Ash Wednesday Prayer 2011

This year I was not sure if I would be able to write a prayer for Ash Wednesday.  With the MSA website attacked by a virus that precipitated us launching a new website earlier than expected, plus the garden seminar at the Mustard Seed House tomorrow and Tom heading to San Diego for an important meeting, I have been much busier than anticipated leading up to this season.  And writing prayers like this is always something that I find takes time for reflection and writing.

However this morning I realized that this is a task too important to let pass by or in Ann Voskamp’s words too urgent to live fast.  So I wrote this prayer for Ash Wednesday but plan to use it over the next week to help me focus on the season of Lent.  So let us pray

God may we remember

All of life is held together with nails

Piercing flesh of the son of man

May we remember and give thanks

God may we remember

The power of sin and death are forever ended

Hung upon a cross and crucified

May we remember and give thanks

God may we remember

The bread of life broken for us

That we may eat and filled with abundance of life

May we remember and give thanks

God may we remember

God’s blood poured out for us

The deep wounds of love suffered for us

May we remember and give thanks

God may we remember ashes on foreheads

And kneel before the one whose love knows no end

With humbled hearts and repentant spirits

May we remember and give thanks

God may we remember we are but dust

And walk together into tomorrow’s unkowns

Breaking bars, building bridges, setting captives free

May we remember and give thanks

God may we remember and give thanks

Let us take up our cross and follow

Believing that in Christ all things work together for good

May we remember and give thanks