Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday 2025 “Beauty”
Prelude
Cynthia Hibbitts
Welcome
Rev. David Petty
OVER THE THRESHOLD
Rev. David Petty: Author, John O’Donohue, said this in his book, Beauty: The invisible Embrace, “We live between the act of awakening and the act of surrender. Each morning we awaken to the light and the invitation to a new day in the world of time; each night we surrender to the dark to be taken to play in the world of dreams where time is no more. At birth we are awakened and emerged to become visible in the world. At death we will surrender again to the dark to become invisible. Awakening and surrender: they frame each day and each life; between them is the journey where anything can happen, the beauty and the frailty.”
Hymn
Open My Eyes, That I May See
UMH #454 v.1
Open my eyes
that I may see
glimpses of truth
thou hast for me.
Place in my hands
the wonderful key
that shall unclasp
and set me free.
Silently now
I wait for thee,
ready, my God,
thy will to see.
Open my eyes,
illumine me,
Spirit divine!
CLM Twinkle Gordon: We begin this day on the journey of Lent. Lent is a time to pay attention. It is historically a time of heightened spiritual practices in the lives of Christians. We make more room for contemplation, more room for prayer, more room for study. This year, we will make more room for awe. We will become “purveyors of awe”–those who promote and dispense a precious good. We will discover that awe is indeed a precious good in the world, and we will seek to bring more of its elements alive in us, and in our community: Beauty, Wonder, Meaning, Curiosity, Delight, Connection, and Self-Giving.
Hymn
Open the Eyes of My Heart
Worship and Song #3008
(first 7 measures)
Open the eyes
of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes
of my heart,
I want to see you
I want to see you
Pastor Donnie Sturgill: We begin in our Ash Wednesday service by remembering the beauty of life. Beauty is complex. We call something “achingly beautiful” when it creates a pathos within us–a sense of something so precious that we want it to last forever–from the plump cheeks of a newborn to the wrinkled face of an elder. But alas, we are all mortal and not meant to exist in this bodily form forever. We were made from dust, and to dust we shall return. We open ourselves to the awe that is the beauty of life in between the first and last breath. Let us rise in body and/or spirit and pray:
People: Awe-inspiring God, we come together this day because we need to be reminded
to see through the lens of beauty. Too often, we admire a standard of beauty that leaves too much out of its definition, forgetting that life and its imperfections are inherently beautiful simply because it exists. Open us to perceive anew. Inspire us to receive our surroundings with awe. Forgive us when we move through our lives and do not notice your handiwork in all things, all people. Be with us on this journey as we seek again to marvel at your works.
Hymn
Open My Eyes, That I May See
Refrain UMH #454
Silently now
I wait for thee,
ready, my God,
thy will to see.
Open my eyes,
illumine me,
Spirit divine!
Pastor Donnie Sturgill: All of the cosmos was created and called good. You are a part of this mystery of life. God forgives us. Jesus embraces us. The Spirit enlivens us. We are whole. With awe, we accept this belovedness. And all God’s people say,
People: Amen.
In Awe of Music
Solo
How Beautiful
Words and Music by Twila Paris Arranged by Lloyd Larson
Kristina Kafka
Contemporary Reading
Rev. David Petty: During this Lent, we will be hearing from biblical poets, mystics, and also modern researchers who are helping us know more about the phenomenon of awe and its effect on our lives–especially our spiritual lives. Our first readings each week are contemporary ones–today an excerpt from the Greater Good podcast about the work of psychologist Rene Proyer:
“On the way to work… look out of the window. Is there a tree that you haven't noticed before that blooms beautifully at this time? When we naturally notice and appreciate the beauty around us, it can lead to all kinds of different benefits. Studies show it can make us feel more satisfied in life, have a stronger sense of meaning, and act with more kindness towards others and the environment.”
