🎼🎶 Sunday’s palms are Wednesday’s ashes as another Lent begins; Thus we kneel before the Maker in contrition for our sins.We have marred baptismal pledges, in rebellion gone astray;Now returning, seek forgiveness; grant us pardon, God, this day! 🎼🎶
As we begin the holy season of Lent, Rev. Jenny Smith Walz will lead a Virtual Ash Wednesday service this evening on Facebook Livestream and our website. Lent is a season of reflection, repentance, forgiveness, and healing and a time to show more love for our brothers and sisters. Our Virtual Quartet featuring Jenni Collins, Leslie Levey, Stephen Offer, and Jeff Ransom will perform “Create In Me A Clean Heart” by Carl Mueller. We will sing the hymn 
“Sunday’s Palms Are Wednesday’s Ashes As Another Lent Begins.” Our other songs are “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”and “When We Are Living (Somos Del Senor)”in English and Spanish. Music Director Hyosang Park will play “The King of Love My Shepherd Is” and “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need.” The music and hymns relate to our scripture passage Isaiah 58:5-14 and correspond to Pastor Jenny’s Meditation. This year, we are doing Ash Wednesday differently. We mix our own ashes at home and make the sign of the cross on our forehead. Here is a video tutorial from Pastor Jenny with tips about making a ‘just-right’ ash mixture. You can also come to the church today, between 9am and 6pm, for quiet prayer and self imposition of ashes.
One of my favorite hymns, “Sunday’s Palms Are Wednesday’s Ashes,” by British-
born hymn-writer Rae E. Whitney sets the tone for the holy season of Lent. Whitney reminds us that the Palm Sunday processional palms that signal the beginning of Holy Week are saved and burned for the next Ash Wednesday. These charred palms are imprinted as a cross on our forehead as a witness to our faith. The hymn refers to our failure to keep our baptismal vows and is asking God for forgiveness. It also talks about our inability to love our neighbor and thus asking God to create a pure heart in us.
Are you sick, struggling with sin, exhausted, anxious about anything? Come worship with us, and you will find healing, forgiveness, rest, and peace here at PUMC. If you feel broken, remember, God loves you regardless of how you feel. Let us, therefore, lift our voices together in song to our God and King.
Click here to join us as we share in songs, prayer, music, scripture, and listen to Pastor Jenny’s Meditation.
[Images Source: Google Images]
Written by Isabella Dougan