HERE ON THE THRESHOLD OF LENT

/ Union Avenue Christian Church/
Ash Wednesday.jpg

“Yet even now, says the Lord,
return to me with all your heart…” (Joel 2:12a)

As Christians across the world begin to prepare for the great celebration of Easter, the Church once again begins the holy season of Lent and our 40-day spiritual pilgrimage toward a Risen faith.  Each year, we begin this journey on what is called “Ash Wednesday” with a service that invites us to contemplate God’s care for us, what God truly desires for us and from us, and how in we are fashioned into vessels of God’s love.  This is a special service of worship that helps us draw near to God’s presence within and among us, knowing that we follow in the footsteps of Jesus and walk along the path of the countless faithful down the generations and even now.

As has been our tradition for years, we will join with our friends in faith at Pilgrim and Westminster in a joint Ash Wednesday service, this year on February 17.  Because of the ongoing COVID mitigations, the service will be held via Zoom at 6:30 p.m.  Individual small containers of palm ash have been made available in the church lobby for those who want to fully participate during the service’s imposition of ashes. (You are also welcome to use oil, water, or simply “the Holy Spirit” if you’d rather not get out into the cold and drive to the church building — contact Rev. Michael if you need help with procuring ashes for the service.)

This Ash Wednesday will be a short time of online worship but one that is rich with meaning and filled with spiritual nourishment for our Lenten road ahead.  May we come together in our very humanness, knowing that we are dust but that in God’s hands, dust lives and we belong to God.