Ancient Reading
Excerpts from Job 33 and Psalm 27
CLM Twinkle Gordon
Reader: Biblical poets wrote eloquently about the pain and joy of life. So much of the poetry exudes an awe with regard to life and their Maker and the deep desire for a closer relationship with God. Hear now excerpts from Job 33 and Psalm 27.
Now I will open my mouth;
my tongue and lips will form words.
And those words will come from an upright heart,
and my lips will speak about what I know to be true.
The Spirit of God is what made me;
the breath of Shaddai gives me life.
One thing I ask of you, YHWH,
one thing I seek:
that I may dwell in your house all the days of my life,
to gaze on your beauty
and to meditate in your Temple.
Hymn
Without Seeing You
TFWS #2206
WORDS: David Haas (Ps. 23:1-2; 1 Pet. 1:8)MUSIC: David Haas
© 1993 GIA Publications, Inc.
Refrain
Without seeing You,
we love You;
without touching You,
we embrace;
without knowing You,
we follow;
without seeing You,
we believe.
1. We return to You
deep within,
leave the past
to the dust;
turn to You
with tears and fasting;
You are ready to forgive.
Refrain
Without seeing you,
we love you;
without touching you,
we embrace;
without knowing you,
we follow;
without seeing you,
we believe.
2. The sparrow will
find a home,
near to You, O God;
how happy,
we who dwell with You,
forever in Your house.
Refrain
Without seeing you,
we love you;
without touching you,
we embrace;
without knowing you,
we follow;
without seeing you,
we believe.
3. Forever we sing
to You of Your
goodness, O God;
proclaiming to
all the world
of Your faithfulness
and love.
Refrain
Without seeing you,
we love you;
without touching you,
we embrace;
without knowing you,
we follow;
without seeing you,
we believe.
4. For You are
our shepherd,
there is nothing
that we need;
in green pastures
we will find our rest,
near the waters of peace.
Refrain
Without seeing you,
we love you;
without touching you,
we embrace;
without knowing you,
we follow;
without seeing you,
we believe.
In Awe of the Word
Sermon
Pastor Donnie Sturgill
Approaching an Awesome God
Slide Show
Prayer
Rev. David Petty: Holy and Living God, we approach this moment with awe at the beauty of life.
The passage of time is etched on every face. The beauty of infancy, so fresh from your creative hand, pulls at our hearts and we feel the hope of the future. The wrinkled corners of eyes that have witnessed so many years proclaim the beauty of lived experience. And all the beauty of every age, no matter what age, makes us pause in awe of the story of being alive. Each moment is precious.
God of all life, of our ancestors and of those yet to come after us, hear our prayers this day. We come to receive the reminder upon our foreheads of the dust from which we came and the dust to which we shall return. Help us to come with humble hearts, for this is beautiful in your sight. We do not always act in ways that align with beauty. We squander opportunities to bring more beauty and awe into this world, and instead we choose fear and destruction of love. We sometimes choose complacency over action, comfort over self-giving, privilege over justice. Turn us around into the journey of discipleship in Jesus Christ.
People: Amen.
Pastor Donnie Sturgill: Friends, it is time to receive the ashes as is our custom…I want to add one thing to this ritual this year. After you have received ashes, I invite you to move around our worship space–perhaps to a spot you rarely find yourself in. You are invited to come up into the chancel if you wish, closer to the altar. If the windows are drawing you, go there. If a particular candle or even a different place in the pews is calling to you, go there. And engage in a ritual of deep looking. What do you find in this moment that is precious and beautiful in a way you never noticed before? Let this be the beginning of a practice of heightened attention in this season. Let us turn up the awe, beginning with noticing with deeper intention the beauty around us in this moment. We will take our time, and when we begin to pray the Lord’s Prayer, you will know it is time to return to your seats.
Let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us…
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.
Lead us not
into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom,
and the Power
and the Glory forever.
