Worship Notes Ash Wednesday

Worship Notes

Ash Wednesday

March 5, 2014

The Season

Today we enter our forty-day Lenten journey. As Jesus was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, we observe these days as a time to enter more deeply into practices of discipleship, particularly worship, prayer, Scripture and devotional reading, and service. Our Forty Day Lenten Devotional is one way to go more deeply into Lent. These forty days do not include Sundays, which are always celebrations of the resurrection, even during penitential seasons, though we refrain from singing “Alleluia” during the season.

In Word

Psalm 51 sets the tone, not only for Ash Wednesday, but for all of Lent. The antiphon sung to open our worship becomes our Lenten mantra: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” A popular musical setting of this psalm will serve as our Offertory response during our five subsequent Wednesday Evening Prayer services.

In our First Lesson, God speaks through the prophet Joel: “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain!” (Joel 2:1). God invites the people, “Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart . . . Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love . . .” What does the Old Testament say about God? It says many things, but this is the main thing!

The Apostle Paul in our Second Lesson appeals to reconciliation with God: “We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:20b-21). Here Paul appeals to the “great exchange,” whereby Jesus takes our sin and, in exchange, gives us his righteousness.

“Do not be like the hypocrites . . .” Jesus warns in the Gospel tonight (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21). Outward displays of piety that do not reflect the attitude of the heart are a mockery. Jesus invites us to give alms and to pray “in secret.” This does not mean there is no place for public prayer and worship; rather, our focus on all that we do is on God and not on impressing others.

In Song

With a new liturgical season come some changes in our worship, some new and some old. Tonight we sing Psalm 51 to a new antiphon and psalm tone. Our Hymn of the Day, “Savior, When in Dust to You,” is set to a newly-composed tune, and our “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord” is newly set to an adaptation of the ancient plainchant, Adoro Te Devote.