Ash Wednesday & The Holy Eucharist
Ash Wednesday
March 2, 2022
Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/
Wednesday, March 2, at 7:00 a.m. (or anytime afterward)
Ash Wednesday Worship Schedule
7:00 AM Ash Wednesday Worship with no music or Communion (no live-stream; mostly the same as below without the hymns and omitting Communion)
6:00 PM Ash Wednesday Worship with Music and Holy Communion (live-streamed as outlined below)
The Ash Wednesday Liturgy & Holy Communion
The Word of God
Hymn #574: Before Thy Throne, O God, We Kneel
[Verses 1-3]
1 Before thy throne, O God, we kneel:
give us a conscience quick to feel,
a ready mind to understand
the meaning of thy chastening hand;
whate'er the pain and shame may be,
bring us, O Father, nearer thee.
2 Search out our hearts and make us true;
help us to give to all their due.
From love of pleasure, lust of gold,
from sins which make the heart grow cold,
wean us and train us with thy rod;
teach us to know our faults, O God.
3 For sins of heedless word and deed, for pride ambitious to succeed, for crafty trade and subtle snare to catch the simple unaware, for lives bereft of purpose high, forgive, forgive, O Lord, we cry.
Words: William Boyd Carpenter, alt., Public Domain. Music: St. Petersburg, Dimitri S. Bortniansky, Public Domain. All rights reserved.
The Collect of the Day
[BCP, p. 264]
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray:
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 sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Reading from the Book of the Prophet 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?'"
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 103:8-14
[BCP, p. 733]
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
8 The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, * slow to anger and of great kindness.
9 He will not always accuse us, * nor will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, * nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, * so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, * so far has he removed our sins from us.
13 As a father cares for his children, * so does the Lord care for those who fear him.
14 For he himself knows whereof we are made; *
he remembers that we are but dust.
The People stand for the reading of the Gospel.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. Matthew (6:1-6, 16-21)
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."
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
"Slow to Anger" by The Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda
LEV #124: Give Me A Clean Heart
[Verses 1-2]
REFRAIN:
Give me a clean heart so I may serve Thee
Lord, fix my heart so that I may be used by Thee
For I'm not worthy of all these blessings
Give me a clean heart and I'll follow Thee
1 I'm not asking for the riches of the land
I'm not asking for the proud to know my name
Please give me, Lord, a clean heart, that I may follow Thee
Give me a clean heart, a clean heart and I will follow Thee
2 Sometimes I am up and sometimes I am down
Sometimes I am almost level to the ground
Please give me, Lord, a clean heart, that I may follow Thee
Give me a clean heart, a clean heart and I will follow Thee [REFRAIN]
Words: Margaret J. Douroux © 1970 Margaret Pleasant Douroux, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Music: Margaret J. Douroux, harm. Albert Dennis Tessier © 1970 Margaret Pleasant Douroux, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Reprinted with permission under ONELICENSE #83510. All rights reserved.
The Invitation to Lent
[BCP, p. 264]
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 kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer.
The Imposition of Ashes [OPTIONAL]
[BCP, p. 265]
The Episcopal Church believes that the imposition of ashes today is optional. If you are watching this worship service online and do not have access to ashes, you do not need them to worship and honor God today. But if you want ashes, you may come to either our 7:00 AM or 6:00 PM worship services in-person at St. Matthew's.
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 Christ our Savior. Amen.
The ashes are imposed [by any baptized Christian, lay or ordained] with the following words
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Psalm 51:1-18
[BCP, p. 266]
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness; *
in your great compassion blot out my offenses.
2 Wash me through and through from my wickedness *
and cleanse me from my sin
3 For I know my transgressions, *
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you only have I sinned *
and done what is evil in your sight.
5 And so you are justified when you speak *
and upright in your judgment
6 Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, *
a sinner from my mother's womb.
7 For behold, you look for truth deep within me, *
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
8 Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; *
wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
9 Make me hear of joy and gladness, *
that the body you have broken may rejoice.
10 Hide your face from my sins *
and blot out all my iniquities.
11 Create in me a clean heart, O God, *
and renew a right spirit within me.
12 Cast me not away from your presence *
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
13 Give me the joy of your saving help again *
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
14 I shall teach your ways to the wicked, *
and sinners shall return to you.
15 Deliver me from death, O God, *
and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness, O God of my salvation.
16 Open my lips, O Lord, *
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
17 Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice; *
but you take no delight in burnt-offerings.
18 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; *
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
The Litany of Penitence
[BCP, p. 267]
The Celebrant and People together, all kneeling
Most holy and merciful Father: 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.
The Celebrant continues
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.
Have mercy on us, Lord.
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.
Have mercy on us, Lord.
We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives,
We confess to you, Lord.
Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people,
We confess to you, Lord.
Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves,
We confess to you, Lord.
Our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and our dishonesty in daily life and work,
We confess to you, Lord.
Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to commend the faith that is in us,
We confess to you, Lord.
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,
Accept our repentance, Lord.
For all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors, and for our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us,
Accept our repentance, Lord.
For our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us,
Accept our repentance, Lord.
Restore us, good Lord, and let your anger depart from us;
Favorably hear us, for your mercy is great.
