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WELCOME TO Ash |
Ash Wednesday February 14th, 2024
Ash Wednesday, which falls on February 14th this year, is the traditional beginning of the ancient Christian season of Lent, the six-week period leading to Easter. Ash Wednesday emphasizes Christian repentance, the setting aside of the old self, and the placing on of the new behaviors in Christ. As a part of those new behaviors Christians have placed a special emphasis on renewing practices of prayer, bible study, and Christian living. It is a period of preparation. Like many churches, PCPC will hold Ash Wednesday services
Ash Wednesday 2024 Services
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Why Ash Wednesday
Early Christians burnt sacrificial offerings and placed the ashes on their bodies to show sorrow. On Ash Wednesday some ministers make the sign of the cross with ashes on people’s foreheads or hands to remind them that we are beginning the Lenten season. In many churches the palm branches from the previous year are burned and used during worship.
*Taken from Christine V. Hides
*Taken from Christine V. Hides
Why bring children to such a serious service?
When children see all the adults they love and respect wearing ashes and they themselves are marked with ashes, they know they belong. They are one of God’s people. Other days they may know that with their minds, but on Ash Wednesday they know it in a powerful way with their eyes.
Because we are all marked not with golden markers but with messy black ashes, children learn that all of us mess up and are forgiven. The most loved and respected adult they know does and they do. In a world where they are constantly told they can do better and can make good choices and should be special, this is important life-shaping information
*Taken from Worshipping with Children
Because we are all marked not with golden markers but with messy black ashes, children learn that all of us mess up and are forgiven. The most loved and respected adult they know does and they do. In a world where they are constantly told they can do better and can make good choices and should be special, this is important life-shaping information
*Taken from Worshipping with Children
Can kids really understand what the ashes
mean? Are they scary?
mean? Are they scary?
When I talk with my son about the ashes and what they mean (which is actually a pretty easy conversation since children are pretty open/receptive to the cycles of life and the reality that everything that lives dies) I remind him of his baptism as well – that the ashes on his forehead are supposed to remind him that he is human, that he will make mistakes, and that he will need to apologize for those mistakes to other people and to God. But then I remind him of the water that was placed on his forehead as a baby, which should remind him that God’s love is stronger than any mistakes he might make. It is a love that won’t stop even when his own life on earth does.
*Taken from Bread not Stones: Feeding the Spiritual Lives of Children
*Taken from Bread not Stones: Feeding the Spiritual Lives of Children
Prayers and Bible Readings
Genesis 2:4b - 22 Reading
This is another story that God's people told about the beginning of the world. In this story, they wanted to tell us why they were farmers. They wanted to tell us why being farmers kept them alive and why farmers keep everyone alive.
Long ago, God made the very first person who ever lived. God took the best, richest, darkest, thickest soil from the ground. God shaped this soil into someone who looked like you and me. Then God breathed God's own breath into this person. The first person took the first breath ever.
Then, in the same best, richest, darkest, thickest soil that God made the first person from, God planted a big farm. God planted the most beautiful fruit trees and the biggest golden fields of grain. God said to the first farmer, "Be good to the rich soil I made you from. Farm it carefully. Grow the best fields and orchards you can. All your food will come from them, and you'll need food to stay alive."
Pretty soon God thought, Wait, one farmer can't do all this work alone! So, from the same best, richest, darkest, thickest soil, God made all the farm animals to help the farmer. God made big oxen to carry loads, sheep and goats to give wool and milk. God even made dogs and cats to keep the farmer company. God decided this was a good time to make all the wild animals, too. So God did.
Pretty soon Good thought, Wait, we need a family! Just one person with all these animals! So God made another person, and then the world had two parents who could start a family and work on their farm together.
Long ago, all families were farmers who grew all the food they ate on their own farms. Today, most families aren't farmers. But here's the thing: all food your family eats, farmers somewhere have grown for you. Do you know who they are and where their farms are?
*Taken from Growing in God's Love: A Story Bible by Elizabeth Caldwell
Long ago, God made the very first person who ever lived. God took the best, richest, darkest, thickest soil from the ground. God shaped this soil into someone who looked like you and me. Then God breathed God's own breath into this person. The first person took the first breath ever.
Then, in the same best, richest, darkest, thickest soil that God made the first person from, God planted a big farm. God planted the most beautiful fruit trees and the biggest golden fields of grain. God said to the first farmer, "Be good to the rich soil I made you from. Farm it carefully. Grow the best fields and orchards you can. All your food will come from them, and you'll need food to stay alive."
Pretty soon God thought, Wait, one farmer can't do all this work alone! So, from the same best, richest, darkest, thickest soil, God made all the farm animals to help the farmer. God made big oxen to carry loads, sheep and goats to give wool and milk. God even made dogs and cats to keep the farmer company. God decided this was a good time to make all the wild animals, too. So God did.
Pretty soon Good thought, Wait, we need a family! Just one person with all these animals! So God made another person, and then the world had two parents who could start a family and work on their farm together.
Long ago, all families were farmers who grew all the food they ate on their own farms. Today, most families aren't farmers. But here's the thing: all food your family eats, farmers somewhere have grown for you. Do you know who they are and where their farms are?
*Taken from Growing in God's Love: A Story Bible by Elizabeth Caldwell
Prayer
A Prayer about Ashes and Life
God, you are the source of all life and energy. We come from God, and we return to God. Life to life. Ashes to ashes. Energy to energy. Dust to dust. Amen
A Prayer for Marking the Season
God, on this Ash Wednesday, this first day of Lent, we mark the beginning of our journey to Easter. We ask you to be with us as we learn about you in these 46 days. May this be a holy time in our family and in our lives. Amen
The prayers are excerpts from Faithful Families for Lent, Easter, and Resurrections by Traci Smith (Chalice Press; 2021, All Reserved Rights)
Ash Wednesday Photos and Videos
2024
2023
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Past Ash Wednesday Services
This video is 30:59 minutes long
PCPC Children's Ministry
3501 W San Jose St
Tampa, Florida 33629
3501 W San Jose St
Tampa, Florida 33629