A brief Ash Wednesday Service will be held, Feb. 26, 7:00 pm in the sanctuary. Burned palm branches from last Palm Sunday will provide the ashes. The service will include scripture, prayers, hymns, as well as the imposition of ashes.

Pastor Marg is also offering ashes to the Pender Hill Preschool parents and staff at the time of drop off on Ash Wednesday at 9:30 am. The sign of ashes on the forehead is a powerful symbol of repentance and marks the beginning of Lent.

Your participation is encouraged.

More about Pender’s services for Lent

And Chuck Knows Church says…

Ever seen a little smudge mark on someone’s forehead as they walk out of church? That’s a sign of the cross and it means it’s Ash Wednesday during Lent.

Chuck tells you about this important worship service:

When did United Methodists start the “imposition of ashes” on Ash Wednesday?

While many think of actions such as the imposition of ashes, signing with the cross, footwashing, and the use of incense as something that only Roman Catholics or high church Episcopalians do, there has been a move among Protestant churches, including United Methodists to recover these more multisensory ways of worship. This is in keeping with a growing recognition that people have multiple ways of learning and praying.

Worship that is oriented to the intellect or to the emotions, both interior, leaves out those who engage in prayer through vision, smell, touch, movement, and so forth. We are increasingly aware that people are formed in faith when practices become embedded in memory, nerves, muscles and bone through sensory engagement.

United Methodists have had resources for worship that include the imposition of ashes since 1979 when Ashes to Fire was published as Supplemental Worship Resource 8. This practice became part of our official worship resources in 1992 when General Conference adopted The United Methodist Book of Worship. See the service for Ash Wednesday, p. 321-324. It is, of course, optional and no congregation or individual is required to use it.

Other such practices were adopted in 1992. SeeThe United Methodist Book of Worship for:

This FAQ was prepared by Rev. Daniel Benedict, Center for Worship Resourcing, The General Board of Discipleship.

The original article is at http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/when-did-united-methodists-start-the-imposition-of-ashes-on-ash-wednesday