Amen
Setting Our Awe Intentions
Rev. David Petty: You are invited to practices of awe this season. The first could be the “Nine Beautiful Things” practice. Take 15 minutes at the end of each day (or as many days as you can), and write about nine things you saw in the day that were beautiful: three about people, three about nature, and three beautiful things in general.
Let us pray over our Lent journey intentions:
People: Give us lenses of awe, God, with which to perceive and love others as you perceive and love us. Give us lenses of awe, God, with which to perceive and love your creation as you perceive and love it. Give us lenses of awe, God, with which to perceive and love life as you perceive and love the life you have given us. Slow us down in this season of Lent so that we might savor anew this gift of life. We pause in this silence, setting intentions of awe for this season of Lent.
We pray in your holy names, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. Amen.
Closing Hymn
For the Beauty of the Earth
v. 1-4, 6 UMH # 92
WORDS: Folliot S. Pierpoint, 1864
1. For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love
which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
2. For the beauty
of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and
tree and flower,
sun and moon, and
stars of light;
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
3. For the joy of
ear and eye,
for the heart
and mind’s delight,
for the mystic harmony
linking sense
to sound and sight;
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
4. For the joy of human love,
brother, sister,
parent, child,
friends on earth and
friends above,
for all gentle thoughts
and mild;
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
6. For thyself,
best Gift Divine,
to the world so freely given,
for that great, great
love of thine,
peace on earth,
and joy in heaven:
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
We Go Forth with Awe
Benediction
Pastor Donnie Sturgill: Benedictions are blessings. And blessings are all around us. So for this season, instead of bowing your head as I offer a Benediction blessing, I invite you to open your palms in a position of receiving, and hold your head high, imagining a radiant stream of light from above shining upon you and everything else around you. And until we meet again, when you need to be reminded of the beauty of this life, take this stance again. Open your palms to receive, look around to perceive, and notice one small thing that can light up your heart for a moment. May the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of Awe, the Holy One-in-Three, be with you now and throughout these days, Amen.
Postlude
Cynthia Hibbetts
Prelude
Cynthia Hibbitts
Welcome
Rev. David Petty
OVER THE THRESHOLD
Rev. David Petty: Author, John O’Donohue, said this in his book, Beauty: The invisible Embrace, “We live between the act of awakening and the act of surrender. Each morning we awaken to the light and the invitation to a new day in the world of time; each night we surrender to the dark to be taken to play in the world of dreams where time is no more. At birth we are awakened and emerged to become visible in the world. At death we will surrender again to the dark to become invisible. Awakening and surrender: they frame each day and each life; between them is the journey where anything can happen, the beauty and the frailty.”
Hymn
Open My Eyes, That I May See
UMH #454 v.1
Open my eyes
that I may see
glimpses of truth
thou hast for me.
Place in my hands
the wonderful key
that shall unclasp
and set me free.
Silently now
I wait for thee,
ready, my God,
thy will to see.
Open my eyes,
illumine me,
Spirit divine!
CLM Twinkle Gordon: We begin this day on the journey of Lent. Lent is a time to pay attention. It is historically a time of heightened spiritual practices in the lives of Christians. We make more room for contemplation, more room for prayer, more room for study. This year, we will make more room for awe. We will become “purveyors of awe”–those who promote and dispense a precious good. We will discover that awe is indeed a precious good in the world, and we will seek to bring more of its elements alive in us, and in our community: Beauty, Wonder, Meaning, Curiosity, Delight, Connection, and Self-Giving.