Accomplish in us the work of your salvation,
That we may show forth your glory in the world.
By the cross and passion of your Son our Lord,
Bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.
The Bishop, if present, or the Priest, stands and, facing the people, says
Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus 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 Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Peace
[BCP, p. 360]
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Parish Announcements
A. Ash Wednesday on 3/2/22 at 7 AM & 6 PM: Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season of preparation for Easter. This year, Ash Wednesday will be on March 2, 2022.
We will hold an in-person worship service with ashes, music, and Holy Communion at 7:00 AM. This service will also be live-streamed to our Facebook page.
There will be a short second in-person service with no music, no Communion, and no live-stream at 6:00 PM for those who prefer to attend in the evening.
The Offertory
[BCP, p. 377]
Giving to St. Matthew's: We know that many people are feeling the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. The church is feeling it too. We still need your support to pay our staff, pay our bills, and provide for these online live streams. There are several ways to give, but the simplest are these:
Mail us a check or money order at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 1401 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd, Savannah, GA 31415; OR
Make a secure online gift to St. Matthew’s and/or automate future gifts at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now; OR
Text “stmattsav” to 73256 to make a secure online donation through your phone.
NOTE: Donations made online (#2 or #3) through Realm incur a processing fee of about 2.5%. Please consider adding an additional 2.5% to your online gift to cover these costs.
“I appeal to you, sisters and brothers, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” [Romans 12:1]
Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now
Hymn #149: Eternal Lord of Love
[Verses 1-3]
1 Eternal Lord of love, behold your Church
walking once more the pilgrim way of Lent
led by your cloud by day, by night your fire
moved by your love and toward your presence bent
far off yet here -- the goal of all desire
2 So daily dying to the way of self,
so daily living to your way of love
we walk the road, lord Jesus, that you trod
knowing ourselves baptized into your death
so we are dead and live with you in God
3 If dead in you, so win you we arise
you the firstborn of all the faithful dead
and as through stony ground the green shoots break
glorious in springtime dress of lead and flower
so in the Father's glory shall we wake
Words: Thomas H. Cain © 1982 Thomas H. Cain. Music: Old 124th, Public Domain; harm. Charles Winfred Douglas © 1985, Church Publishing, Inc. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #AF20210320, #28363. All rights reserved.
Eucharistic Prayer A
[BCP, p. 361]
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him 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. …
Preface of Lent (I) [BCP, p. 379]:
Through Jesus Christ our Lord; who was tempted in every way as we are, yet did not sin. By his grace we are able to triumph over every evil, and to live no longer for ourselves alone, but for him who died for us and rose again.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
The people stand or kneel.
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 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 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 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.
The Lord’s Prayer
[BCP, p. 364]
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
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.
The Fraction Anthem
[BCP, p. 364, 407]
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world.
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world.
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world.
Grant us your peace.
Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
The Gifts of God for the people of God.
WLP #825: Bless the Lord, My Soul
[Repeat as desired]
Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God's holy name
Bless the Lord, my soul, who leads me into life
Words: Adapted from Psalm 103 by Jacques Berthier © 1991, Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications, Inc. Music: Jacques Berthier © 1991, Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications, Inc. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #00020. All rights reserved.
The Post-Communion Prayer
[Enriching our Worship 2 [2000], pp. 56-57]
Let us pray.
For In-Person Worshippers:
Faithful God,
in the wonder of your wisdom and love
you fed your people in the wilderness with the bread of angels,
and you sent Jesus to be the bread of life.
We thank you for feeding us with this bread.
May it strengthen us
that by the power of the Holy Spirit
we may embody your desire
and be renewed for your service
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
For Online Worshippers and Those Receiving Spiritual Communion:
Faithful God,
in the wonder of your wisdom and love
you fed your people in the wilderness with the bread of angels,
and you sent Jesus to be the bread of life.
Though we cannot consume now these gifts of bread [and wine],
we thank you that we have received the sacrament of Christ’s presence,
the forgiveness of sins, and all other benefits of Christ’s passion.
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
may we embody your desire
and be renewed for your service
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
The Solemn Prayer for the People
[The Book of Occasional Services 2018, p. 10-11]
Let us bow down before the Lord.
Grant, most merciful Lord, to your faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve you with a quiet mind; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Dismissal
[BCP, p. 366]
Let us bless the Lord!
Thanks be to God!
The Parish Prayer List
Prayer List: Martha Avery, Mary Bonaparte, Christine Brown, Jacqueline Bryant, Lazola Cope, Aaron Duplechien Jr., Annie Bell Greer, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, Craig Maxwell, Bette Milledge, Helen Scroggins, and Paulette Sibert
Birthdays: Annie Colbert (2/27), RaShad Taylor Jr. (2/28), Lee Grant Pearson, Sr. (3/1), and Clemontine Washington (3/1)
Wedding Anniversaries: N/A
Recent Deaths: N/A
May the souls of all the departed rest in peace; and may light perpetual shine upon them. Amen.
Note: This service is reproduced from The Book of Common Prayer 1979 (BCP), The Hymnal 1982 (Hymn), Lift Every Voice and Sing II: An African American Hymnal (LEV), African American Heritage Hymnal (AAHH), Wonder Love and Praise (WLP), and other sources cited. The Scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.
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