www.ovapostles.org
CONNECT WITH US!
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Service Times & Events
  • Contact & Connect
  • Mission & Ministries
  • Sermons
  • Online Giving
  • Music
  • Worship Service
  • Ash Wednesday
  • Holy Saturday
  • 1st Week of Easter: Liturgy For Home Use
  • Liturgies for Home Use
  • Video Sermons
  • Featured Mission
  • Resources
  • Quiet Christmas
  • Christmas Eve

Ash Wednesday
​17 February 2021


THE HOLY EUCHARIST
 
Prelude                                                                  The glory of these forty days                                                   Johann Gottfried Walther
                        
Please stand as the clergy enter. The service begins in silence. 
Today begins the Lenten journey to Easter and toward a renewal of our baptismal commitment of discipleship and service. We are invited to the renewal of discipleship through the disciplines of prayer, fasting and charity, and today’s liturgy calls us to confess our sinfulness, acknowledge our brokenness and place our total dependence on God for life and forgiveness. The ashes we will sprinkle on our heads are a sign of lament but also comfort, a sign of penitence but also forgiveness. We are people comforted, forgiven and redeemed. Welcome into a holy Lent. May our journey bear much fruit. 
 
The Opening Acclamation
Presider     Blessed be the God of our salvation. 
People      Who bears our burdens and forgives our sin. Amen.
 
The Collect of the Day 
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sin may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus the Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
 

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
​

The Hebrew Testament                                                                                                                                                  Joel 2:1-2,12-17

Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near--
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness spread upon the mountains
a great and powerful army comes;
their like has never been from of old,
nor will be again after them
in ages to come.
 
Yet even now, says the Lord,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the Lord, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
and relents from punishing.
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the Lord, your God?
 
Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sanctify a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
gather the people.
Sanctify the congregation;
assemble the aged;
gather the children,
even infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her canopy.
 
Between the vestibule and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep.
Let them say, "Spare your people, O Lord,
and do not make your heritage a mockery,
a byword among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
`Where is their God?'"

Reader       Hear what the spirit is saying to God’s people. 
People       Thanks be to God.
 
The Psalm                                                                                                                                                                103:1, 2, 8-11, 1 
Let us say the Psalm responsively by half verse. 
 
Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
and forget not all his benefits.
The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.
He will not always accuse us, *
nor will he keep his anger for ever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, *
nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth, *
so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
 
 
The Gospel                                                                                                                                                     Matthew   6:1-6, 16-21 
 
Deacon      The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus the Christ according to Matthew. 
People       Glory to you, Lord Christ.
 
Jesus said, "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
"So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 
 
Deacon      The gospel of the Lord. 
People       Praise to you Lord Christ. 
 
The Sermon                                                                                                                                                       The Rev. Debra Asis
A period of silence follows the sermon.
 

The Bidding to a Holy Lent 
After the Sermon, all stand, and the Presider invites the people to the observance of a holy Lent. 
 
Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. 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 and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith. I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now bow down before the Lord, our maker and redeemer. 
 
The Blessing of the Ashes 
 
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 may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus the Christ our Savior. Amen.
 
The Sprinkling of the Ashes 
 
Psalm 51 
Let us say the Psalm responsively by half verse. 
 
Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
   blot out my transgressions. 
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
   and cleanse me from my sin. 
For I know my transgressions,
   and my sin is ever before me. 
Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
   and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
   and blameless when you pass judgement. 
Indeed, I was born guilty,
   a sinner when my mother conceived me. 
You desire truth in the inward being;
   therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
   wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 
Let me hear joy and gladness;
   let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 
Hide your face from my sins,
   and blot out all my iniquities. 
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and put a new and right spirit within me. 
Do not cast me away from your presence,
   and do not take your holy spirit from me. 
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
   and sustain in me a willing spirit. 
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
   and sinners will return to you. 
Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
   O God of my salvation,
   and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance. 

O Lord, open my lips,
   and my mouth will declare your praise. 
Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
   rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
 

 
Litany of Penitence 
 
Deacon      Let us confess our sin.
Most holy and merciful God:
We confess to you and to one another,
and to the whole communion of saints
in heaven and on earth,
that we have sinned by our own fault
in thought, word, and deed;
by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. 
 
