Lent looms. Ash Wednesday — the beginning of our annual forty day journey to Easter — falls on March 1st this year. And so it’s not too soon to mark your calendar and plan to be with us at All Saints Church for one of our four Ash Wednesday services.
Holy Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes:
7:00 a.m. in the Chapel
12:10 p.m. in the Church
6:00 p.m. in the Chapel (Spanish service with music by the 1pm Ensemble)
7:30 p.m. in the Church (Canterbury Choir offers music.)
And as Lent looms and we plan ahead to Ash Wednesday 2017, here’s a reminder from the wonderful Walter Brueggemann that indeed all our Wednesdays are marked by ashes … and all our days with prayers that God might “Easter us” that we may be fearless for the truth.
Marked by Ashes
by Walter Brueggemann
Ruler of the Night, Guarantor of the day . . .
This day — a gift from you.
This day — like none other you have ever given, or we have ever received.
This Wednesday dazzles us with gift and newness and possibility.
This Wednesday burdens us with the tasks of the day, for we are already halfway home
halfway back to committees and memos,
halfway back to calls and appointments,
halfway on to next Sunday,
halfway back, half frazzled, half expectant,
half turned toward you, half rather not.
This Wednesday is a long way from Ash Wednesday,
but all our Wednesdays are marked by ashes —
we begin this day with that taste of ash in our mouth:
of failed hope and broken promises,
of forgotten children and frightened women,
we ourselves are ashes to ashes, dust to dust;
we can taste our mortality as we roll the ash around on our tongues.
We are able to ponder our ashness with
some confidence, only because our every Wednesday of ashes
anticipates your Easter victory over that dry, flaky taste of death.
On this Wednesday, we submit our ashen way to you —
you Easter parade of newness.
Before the sun sets, take our Wednesday and Easter us,
Easter us to joy and energy and courage and freedom;
Easter us that we may be fearless for your truth.
Come here and Easter our Wednesday with
mercy and justice and peace and generosity.
We pray as we wait for the Risen One who comes soon.
