Wandering Heart: Liturgy for Ash Wednesday
This is a simple service for Ash Wednesday based on our Wandering Heart theme for Lent. You are free to adapt the following worship outline to fit your community. Please use the following credit line for this service: “Liturgy by Rev. Anna Strickland | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org.”
Art for Ash Wednesday
The following images are available to be licensed for use as bulletin covers or for visio divina. Find our full image licensing library here.
ABOUT THIS LITURGY OUTLINE:
Italicized lines are notes for worship leaders.
Unitalicized lines are to be spoken by worship leaders.
PRELUDE
WELCOME
Use this time to welcome your worshipers to the space and share anything important to know about the service. You might also choose to share the history and purpose of Ash Wednesday.
OPENING MEDITATION
Choose a poem to open your time together, such as one of the poems included in the Wandering Heart poetry collection. Alternatively, you might choose to say the following and allow for a moment of silent reflection:
As we begin the season of Lent, let us turn inward and tune our hearts. Before an orchestra plays together, they must all tune their instruments—the cacophony of this process may be very loud and create lots of dissonance, but it’s a necessary step in the process of creating harmonies and melodies. And so, this Lent, how can you tune the instrument of your heart so that it aligns with God?
OPENING HYMN
Suggestions include:
“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by Robert Robinson
"Wash Me in Mercy, God of Love" by Stephen M. Fearing
“Sing Out! We're Made of Common Dust” by Carolyn Winfrey Gilette
“Take My Life, and Let It Be” by Frances R. Havergal
“Bless Now, O God, the Journey” by Sylvia G. Dunstan
SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 51:1-17
REFLECTION
During this time, choose one or more of the following options:
Read a poem, such as one of the poems included in the Wandering Heart poetry collection. You might allow for additional silent reflection after, or you may choose to read it through multiple times in the style of lectio divina.
Practice visio divina using a piece of art that speaks to the theme. You might browse our image licensing library for options. Click here for a guide to practicing visio divina.
Provide time for journaling. For prompts, you might consider the questions on the Wandering Heart daily devotional cards.
Make time for worshipers to engage one another in conversation. For prompts, you might consider the questions on the Wandering Heart daily devotional cards.
Allow for a time of silent prayer and meditation in the style of Taizé.
Deliver a short homily.
IMPOSITION OF ASHES
Invite worshipers to come forward and receive ashes on their forehead or offered hand. You might use the following phrasing:
Lent is a time for us to return to our Creator who formed us from the dust of the earth. Our lives are finite, so we want to spend every precious moment in tune with God, living whole, abundant lives—the kind of lives we were created to lead. And so in recognition of our origins in the earth, in acknowledgment of our finite days, we come to receive ashes and remember: dust we are, and to dust we shall return.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Holy Creator, you fashioned us from the dust and called us good, so very good. Your fingerprints remain all over us. Don’t let us forget that we come from the earth, we will return to the earth, and every day in between is a gift from you. Gifts aren’t meant to be encased in glass boxes and set high on a shelf, lest they show any signs of use. No, you gave us this life in the hopes that we would live it fully, using it up and letting it develop signs of wear and tear, a marvelous patina that proves we have lived.
But some days we’d rather be safe and sound, where nothing can touch us. It’s a beautiful life, but the living can be so hard, God. All along our journeys we get scraped knees, hurt feelings, missteps, mistakes, unexpected diagnoses, broken hearts, painful endings, and phone calls that change our lives in an instant. [You might add difficult situations your community is facing to this list.]
As the paths of our lives wander through hills and valleys, as we get caught in the rain and the soles of our shoes wear down, tune our hearts to hear your voice everywhere. If we listen closely, we can hear it now. It’s in uncontrollable giggles, birdsong at the window, the sizzle of a homemade meal on the stove, and melodies buried deep in our souls. [You might add your community’s sources of joy to this list.]
Yes, indeed, it’s a beautiful life. Not because it’s perfect, but because it’s real. Journey with us, accompanying us as the path winds. Lift our heads to witness the majesty tucked around every detour. If we look closely, we might see your fingerprints. And if we listen deeply, we just might hear your voice calling us good, so very good. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN
Suggestions include:
“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by Robert Robinson
"Wash Me in Mercy, God of Love" by Stephen M. Fearing
“Sing Out! We're Made of Common Dust” by Carolyn Winfrey Gilette
“Take My Life, and Let It Be” by Frances R. Havergal
“Bless Now, O God, the Journey” by Sylvia G. Dunstan
BENEDICTION
Note: This is the benediction included in the Wandering Heart Words for Worship resource.
Beloved wanderer,
as you leave this place,
may you carry your curious heart on your sleeve.
May you look for God in every face.
May you find the courage to get out of the boat,
to run to the tomb,
and to speak of your faith.
And when the world falls apart,
may you hear God’s voice deep within,
saying, “Take heart, it is I, be not afraid.”
You are called.
You are blessed.
In both your ups and your downs,
you always belong to God.
Go now in peace.
Go trusting that good news.
Amen.
POSTLUDE
REV. ANNA STRICKLAND
Operations Support & Content Creation
Rev. Anna Strickland (she/her) looks for the Divine in the everyday like treasure in clay jars and first encountered God in the integration of her spiritual self and artistic self. She is a native Austinite and graduated from the University of Texas where she now works in college ministry, especially serving LGBTQ students.