Welcome
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that everyone who has faith in him may not perish but have eternal life. John 3: 16
Watch our Ash Wednesday service of worship here:
Prayer
In words, in silence
with praise and thanksgiving
with fear and doubt
with anger and pain
we come before you
You are a great and mighty God
our loving Heavenly Father
you have us your Son Jesus
to be our Saviour and Lord
he was faithful even to death on a cross
and you raised him up to new and everlasting life
You know us through and through
you enfold us in your loving care
you open to us the way to be your children
But we have failed you
failed to respond to your love
failed to give you the praise and thanks you deserve
failed to live by the teaching and example of Jesus
Forgive us
Fill us anew with your Spirit
Make us strong to walk in Jesus’ way
Through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen
Reading Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-21
Reflection
Although ‘Lent’ has been part of the Church of Scotland’s life for more than half a century, it is still regarded by many as a bit ‘new’, and something that really belongs in other branches of the church.
It has its origins in the story of Jesus spending forty days in the Wilderness, and in the journey that he and his disciples made to Jerusalem before Good Friday:
- After he was baptised in the Jordan by John the Baptist, Jesus retreated into the desert and rough ground south of Jerusalem, to think and pray about his calling to be the special person from God who would change the world and bring it back to God. He was tempted to take all sorts of short-cuts, from publicity stunts to wielding absolute political power. In the end he resisted all temptations and followed the road of service and suffering that his Father had planned for him, and that he sets as the model for his church
- Jesus ‘set his face’ to go to Jerusalem on that fateful journey. Others urged him not to go, but he went because he knew that that was the right thing to do. He knew what lay ahead, but he put concern for others ahead of concern for himself.
In the early days of the church baptisms and the admission of new members happened just before Easter. The period leading up to Easter was a time for those new members to learn about the Christian faith. When the imperial authorities in Rome made it legal to be a Christian, church leaders were worried that many new members would join not realising that following Jesus meant things like reading the Bible, praying regularly, trying to live by the values and standards of Jesus. So it seems they used the period of Lent to encourage people to exercise some self-discipline, learn more about their faith and make a special effort to help others. We can still do the same thing today:
- Some people choose to ‘give up things’ for Lent – it can be a good way to lose some of the extra pounds/kilos gained from comfort-eating in the cold, dark days of Winter – and donate money saved to charity
- We could, and should, try all year round to read our Bibles, pray and learn more about Jesus, and the implications of following him on our everyday lives, and how we see the world. But sometimes we need a wee prod, a wee focus, to do a bit more. Lent is a good focus
- We could, we should, always try to share the love of Jesus with people in need, whether it is folk on their own needing a chat, someone housebound needing a message at the shops, making a donation in cash or kind to the Foodbank, or giving some money to a charity like Christian Aid, or our favourite charity. Again, sometimes (especially after a cold, wet, dark winter) we need a wee prompt or focus – and again Lent can provide that
Whatever we decide to do, Jesus warned us not to make a big public display of what we’re doing. In Jesus’ day, and now, there is a widespread tendency to highlight some people’s philanthropy, support of charities, and donations. Jesus encourages us to keep quiet about what we do – he knows what we are doing, and that’s enough.
Prayer for others and Lord’s Prayer
Loving Father
When Jesus came and announced
that your kingdom was coming
he brought healing and wholeness
to hurting people
Through your Spirit he continues to bring
healing and wholeness to hurting people
In our concern for others
we bring before you people and situations
where healing and wholeness are needed:
those who are ill
those who look after them
and those who worry about them
those waiting for or receiving treatment
and those for whom there is no treatment
those who are lonely, feeling down, or grieving a friend or loved one
those who are worried about home, work or money
a friend or a relative
those who are living with the after-effects of natural disasters
those who do not have enough to eat, or somewhere to call home
those who long to live in peace and safety
those who have fled from their homes seeking safety
We pray for the Queen, the Government
all in positions of leadership in this and every land
We pray for you church
the worldwide church
the wider church in Dumbarton
our own congregation
help us always to be faithful to Jesus our Lord
We bring to you our prayers for people and situations of special concern to us
And we sum up our prayers in the words of the prayer Jesus gave us
Blessing
Grow in grace
and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
and the blessing of God Almighty
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
rest and remain with you
today and every day and forever. Amen