Ash Wednesday - what if?

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What if we re-thought what Lent worship might be like?
If we kept the focus on the cross, on what Jesus has done for us, but asked for creative ways to express this.

This is our creative Lent. It's been collaborative - Ash Wednesday has been primarily my work, but after that our Youth Director will be doing the messages, others have contributed ideas for music, for art projects, others will be doing technical stuff, skits, etc.

Here is the outline for Ash Wednesday
Prelude - (yes, it's organ music. Not to startle people too fast, it fits with the notion - you are in church)
Introduction (a small explanation of what may be happening)
Opening Prayer
Lord of mercy and hope, be with us in this time. Help us look inward, seeking to right those things that are wrong; desiring to be your disciples. Open our hearts to you and help us grow in your grace and peace. We ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.

“Our Father We have Wandered” ELW 606 (if you don't know this it's the prodigal son's yearning set to the tune of 'O Sacred Head' - again fits the notion of church, but also the heart-feeling of the evening - repentance, return to the Lord.)

Skit - why Ash Wednesday follows Mardi Gras.
Joel 2:12-17 (The Message)
Change Your Life

Message What masks do we wear? - each week has a question. (I may use part of Zooropaby U2)
The Gospel lessons are part of the sermon - and these are not the usual Ash Wednesday lessons - I didn't want to go to that place of 'doing the right thing' this year.
Matthew 5:17-20
17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them. 18 I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God’s law will remain until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
20 “But I warn you—unless you obey God better than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all!

Matthew 7:24-29
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash.”
28 After Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught as one who had real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law. (The New Living Translation)

Confession - The traditional words
The assembly kneels or sits. Silence is kept for reflection and self-examination.

Most holy and merciful God,
we confess to you and to one another, and before the whole company of heaven,
that we have sinned by our fault,
by our own fault, by our own most grievous fault, in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength.
We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We have not forgiven others as we have been forgiven.
The response it the Greek Kyrie

We have shut our ears to your call to serve as Christ served us.
We have not been true to the mind of Christ.
We have grieved your Holy Spirit.

Our past unfaithfulness, the pride, envy, hypocrisy,
and apathy that have infected our lives,
we confess to you.

Our self-indulgent appetites and ways,
and our exploitation of other people,
we confess to you.

Our negligence in prayer and worship,
and our failure to share the faith that is in us,
we confess to you.

Our neglect of human need and suffering,
and our indifference to injustice and cruelty,
we confess to you.

Our false judgments,
our uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors,
and our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us,
we confess to you.

Our waste and pollution of your creation,
and our lack of concern for those who come after us,
we confess to you.

Restore us, O God, and let your anger depart from us.

Holy Communion

The Lord’s Prayer
Reception of Communion
Imposition of Ashes

Music – 801 Change my Heart O God

Reflection time (Video - Into the Mystery – Jason Gray?)
& Offering

Prayers
Forgive our Sins as we forgive to “Land of Rest” (Jerusalem, my happy home)

Conclusion
Benediction

As an outline this doesn't seem too strange. But my sermon will be odd. We aren't doing things in the usual way. We have intentionally jammed all the wordy stuff together, and plan to move it along fast. Holy Communion is the answer to the confession.
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In the weeks to come we'll be doing cooperative art projects, (each will result in a cross) along with non-traditional messages and more questions:
What do you have to give? (The anointing at Bethany - what great gift is worthy, yourself?)
What are you hungry for? (The Last Supper)
What distracts you? (The Garden - we want to create art work using old Cds)
Where do you flee? (The arrest)
What do you have to give (the Crucifixion - we will be using Walter Wagnerin's Ragman story and the rags - held by the people as signs of their grief and despair -will be woven into a cross)

Still haven't figured out Maundy Thursday.
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