Ash Wednesday Worship Service
March 5, 2025 – 10:30am
We are RECEIVED as the Beloved of God
The actual worship service begins 15 minutes into the recordings.
WELCOME
Welcome! We are grateful that God has brought us together. If you are a first-time visitor, please email Pastor Jinwoo at pastor@saint-matthews.org.
We would love to stay in contact with you. Thank you.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Pastor: If you have days when you feel a little bit lost and a little bit found,
People: then you are in the right place.
Pastor: If you have days when you are desperate for rest and eager to grow,
People: then you are in the right place.
Pastor: If you have days when your prayers could be both shouts and silence,
People: then you are in the right place.
Pastor: God meets us here, in the messy middle of our lives.
People: So may we bring our full selves into this service and into this season.
Pastor: With God’s help, may it be so.
All: Let us worship our all-loving God.
CALL TO CONFESSION
Pastor: Lent is a season that invites us to be intentional. Lent asks us, how will you go deeper these next six weeks? How will you grow closer to God and your neighbor? What will you do to strengthen your faith? Much like Christ, Lent invites us to go deeper.
Despite our best efforts, that soul-tending work is often easier said than done. However, instead of entering this season already feeling behind, let us enter this season with honesty.
Let us enter this season aware of our hopes, and aware of the challenges. Let us enter this season wrapped in God’s grace. Join me in speaking honestly to God. Join me in receiving mercy. Let us pray:
Pastor: Jesus said, “Follow me.”
People: And I said, let me get ready.
Pastor: Jesus said, “follow me.”
People: And I said, just one minute!
Pastor: Jesus said, “Follow me.”
People: And I said, I’ll be there soon!
Pastor: The invitation is simple, but the work is hard.
All: Jesus, forgive my delay. I want to follow you. Turn my intentions into actions. Show me the way. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
Pastor: Lent asks, “How will you go deeper? How will you follow Christ?”
People: Regardless of what that journey looks like for us,
Pastor: regardless of what today, tomorrow, or the next day brings,
People: we are not alone.
Pastor: We are seen and loved by God.
People: We are held in grace.
All: Thanks be to God for a love like that. Amen.
† SONG – Together
Where He Leads Me – UM Hymnal (blue book) #338
SCRIPTURE READING
Luke 9:57-62
GOOD NEWS
Everything in Between Intention and Action
† SONG – Together
The Summons – Faith We Sing (black book) #2130
THANKSGIVING OVER 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, so that we may remember that it is only by Your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
IMPOSITION OF ASHES
BLESSING
† CALL TO MISSION
They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love (verses 1 & 3) – Faith We Sing #2223
1. We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, we are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, and we pray that all unity may one day be restored: And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love; yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
3. We will work with each other, we will work side by side, we will work with each other, we will work side by side, and we’ll guard human dignity and save human pride: And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love; yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
CLOSING SONG
Postlude