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Ash Wednesday
Why we use ashes as part of our
liturgy:
Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is observed on the Wednesday of
the seventh week before Easter. The day is named for the practice of
imposing ashes, an ancient practice and sign of repentance that is
mentioned several times in the Bible, including Jonah 3: 5-9, Job 42: 6,
Jeremiah 6: 26 and Matthew 11: 21. Early Christians adopted the use of
ashes from Jewish practice as an external mark of penitence. Many modern
congregations find this to be a meaningful part of the Ash Wednesday
liturgy. Ashes symbolize several aspects of our human existence:
Ashes
remind us of God’s condemnation of sin, as God said to Adam, “Dust you
are and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19)
Ashes
suggest cleansing and renewal. In ancient times, they were used in the
absence of soap. On Ash Wednesday, ashes are a penitential substitute
for water as a reminder of our baptism.
Ashes
remind us of the shortness of human life, for, as it is said as we are
buried, “Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”
Ashes
are a symbol of our need to repent, confess our sins and return to God.
The
imposition of ashes:
You
will have the opportunity to receive ashes during the Ash Wednesday
worship services at Peace United Church of Christ on February 17 from 12
noon – 3 pm and again during our 6:30 p.m. worship service. Ashes are
applied with the minister’s thumb in the form of a small cross on the
forehead (or back of the hand if you prefer) of each person with the
words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
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