tempter overthrew.
For us he prayed, for us he taught,
For us his daily works he wrought,
By words and signs and actions, thus
Still seeking not himself, but us.
All glory to our Lord and God
For love so deep, so high, so broad–
The Trinity whom we adore
Forever and forevermore.
Scripture Reading Psalm 51, selected verses
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
in your great compassion, blot out my offenses.
Wash me through and through from my wickedness,
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my offenses, and my sin is ever before me.
Indeed, you delight in truth deep within me,
and would have me know wisdom deep within.
Remove my sins with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be purer than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness,
that the body you have broken may rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my wickedness.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain me with your bountiful spirit.
Scripture Reading 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10
So, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God. For our sake God made the one who knew no sin to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
As we work together with him, we entreat you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says,
“At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
and on a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: in great endurance, afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; in purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors and yet are true, as unknown and yet are well known, as dying and look—we are alive, as punished and yet not killed, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing everything.
Response We live, not by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from God.
Thanks be to God!
Meditation Being Human!
Anthem
“Make Me a Channel of Your Peace,” Mark Hayes
©1967. OCP Publications, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Make me a channel of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring Your love,
Where there is injury, Your pardon, Lord,
And where there’s doubt, true faith in You.
Make me a channel of Your peace.
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, only light,
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.
Oh, Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved, as to love, with all my soul.
Make me a channel of Your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving of ourselves that we receive,
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.
Oh, Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved, as to love, with all my soul.
Make me a channel of Your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving of ourselves that we receive,
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.
Amen.
Imposition of the Ashes
Ash Wednesday begins with human touch as oil and ashes are traced in the shape of a cross on our foreheads. From dust we were made; to dust we will return (Genesis 3:19). The intimacy of this symbolic act expresses God’s invitation to “be reconciled” right here, right now, in this moment, no matter how ready we feel, for “now is the acceptable time” (2 Corinthians 6:2b). What does it mean to be reconciled to God? A reconciliation is an event that leads to restored relationships, where differences that once caused such pain and separation have now been resolved. Jesus has flung open the door and said, let nothing stand in your way. Come and see how loved and how precious you really are, in all of your humanity. Jesus will speak strength and love into all the places where you feel fragile and inadequate. He will speak hope into your fears and eternal life into your very mortality. And know this: you were never meant to do this alone.
Let us pray: Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth. May these ashes be for us a sign of our mortality and desire for the complete healing and wholeness you offer, for you will love us into new life. We pray in the name of Jesus our brother, our teacher, our Lord. Amen.
Music during Imposition:
“Be Merciful, Be Merciful, O God”
(Public Domain)
Prayers of the People From Holden Evening Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Hymn #257 W & R
“What Wondrous Love Is This”
(Public Domain)
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul,
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!
When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down;
When I was sinking down beneath God's righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul!
To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing,
To God and to the Lamb I will sing!
To God and to the Lamb, who is the great "I AM,"
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
While millions join the theme, I will sing!
And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on, I'll sing on,
And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on!
And when from death I'm free, I'll sing and joyful be,
And through eternity I'll sing on, I'll sing on,
And through eternity I'll sing on!
Benediction
Postlude
“Lenten Meditation,” A. D. Burger
©1977, Lorenz Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Where an * is indicated, please rise in body and/or in spirit.
“W & R” ~ the red Worship and Rejoice hymnal
“PH” ~ the blue Presbyterian Hymnal
Some Words About Lent
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the season focused on Jesus’ journey to the cross and resurrection. Almost since the church was birthed, people have set this season aside as a time to prepare for the great mystery of Easter, as well as a time to deepen our faith using certain practices. The gospels tell us that Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days, and this formed the bases of practice in the early church. By the fourth century there was a strong practice of fasting, associated with prayer and with giving food and alms to the poor and hungry. It was also the time when newcomers to the faith prayed and prepared themselves for baptism. Welcome. Breathe deeply. God is love, and our journey this season will be a re-discovery of that love.