Tag Archives: repent

Ash Wednesday is February 14, 2018

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements and tagged with , , ,

Ash_Wednesday with ashes

Lent Begins February 14, 2018

Ash Wednesday services will be at both MLLC and Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church.  You are invited to choose which one best suits your situation.  Both services will offer Holy Communion and the Imposition of Ashes as we begin our Lenten Season.

Worship at MLLC at 7:30 p.m.

Worship at Waldeck Lutheran Church at 5:45 p.m.

Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church is in a shared ministry with MLLC.  The Church is located at 6915 Waldeck Church Lane, Ledbetter, TX 78946 – this is about 6.5 miles south of Ledbetter at the corner of FM 2145 and FM 1291.

The Exhortation on Ash Wednesday invites us into the season of Lent.  Here is that Exhortation as presented in Lutheran Book of Worship – the book used at Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church:

Brothers and sisters: God created us to experience joy in communion with him, to love all humanity, and to live in harmony with all of his creation. But sin separates us from God, our neighbors, and creation, and so we do not enjoy the life our Creator intended for us. Also, by our sin we grieve our Father, who does not desire us to come under his judgment, but to turn to him and live.

As disciples of the Lord Jesus we are called to struggle against everything that leads us away from love of God and neighbor. Repentance, fasting, prayer, and works of love—the discipline of Lent—help us to wage our spiritual warfare. I invite you, therefore, to commit yourselves to this struggle and confess your sins, asking our Father for strength to persevere in your Lenten discipline.

We are very blessed by the opportunity to work side by side with the people of Waldeck Lutheran Church.  Together we are glorifying God, loving our neighbors and loving one another.

Getting Ready for Ash Wednesday

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

Ash_Wednesday with ashes

 

Adapted by Pr. David Tinker, from an original article by Pr. Thomas L. Weitzel

The Ash Wednesday service at Martin Luther Lutheran Church of Carmine will be on Wednesday, February 18, at 7:00 p.m.

 

This day is something of a slap in the face, especially when one hears the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  The original name – “Day of Ashes” – was a reference to the ancient Christian practice of sprinkling or rubbing ashes on the head or forehead as a sign of one’s mortality.  The same ancient gesture appears in the baptismal liturgy: a cross is traced with oil on the forehead of the person being baptized.  In this simple gesture the person is claimed by Christ.

 

There can be no more solemn and appropriate action on this day than to distribute ashes to all who gather for the beginning of the Lenten season.  Here the young and old, men and women, rich and poor, learned and simple.  Here the cross is the sign of salvation that all believers share.  It is the sign of death and resurrection.

 

What is Ash Wednesday?

On Ash Wednesday, the community of faith comes face to face with two realities.  First, we confront our own mortality.  None of us lives in this life forever. Secondly, all of us are sinners and need to confess our sin to God.  These two themes (death and sin) are brought together in light of God’s redeeming love in Jesus Christ.  As the Apostle John says in 1 John 1:9b, “…(God) who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  The confession of sin on Sundays reminds us, “In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins.”  The Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) confession also included, “To those who believe in Jesus Christ he gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit.”

 

What are the ashes for?

The “ashes” of Ash Wednesday are rooted in the ancient worship of both the Jewish and Christian communities.  They are a sign of mortality and penance.  Even though we have used the imposition of ashes in our Ash Wednesday worship for many years, they still may seem new or uncomfortable to us.  What we should remember about the ashes is they are a visible sign of our cleansing and rebirth, a recognition of our daily dependence on God for life and a promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

 

Should I receive the ashes?

The ashes are not compulsory by any means.  You may choose, if you wish, to remain in your seat during the imposition of ashes.  But remember that they are a powerful way and a visible way to participate in the call to repentance and reconciliation.  If you choose to participate, come forward at the appropriate time in the liturgy with others desiring the ashes.  The pastor will did his thumb in the ashes and trace the sign of the cross on your forehead.  Afterwards, return to your seat and the liturgy will continue.

 

Pr. Thomas L. Weitzel’s excellent liturgy site is:  http://liturgybytlw.com/