Hymn
Open the Eyes of My Heart
Worship and Song #3008
(first 7 measures)
Open the eyes
of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes
of my heart,
I want to see you
I want to see you
Pastor Donnie Sturgill: We begin in our Ash Wednesday service by remembering the beauty of life. Beauty is complex. We call something “achingly beautiful” when it creates a pathos within us–a sense of something so precious that we want it to last forever–from the plump cheeks of a newborn to the wrinkled face of an elder. But alas, we are all mortal and not meant to exist in this bodily form forever. We were made from dust, and to dust we shall return. We open ourselves to the awe that is the beauty of life in between the first and last breath. Let us rise in body and/or spirit and pray:
People: Awe-inspiring God, we come together this day because we need to be reminded
to see through the lens of beauty. Too often, we admire a standard of beauty that leaves too much out of its definition, forgetting that life and its imperfections are inherently beautiful simply because it exists. Open us to perceive anew. Inspire us to receive our surroundings with awe. Forgive us when we move through our lives and do not notice your handiwork in all things, all people. Be with us on this journey as we seek again to marvel at your works.
Hymn
Open My Eyes, That I May See
Refrain UMH #454
Silently now
I wait for thee,
ready, my God,
thy will to see.
Open my eyes,
illumine me,
Spirit divine!
Pastor Donnie Sturgill: All of the cosmos was created and called good. You are a part of this mystery of life. God forgives us. Jesus embraces us. The Spirit enlivens us. We are whole. With awe, we accept this belovedness. And all God’s people say,
People: Amen.
In Awe of Music
Solo
How Beautiful
Words and Music by Twila Paris Arranged by Lloyd Larson
Kristina Kafka
Contemporary Reading
Rev. David Petty: During this Lent, we will be hearing from biblical poets, mystics, and also modern researchers who are helping us know more about the phenomenon of awe and its effect on our lives–especially our spiritual lives. Our first readings each week are contemporary ones–today an excerpt from the Greater Good podcast about the work of psychologist Rene Proyer:
“On the way to work… look out of the window. Is there a tree that you haven't noticed before that blooms beautifully at this time? When we naturally notice and appreciate the beauty around us, it can lead to all kinds of different benefits. Studies show it can make us feel more satisfied in life, have a stronger sense of meaning, and act with more kindness towards others and the environment.”
Ancient Reading
Excerpts from Job 33 and Psalm 27
CLM Twinkle Gordon
Reader: Biblical poets wrote eloquently about the pain and joy of life. So much of the poetry exudes an awe with regard to life and their Maker and the deep desire for a closer relationship with God. Hear now excerpts from Job 33 and Psalm 27.
Now I will open my mouth;
my tongue and lips will form words.
And those words will come from an upright heart,
and my lips will speak about what I know to be true.
The Spirit of God is what made me;
the breath of Shaddai gives me life.
One thing I ask of you, YHWH,
one thing I seek:
that I may dwell in your house all the days of my life,
to gaze on your beauty
and to meditate in your Temple.
Hymn
Without Seeing You
TFWS #2206
WORDS: David Haas (Ps. 23:1-2; 1 Pet. 1:8)MUSIC: David Haas
© 1993 GIA Publications, Inc.
Refrain
Without seeing You,
we love You;
without touching You,
we embrace;
without knowing You,
we follow;
without seeing You,
we believe.
1. We return to You
deep within,
leave the past
to the dust;
turn to You
with tears and fasting;
You are ready to forgive.
Refrain
Without seeing you,
we love you;
without touching you,
we embrace;
without knowing you,
we follow;
without seeing you,
we believe.
2. The sparrow will
find a home,
near to You, O God;
how happy,
we who dwell with You,
forever in Your house.
Refrain
Without seeing you,
we love you;
without touching you,
we embrace;
without knowing you,
we follow;
without seeing you,
we believe.
3. Forever we sing
to You of Your
goodness, O God;
proclaiming to
all the world
of Your faithfulness
and love.
Refrain
Without seeing you,
we love you;
without touching you,
we embrace;
without knowing you,
we follow;
without seeing you,
we believe.
4. For You are
our shepherd,
there is nothing
that we need;
in green pastures
we will find our rest,
near the waters of peace.
Refrain
Without seeing you,
we love you;
without touching you,
we embrace;
without knowing you,
we follow;
without seeing you,
we believe.
