Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday Service Schedule
Eucharist with imposition of ashes
7:30 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
12:15 p.m.
1:30 p.m. @ Butterfield Trail Village
5:30 p.m. Family Service
7:00 p.m. with Choir
Here are the scripture readings for Ash Wednesday.
If you would like to comment on these scriptures or have some on-line conversation about them, please go to sundayscriptures@blogspot.com and click the "comments" button at the bottom.
(St. Paul
February 21, 2007
Ash Wednesday, Year C
Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary
The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have
made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and
make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily
lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission
and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.
The Scriptures
Isaiah 58:1-2
Psalm 103:8-14
2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Isaiah 58:1-12
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 practiced righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me
righteous judgments, 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 rear guard. 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.
____________________
How do you see the connection between your worship on Sunday and the issues of justice that Isaiah brings up -- workers' wages, poverty, hunger, homelessness, scandal? Do you prefer just sticking to "spiritual" things on Sundays?
________________________________________________________
Psalm 103:8-14
8 The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.
9 He will not always accuse us, *
nor will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, *
nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, *
so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, *
so far has he removed our sins from us.
13 As a father cares for his children, *
so does the Lord care for those who fear him.
14 For he himself knows whereof we are made; *
he remembers that we are but dust.
________________
Is this the way you think of God?
_________________________________________________________
2 Corinthians 5:20b-21, 6:1-10
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.
As we work together with him, we urge 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."
See, now is the acceptable time; see, 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: through great
endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings,
imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by
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 see--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.
________________________
How energetically do you pursue your spiritual growth and your relationship with God?
_______________________________________________________
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
"Beware of practicing 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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
_____________________
How much of what you do has some reference to what others might think?
What moments in your life are truly self-authentic?
___________________________________________________________
To subscribe or unsubscribe to this email list,
go to our Subscriptions page -- http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id137.html and follow the instructions.
On most weekdays I send a Morning Reflection to this same list, offering a thought about the readings from the Daily Office.
Lowell
The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul
Fayetteville , AR
The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
Eucharist with imposition of ashes
Here are the scripture readings for Ash Wednesday.
If you would like to comment on these scriptures or have some on-line conversation about them, please go to sundayscriptures@blogspot.com and click the "comments" button at the bottom.
(
Ash Wednesday, Year C
Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary
The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have
made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and
make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily
lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission
and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.
The Scriptures
Isaiah 58:1-2
Psalm 103:8-14
2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Isaiah 58:1-12
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 practiced righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me
righteous judgments, 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 rear guard. 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.
____________________
How do you see the connection between your worship on Sunday and the issues of justice that Isaiah brings up -- workers' wages, poverty, hunger, homelessness, scandal? Do you prefer just sticking to "spiritual" things on Sundays?
________________________________________________________
Psalm 103:8-14
8 The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.
9 He will not always accuse us, *
nor will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, *
nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, *
so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, *
so far has he removed our sins from us.
13 As a father cares for his children, *
so does the Lord care for those who fear him.
14 For he himself knows whereof we are made; *
he remembers that we are but dust.
________________
Is this the way you think of God?
_________________________________________________________
2 Corinthians 5:20b-21, 6:1-10
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.
As we work together with him, we urge 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."
See, now is the acceptable time; see, 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: through great
endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings,
imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by
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 see--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.
________________________
How energetically do you pursue your spiritual growth and your relationship with God?
_______________________________________________________
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
"Beware of practicing 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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
_____________________
How much of what you do has some reference to what others might think?
What moments in your life are truly self-authentic?
___________________________________________________________
To subscribe or unsubscribe to this email list,
go to our Subscriptions page -- http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id137.html and follow the instructions.
On most weekdays I send a Morning Reflection to this same list, offering a thought about the readings from the Daily Office.
The Rev. Lowell Grisham
The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
posted by Lowell @ 9:16 PM
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