The Journey to Easter The Journey to Easter begins with Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday and marks the beginning of the season of Lent.
Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday emphasizes two themes: our sinfulness before God and our human mortality helping us to realize that both have been triumphed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. During some Ash Wednesday services, the minister will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads of worshipers. The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history in Jewish and Christian worship. Historically, ashes signified purification and sorrow for sins. As a church, we will observe Ash Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at 7:00 P.M. here at the Smithfield High School, Smithfield, VA. All of our members are encouraged to attend. Verses to Reflect on for Ash Wednesday • Our Creation (Genesis 2:7) Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. • Our Curse (Genesis 3:19) By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” • Our Cry of Repentance (Psalm 51:7- 10) Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
A Prayer for Ash Wednesday Lord, Holy One, have mercy on us. We confess our sins to you. We have fallen short of your glory and without your mercy and grace, we would be dust. We repent now. Lord, as we enter into this Lenten season, be near to us. Help us, by your Holy Spirit, to feel right conviction and repentance for our sin. Help us, by your Spirit, to have the strength to overcome the enemy. Thank you, Lord, that Easter is coming! Death has no sting, no victory, because of Jesus! Glory and honor and praise to His name! Thank you for rescuing us. Help us keep both the weight and the joy of this season in our hearts as we move through the next several weeks. Help us bear the good fruit of your Spirit. Thank you that the ashes on our forehead do not symbolize our ultimate reality. From dust we might have been formed, but our bodies, our spirits, ourselves, await beautiful redemption and the restoration of all things. Help us long and look forward to that day, and let it come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Lent Lent is a season of forty days, not counting, ending on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means "spring." The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others. Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter" and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered
with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection. During this season of Lent, I am encouraging members to give up something and to give something keeping the following in mind: 1. We don’t give things up because we think they are necessarily bad or immoral. 2. We don’t practice Lent to earn anything from God. 3. We don’t practice Lent out of obligation or duty. 4. We practice Lent to enter into the sufferings of Christ. 5. We practice Lent because it reveals our idolatry and helps us to repent. 6. We practice Lent in order to rid ourselves of distractions and focus on the Real. 7. We practice Lent to prepare for Easter. What should you give or give up for Lent? Pray about what you will give or give up for lent. Prayerfully consider bringing a food item as indicated each week to replenish our food store. You may also consider giving a monetary donation towards food items to be placed in the food store. What is Holy Week? Holy Week is the week between Palm Sunday and Easter, observed with special solemnity as a time of devotion to the Passion of Jesus Christ. Plan to attend Holy Week Services with our Sister Churches, Miracle Temple and New Mount Olive Baptist Church. Holy Week 2019 is in April. Keep an eye out for information regarding our Holy Week services.
oanoke Avenue 5405 Roanoke Avenue, Newport News News, VA 23065 (757) 244-8833- Office | (757) 247-0037- Fax www.gethsemanebaptist.org | www.gbcsouth.org Rev. Dr. Dwight Riddick, Senior Pastor