In Awe of the Word
Sermon
Pastor Donnie Sturgill
Approaching an Awesome God
Slide Show
Prayer
Rev. David Petty: Holy and Living God, we approach this moment with awe at the beauty of life.
The passage of time is etched on every face. The beauty of infancy, so fresh from your creative hand, pulls at our hearts and we feel the hope of the future. The wrinkled corners of eyes that have witnessed so many years proclaim the beauty of lived experience. And all the beauty of every age, no matter what age, makes us pause in awe of the story of being alive. Each moment is precious.
God of all life, of our ancestors and of those yet to come after us, hear our prayers this day. We come to receive the reminder upon our foreheads of the dust from which we came and the dust to which we shall return. Help us to come with humble hearts, for this is beautiful in your sight. We do not always act in ways that align with beauty. We squander opportunities to bring more beauty and awe into this world, and instead we choose fear and destruction of love. We sometimes choose complacency over action, comfort over self-giving, privilege over justice. Turn us around into the journey of discipleship in Jesus Christ.
People: Amen.
Pastor Donnie Sturgill: Friends, it is time to receive the ashes as is our custom…I want to add one thing to this ritual this year. After you have received ashes, I invite you to move around our worship space–perhaps to a spot you rarely find yourself in. You are invited to come up into the chancel if you wish, closer to the altar. If the windows are drawing you, go there. If a particular candle or even a different place in the pews is calling to you, go there. And engage in a ritual of deep looking. What do you find in this moment that is precious and beautiful in a way you never noticed before? Let this be the beginning of a practice of heightened attention in this season. Let us turn up the awe, beginning with noticing with deeper intention the beauty around us in this moment. We will take our time, and when we begin to pray the Lord’s Prayer, you will know it is time to return to your seats.
Let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us…
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.
Lead us not
into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom,
and the Power
and the Glory forever.
Amen
Setting Our Awe Intentions
Rev. David Petty: You are invited to practices of awe this season. The first could be the “Nine Beautiful Things” practice. Take 15 minutes at the end of each day (or as many days as you can), and write about nine things you saw in the day that were beautiful: three about people, three about nature, and three beautiful things in general.
Let us pray over our Lent journey intentions:
People: Give us lenses of awe, God, with which to perceive and love others as you perceive and love us. Give us lenses of awe, God, with which to perceive and love your creation as you perceive and love it. Give us lenses of awe, God, with which to perceive and love life as you perceive and love the life you have given us. Slow us down in this season of Lent so that we might savor anew this gift of life. We pause in this silence, setting intentions of awe for this season of Lent.
We pray in your holy names, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. Amen.
Closing Hymn
For the Beauty of the Earth
v. 1-4, 6 UMH # 92
WORDS: Folliot S. Pierpoint, 1864
1. For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love
which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
2. For the beauty
of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and
tree and flower,
sun and moon, and
stars of light;
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
3. For the joy of
ear and eye,
for the heart
and mind’s delight,
for the mystic harmony
linking sense
to sound and sight;
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
4. For the joy of human love,
brother, sister,
parent, child,
friends on earth and
friends above,
for all gentle thoughts
and mild;
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
6. For thyself,
best Gift Divine,
to the world so freely given,
for that great, great
love of thine,
peace on earth,
and joy in heaven:
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
We Go Forth with Awe
Benediction
Pastor Donnie Sturgill: Benedictions are blessings. And blessings are all around us. So for this season, instead of bowing your head as I offer a Benediction blessing, I invite you to open your palms in a position of receiving, and hold your head high, imagining a radiant stream of light from above shining upon you and everything else around you. And until we meet again, when you need to be reminded of the beauty of this life, take this stance again. Open your palms to receive, look around to perceive, and notice one small thing that can light up your heart for a moment. May the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of Awe, the Holy One-in-Three, be with you now and throughout these days, Amen.
Postlude
Cynthia Hibbetts
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