Deacon      We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven. 
People       Have mercy on us, Lord.
 
Deacon      We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit. 
People       Have mercy on us, Lord.
 
Deacon      We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives, 
People       We confess to you, Lord. 
 
Deacon      Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people, 
People       We confess to you, Lord.
 
Deacon      Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves, 
People       We confess to you, Lord.
                   
Deacon      Our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and our dishonesty in daily life and work, 
People       We confess to you, Lord.
 
Deacon      Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to commend the faith that is in us, 
People       We confess to you, Lord. 
 
Deacon      Accept our repentance, Lord, for the wrongs we have done: for our blindness to human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty, 
People       Accept our repentance, Lord.
 
Deacon      For all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors, and for our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us, 
People       Accept our repentance, Lord.
 
Deacon      For our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us, 
People       Accept our repentance, Lord.
 
Deacon      Restore us, good Lord, and let your anger depart from us;
People      Favorably hear us, for your mercy is great.
 
Deacon      Accomplish in us the work of your salvation,
People       That we may show forth your glory in the world. 
 
Deacon      By the cross and passion of your Son our Lord, 
People       Bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection. 
 
Presider     Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Christ, who desires not the death of sinners, but rather that they may turn from their wickedness and live, has given power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins. He pardons and absolves all those who truly repent, and with sincere hearts believe his holy Gospel. Therefore we beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit that those things may please him which we do on this day, and that 
the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus the Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Peace 
 
Presider     The Peace of the Lord is always with you.
People       And also with you.
 
The people greet one another with the sign of peace.
 

THE LITURGY OF THE TABLE
​
Offertory Hymn                                                                                                                                                                142 v1,4,5
Picture
Doxology  ​
Picture
The Great Thanksgiving                                                                                                                                        BCP Rite II, Prayer A                    

Presider     The Lord is with you. 
People       And also with you.

Presider     Lift up your hearts.
People       We lift them to the Lord.

Presider     Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. 
People       It is right to give God thanks and praise. 
 
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. You bid your faithful people cleanse their hearts, and prepare with joy for the Paschal feast; that, fervent in prayer and in works of mercy, and renewed by your Word and Sacraments, they may come to the fullness of grace which you have prepared for those who love you.
 
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
 
 
The Sanctus                                                                                                                                                                           S124

Picture
Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself, and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus the Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the 
God and Father of all.
 
He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world. On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus the Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."
 
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."
 
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:
         Christ has died.
         Christ is risen.
         Christ will come again.
 

We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.
 
Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.
 
All this we ask through your Son Jesus the Christ: By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
 
Presider     As our savior the Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray. 
Pray either version of the Lord’s prayer in your preferred language. 
 
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen. 
 
Our Father in heaven, holy is your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our sin as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil for yours is the kingdom and power and glory forever. Amen.

Agnus Dei                                                                                                                                                                            S161

Picture
The Breaking of the Bread 
 
Presider     Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. 
People       Therefore let us keep the feast.
Presider     The gifts of God for the people of God. 
 

THE COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE
We offer this liturgy, this work of the people, that although we are not physically gathered we receive the Holy Sacrament in Spirit and in Truth. Honoring the essential participation of the people, the presider receives the Cup on their behalf.
 

The Communion Music                                                    From deepest woe I cry to thee                                                          Max Reger
            
The Post Communion Prayer 
 
Presider     Let us pray. 
Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus the Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
The Blessing 
 
The Dismissal

         Let us bless the Lord.
         Thanks be to God.
 
All leave in silence. 
 
All are invited to pick up their Ash Wednesday & Lent Bag 
as you leave the sanctuary.
 © 2016 Church of the Apostles 
12111 N La Cholla Blvd. Oro Valley, AZ 85755
Phone: 520-544-9660
ABOUT US  
SERVICE TIMES & EVENTS
SERMONS
CONTACT & CONNECT
MISSION & MINISTRIES
ONLINE GIVING