An Invitation to Take

SPECIAL INSTALLMENT: ASH WEDNESDAY
Some suggestions for developing a creative approach to the observance of Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday is an opportunity for the congregation to listen for the voice of God.

This service is an invitation to the congregation to enter into deeper discipleship. These commitments will be written down, burnt as an offering to God, and placed on each forehead as a sign of our individual and communal commitment to repentance and discipleship to Jesus Christ. The ashes also serve as a reminder of our mortality and a willingness to pick up our cross and enter into Christ’s death and resurrection.

This service is based on the Taizé style of worship. Taizé worship combines simple songs, silence and Scripture. The Taizé songs are repeated five to 10 times, allowing them to become like “breath prayers” for the worshipers. Traditional hymns are offered as alternatives in the order of service below.

Worship Space and Preparation: As Ash Wednesday invites the people of God into a season of reflection and penitence, the worship space can help prepare the worshipers...