In the same way that Advent marks a time of preparation for the celebration of Christmas, Lent marks a time of prayer and reflection leading to the celebration of Easter. During Lent we face the reality of our sin and our need for forgiveness and new life through Jesus Christ. The forty days of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday (see our homepage for service times) and ends the Saturday night before Easter. The Sundays during worship are celebrated as “little Easters” and not counted as a part of the forty days.
Daniel Benedict, the director of worship resources for the General Board of Discipleship for the United Methodist Church, describes the purpose of Lent in his article “Water and Ashes Do Not Mix!”
"Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. More and more congregations are including "The Imposition of Ashes" in their worship on Ash Wednesday. It makes sense to do this, given the name of the day and the service; but the truth is, many Protestant churches have held the service without the use of ashes. For many, it was seen as "too catholic." And many Protestant churches were intolerant of such symbolic gestures.
As we have moved into the post-modernism of the late twentieth century, we observe that a shift has occurred. There is growing trust and appreciation of ritual gesture and symbol in our culture. Baby boomers and baby busters who were raised in a world of television and technology are visually-oriented and sensually-oriented. Icons, like the Nike swoosh, help many people of those generations make sense of the world. Ashes on the forehead, lots of water at baptism, bread that is really bread, anointing with oil for healing, and hands raised in praise are increasingly familiar and comfortable to the people in our congregations.
Ash Wednesday is a time to begin a rich journey. The Ash Wednesday Service is a frank recognition that we are mortal people who have sinned against God and our neighbor. See The United Methodist Book of Worship, page 321. As the introduction to the service says: "Ash Wednesday emphasizes a dual encounter: we confront our own mortality and confess our sin before God within the community of faith. The form and content of the service focus on the dual themes of sin and death in the light of God's redeeming love in Jesus Christ."
The people of Bellaire United Methodist Church invite you to take this journey of faith with us as we move into the season of Lent and look toward the celebration of Easter. If you would like more information please email us at info@bellaireumc.org with your questions and we will be glad to respond.
Daniel Benedict, the director of worship resources for the General Board of Discipleship for the United Methodist Church, describes the purpose of Lent in his article “Water and Ashes Do Not Mix!”
"Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. More and more congregations are including "The Imposition of Ashes" in their worship on Ash Wednesday. It makes sense to do this, given the name of the day and the service; but the truth is, many Protestant churches have held the service without the use of ashes. For many, it was seen as "too catholic." And many Protestant churches were intolerant of such symbolic gestures.
As we have moved into the post-modernism of the late twentieth century, we observe that a shift has occurred. There is growing trust and appreciation of ritual gesture and symbol in our culture. Baby boomers and baby busters who were raised in a world of television and technology are visually-oriented and sensually-oriented. Icons, like the Nike swoosh, help many people of those generations make sense of the world. Ashes on the forehead, lots of water at baptism, bread that is really bread, anointing with oil for healing, and hands raised in praise are increasingly familiar and comfortable to the people in our congregations.
Ash Wednesday is a time to begin a rich journey. The Ash Wednesday Service is a frank recognition that we are mortal people who have sinned against God and our neighbor. See The United Methodist Book of Worship, page 321. As the introduction to the service says: "Ash Wednesday emphasizes a dual encounter: we confront our own mortality and confess our sin before God within the community of faith. The form and content of the service focus on the dual themes of sin and death in the light of God's redeeming love in Jesus Christ."
The people of Bellaire United Methodist Church invite you to take this journey of faith with us as we move into the season of Lent and look toward the celebration of Easter. If you would like more information please email us at info@bellaireumc.org with your questions and we will be glad to respond.
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