Ash Wednesday: Lent Daybook 2020
Welcome to a Lent daybook for these 40 days of prayerful repentance.
Is this your first time to practice Lent? Here's a simple introduction.
Look: From Dust We Are, Are Now, and Will Be, Meena Matocha - Source
Listen*: Almighty God, Sandra McCracken - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube
Read**: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Psalm 51:1-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Excerpts:
"Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.
Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, 'Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
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"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!...
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
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"Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything."
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"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. ...
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
- Job 2:15-17 * Psalm 51:1-2, 15-17; 2 Corinthians 6:2b-10; Matthew 6:1, 19-21;
Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Ash Wednesday
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Do: Attend an Ash Wednesday service at a nearby church
If you live in the Fairfield County area of Connecticut, you are most welcome to join us at Church of the Apostles: Ashes and Eucharist at 8 am (childcare available for kids under 5); Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm
You can read the scripture and prayers for the Ash Wednesday service in the Book of Common Prayer here.
Attend an Ash Wednesday service
If your church doesn’t offer one, find another in your area or feel free to view our livestream.
Is this your first time to practice Lent? Here's a simple introduction.
You might also enjoy:
Ash Wednesday Explained via The Homely Hours
Living and Dying Palm: what my name has to do with Ash Wednesday
Living and Dying Palm, part 2: the part where I talk about celebrating my 40th birthday on Ash Wednesday
* Listen to my entire playlist on Spotify: Lent: Worship & Prayer 2020. Add it to your account by clicking ‘Save to my library'.
** Sunday Scripture readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary (Year A). Daily Scripture readings are taken from the Book of Common Prayer (Year 2).