Ash Wednesday Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our

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Ash WednesdayDear People of God The first
Christians observed with great devotion the days
of our Lords passion and resurrection, and it
became the custom of the Church to prepare for
them by a season of penitence and fasting.
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This season of Lent provided a time in which
converts to the faith were prepared for Holy
Baptism. It was also a time when those who,
because of notorious sins, had been separated
from the body of the faithful, were reconciled by
penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the
fellowship of the church. Thereby, the whole
congregation was put in mind of the message of
pardon.
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I invite you, therefore, in the name of
the Father, to the observance of Lent, by
self-examination and repentance .
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Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust
of the earth Grant that these ashes may be to us
a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we my
remember that it is only by your gracious gift
that we are given everlasting life through Jesus
Christ our Savior. AmenRemember that you
are dust, and to dust you shall return.From the
Book of Common Prayer
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Meditate on the following psalm of
repentancePsalm 511 Have mercy on me, O God,
       according to your unfailing love       
according to your great compassion        blot
out my transgressions.  2 Wash away all my
iniquity        and cleanse me from my sin.  3
For I know my transgressions,        and my sin
is always before me.  4 Against you, you only,
have I sinned        and done what is evil in
your sight,        so that you are proved right
when you speak        and justified when you
judge.  
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5 Surely I was sinful at birth,        sinful
from the time my mother conceived me.  6 Surely
you desire truth in the inner parts        you
teach me wisdom in the inmost place.  7 Cleanse
me with hyssop, and I will be clean        wash
me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear
joy and gladness        let the bones you have
crushed rejoice.  9 Hide your face from my sins
       and blot out all my iniquity.
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10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,        and
renew a steadfast spirit within me.  11 Do not
cast me from your presence        or take your
Holy Spirit from me.  12 Restore to me the joy
of your salvation        and grant me a willing
spirit, to sustain me.  13 Then I will teach
transgressors your ways,        and sinners will
turn back to you.
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14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,        the
God who saves me,        and my tongue will sing
of your righteousness.  15 O Lord, open my lips,
       and my mouth will declare your praise.
 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would
bring it        you do not take pleasure in
burnt offerings.  17 The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit        a broken and contrite
heart,        O God, you will not despise.
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A Meditation for Ash WednesdayAsh Wednesday is
the official start of the Season of Lent. A
season for penance, reflection and fasting in
order to prepare ourselves for Jesus'
Resurrection. Following the example of the
Ninevites, who did penance in "sackcloth and
ashes, we sign our foreheads with ashes to
humble our hearts and remind us that we only have
life to the fullest with God. When we realize
and acknowledge our sinfulness, we can find
release and light in Gods forgiveness.
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The darkness asks us questions.You are
out there and we do not see.You invite us into
the night,the stillness, the loneliness, the
desert place.We cannot see our shadowthe cold
damp of unknowing rises up from beneathour
feet. We tread cautiously, tentatively.
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We are afraid,afraid of ghostshaunting us with
spectres of guiltand shame.We would like to run
back,reach the river bank,swim the Jordan,sit
in the sun by the sea,mending our nets. But you
have brought us here- with no bread.
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When we look we can see only ourselves,our
darkness.When we read,it is invisible words
which cannot be grasped,thoughts we cannot
clutch,hope we cannot capture.
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Yet the wild honey remains a taste in our
mouth,a memory for a new day.Why have you
brought us here?What miracle will you perform
for us?The darkness sighs around us,dense with
your unseen presence,close to our
breathing,close to our breathing.
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O darkness, enlighten us,embrace us with your
invisible love.Let us see your glory in the
ashes.Take us by the hand that we may trust
thedarkness.Minister to us by your Spirit that
we may not beafraid.Jesus, keep the beasts
away.Amen
William Loader