Wednesday 17th February 2021 - Ash Wednesday Service

Grace and peace to you from God
​
God fill you with truth and joy
Let us pray (in silence) for grace to keep Lent faithfully
Silence

The Trisagion by Fernando Ortega
Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy, have mercy on us. Holy God Holy and mighty.
Holy Immortal One have mercy, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy and mighty, Holy Immortal One,
have mercy, have mercy, have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on us

Holy God, holy and strong. Holy and immortal, have mercy on us

Almighty and merciful God, you hate nothing that you have made
and forgive the sins of all who are penitent;
create in us new and contrite hearts, 
so that when we turn to you and confess our sins
we may receive your full and perfect forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer 
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and forever.      Amen

The liturgy of the word.

Isaiah 58:1-12 False and True Worship
Shout out, do not hold back!
   Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
   to the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet day after day they seek me
   and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practised righteousness
   and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgements,
   they delight to draw near to God.
‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?
   Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,
   and oppress all your workers.
Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
   and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
   will not make your voice heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose,
   a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
   and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
   a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the fast that I choose:
   to loose the bonds of injustice,
   to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
   and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
   and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
   and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
   the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
   you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.


If you remove the yoke from among you,
   the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry
   and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
   and your gloom be like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you continually,
   and satisfy your needs in parched places,
   and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
   like a spring of water,
   whose waters never fail.
Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
   you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
   the restorer of streets to live in.
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God

The Gospel Acclamation

Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.
The Lord is a great God, O that today you would listen to his voice.
Harden not your hearts
Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew

Matthew 6:1-6
Concerning Almsgiving
‘Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Concerning Prayer
‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Concerning Fasting
‘And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Concerning Treasures
‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
This is the Gospel of the Lord   Praise to you O Christ

The Liturgy of Penitence
Let us now call to mind our sin and the infinite mercy of God
God the Father, have mercy on us
God the Son, have mercy on us
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us
Trinity of love, have mercy on us
Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
We confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed

We have not loved you with all our heart, and mind and strength.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven
Lord have mercy

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
Lord have mercy

We confess to you, Lord…..
 all our past unfaithfulness, the pride, hypocrisy and impatience of our lives
Lord have mercy
our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people
Lord have mercy

our anger at our own frustration and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves.
Lord have mercy
our intemperate love of earthly goods and comforts
and our dishonesty in daily life and work
Lord have mercy
Our negligence in prayer and worship
and our failure to commend the faith that is in us
Lord have mercy
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 judgements, 
for uncharitable thoughts towards our neighbours 
and for our prejudice and contempt towards 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
Favourably hear us for your mercy is great

Accomplish in us the work of your salvation
That we may show 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

We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been, 
help us to amend what we are, 
and direct what we shall be; 
that we may do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with you, our God. 
   Amen

The imposition of ashes
Since we cannot meet in a common place to impose the ashes we will impose them ourselves either individually or with another person. The ashes are either those burnt from the palm cross or imaginary.
Dear friends in Christ, I invite you to receive these ashes, virtual or real, as a sign of the spirit of penitence with which we shall keep the season of Lent.
God our Father, you create us from the dust of the earth; grant that these ashes may be for us, a sign of our penitence and a symbol of our mortality; for it is by your grace alone that we receive eternal life in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen

The Liturgy of the Sacrament
The Peace
Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us access to his grace
The peace of the Lord be always with you;  and also with you
The Eucharistic Prayer
Merciful Father, turn us from sin to faithfulness 
and from disobedience to love 
and prepare us to celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ our Saviour, 
who is alive and reigns, now and forever  Amen

The Lord be with you.  And also with you.        
    
Lift up your hearts.      We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right and good to give you thanks and praise, almighty God and everlasting Father, through Jesus Christ your Son.
For in these forty days you lead us into the desert of repentance that through a pilgrimage of prayer and discipline we may grow in grace and learn to be your people once again. Through fasting, prayer and act of service you bring us back to your generous heart. Through study of your Holy Word you open our eyes to your presence in the world and free our hands to welcome others into the radiant splendour of your love.
As we prepare to celebrate the Easter feast with joyful hearts and minds we bless you for your mercy and join with saints and angels for ever praising you and saying 

Holy, holy, holy Lord.                         
God of power and might,                     
heaven and earth are full of your glory.         
Hosanna in the highest.                     
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 
Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed are you, almighty God,
because on the night he was betrayed
the Lord Jesus took bread,
and when he had given you thanks,
he broke it, gave it to his disciples and said,
“Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you:
do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way after supper he took the cup,         
and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying,    
“Drink from this, all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant    
which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins:                    
do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.”

Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:            
Christ has died.                            
Christ is risen.                            
Christ will come in glory.
    
Therefore, loving God, recalling now the sacrifice of Christ your Son made once for all upon the cross and the triumph of his resurrection,
we ask you to accept this our sacrifice of praise.
Send your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts 
that we may be fed with the body and blood of your Son and be filled with your life and goodness.
Unite us in Christ and give us your peace that we may do your work and be his body in the world. Through him, with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honour and glory are yours, almighty Father, forever and ever.    Amen.

As our Saviour taught us, we boldly pray:    
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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever.  Amen

Prayer of Humble Access
We do not presume to come to this your table, 
merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, 
but in your manifold and great mercies. 
We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table. 
But you are the same Lord, whose nature is always to have mercy.  
Grant us therefore gracious Lord so to eat the flesh of your dear Son 
Jesus Christ and to drink his blood, 
that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us. Amen.


The Communion

The bread is broken

Every time we eat this bread and drink this cup
we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Jesus, Lamb of God: have mercy on us.            
Jesus, bearer of our sins: have mercy on us.    
Jesus, redeemer of the world: give us your peace.


The body of Christ keep you in eternal life. Amen.      
The blood of Christ keep you in eternal life. Amen.      

Give thanks to the Lord for he is gracious:    his love is everlasting.



We say together
Eternal God, comfort of the afflicted and healer of the broken,
you have fed us at the table of life and hope:
teach us the ways of gentleness and peace,
that all the world may acknowledge the kingdom of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Dismissal
                                      

Post Communion Prayer
Almighty God you have given your only Son to be for us both a sacrifice for sin and also an example of godly life: give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive these, his inestimable gifts, and also daily endeavour to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen

The Lord be with you.    And also with you

Hymn

May God the Father, who does despise the broken spirit, give you a contrite heart  Amen
May Christ, who bore our sins in his body on the tree heal you by his wounds   Amen
May the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth, 
speak to you words of pardon and peace Amen

And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.     Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.        In the name of Christ. Amen

Be Thou My Vision
 
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
naught be all else to me save that thou art;
thou my best thought in the day and the night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light .
 
Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;
thou my great Father, and I thy true heir;
thou in me dwelling, and I in thy care.
 
Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight,
be thou my armour, and be thou my might,
thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tow’r,
raise though me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r .
 
Riches I need not, nor all the world’s praise,
thou mine inheritance through all my days;
thou, and thou only, the first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art!
 
High King of heaven, when battle is done,
grant heaven’s joy to me, O bright heav’ns sun;
Christ of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.