On this holy day we will begin the penitential season of Lent. As we worship, we are reminded of our sin, sin that we are far too comfortable with. So along with our normal Ash Wednesday service including the Lord's Supper and the imposition of ashes, we are inviting you to join in a time of preparation beforehand.
As God's people in biblical times would mourn for their sin in sackcloth & fasting, so we invite you to take some time to break out of the comfort of our day to day life. On Sunday February 15 we will have strips of sackcloth available for you to wear on your person however you see fit. Along with this (or instead of this), we invite you to join in a 24 fast starting after supper on Tuesday night. Our fast will thus be broken with the Lord's Supper on Wednesday. This is, in itself, an act of worship, emphasizing our dependence on God.
A disclaimer: if either of these exercises are unsafe or put you in some level of medical risk, please refrain. If you would like some tips on how to do such a fast, please feel free to ask Pastor, as he has several pointers to assist in the process.
We also want to emphasize that these are an entirely voluntary and, in many ways, very personal actions. They were used in biblical times as acts of contrition (showing remorse or regret for sin) that reminded the doer of their dependence on God.
Also, to up the challenge and to better cling to Jesus’ teachings on fasting (Matthew 6:16-18), let us do these actions of faith in secret. Let our boasting on this sacred day be not in our own piety, but on Jesus who takes away our sin. Christ and his removal of the sin that we are too comfortable with is our focus on this special day.
So please come and join us at either 12:15pm or 6:30pm on Ash Wednesday as we worship our loving God. There will still be an Alfredo bar meal provided starting at 5:30pm for those who are not participating in the fast. We look forward to worshiping with you!
Also check out other Contests in Salina.
