Welcome Trinity Family and Friends!

On Ash Wednesday we begin our forty-day journey toward Easter with a day of fasting and repentance. Marking our foreheads with dust, we acknowledge that we die and return to the earth. At the same time, the dust traces the life-giving cross indelibly marked on our foreheads at baptism. While we journey through Lent to return to God, we have already been reconciled to God through Christ. We humbly pray for God to make our hearts clean while we rejoice that “now is the day of salvation.” Returning to our baptismal call, we more intentionally bear the fruits of mercy and justice in the world.

Kindly note: The periods of silence before, during, and after the service are meant

to encourage meditation. You may wish to read through some of the prayers and

psalms in the Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Psalm 51, Psalm 63, and Psalm 71,

are especially appropriate.

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Hymns:

Hymn of the Day: “Savior, When in Dust to You” ELW #601

Text: Robert Grant, 1779-1838, alt

Imposition of Ashes: “Ashes” Tom Conry

Anthem: “Where Your Treasure Is” Haugen Choir

Offertory: “On My Heart Imprint Your Image” ELW #811

Text: Thomas H. Kingo, 1634-1703; tr. Peer O. Strömme, 1856-1921, alt.

Communion Anthem: “Come to the Mountain” Tunseth Choir

Sending Hymn: “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling” ELW #608

Text: Will L. Thompson, 1847-1909

Readings:

First Lesson: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

The book of Joel is a sermon in the context of natural disaster. A plague of locusts have decimated the

crops, raising the specter of famine to come. Since God is the ruler of nature as well as history, the

response to this wonder is fervent prayer and renewed commitment.

Psalm 51:1-17

This is the greatest of the penitential psalms. Tradition has it that it was composed by David in

repentance for his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband Uriah.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10

Paul’s opponents in Corinth emphasized their ability and power. Paul, however, boasts only of his

similarities to the crucified Christ, whose ambassador he is. The quote in 6:2 is from Isaiah 49, in

which God not only rescues Israel from exile, but sends the rescued out with the Good News to the

whole world.

Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

The Sermon on the Mount begins with Jesus’s affirmation that his followers are blessed; they are the

salt of the earth and the light of the world. He goes on to make the 10 Commandments even more

radical than they seem. This passage immediately follows, and includes disciplines which the church

has traditionally emphasized in Lent.

Hypocrites in Good Company

Critics of Christianity often point out that Christians are hypocrites. Christians publicly

espouse a certain set of rules for living—including care for creation, serving God and

neighbors in need, and loving our enemies—and, just as publicly, fail to live up to those

rules every day and in every way. Pastor Tony Campolo often tells the story of people who

say they don’t want to go to church because of all the hypocrites. He reassures them that

they should feel right at home. Church is for real people, and real people fail to do and say

the right things—real people are hypocrites. Campolo argues that the Christian ideal is to

know you’re a hypocrite and earnestly work at being less hypocritical. All the same, we

don’t want to be hypocrites or show-offs. We question the motives behind our public and

private spiritual practices; we question our neighbors’ motives too. In today’s gospel we

hear about fasting cheerfully and praying in secret. And yet, as we leave the church

building we bear a public and very noticeable sign of faith right on our foreheads. Lent

begins with a bold, visible, unmistakable reminder of who we are: simultaneously mortal

dust and baptized children of God. Simultaneously saint and sinner. Simultaneously

hypocrites and earnest, hopeful Christians.

Liturgy reprinted from “Evangelical Lutheran Worship”, copyright 2006 Augsburg Fortress, used by permission of license #SBT004670 and One License A-709549; Prayers are from “Sundays & Seasons”, copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress. Introductions to the readings are written by The Rev. Mark Oldenburg, Ph.D., Steck-Miller Professor Emeritus of the Art of Worship, United Lutheran Seminary.

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