Visiting another church f or Ash Wednesday

[FireDragon76]

My little Congregationalist church decided not to have an Ash Wednesday service due to so many people being elderly and unable to drive at night, so I went to Presbyterian church downtown (PC-USA) at noon. It was a beautiful, relatively old Spanish mission style church on the outside, and a hybrid Romanesque and Scottish Presbyterian architecture on the inside. The service had some contemporary style "folk mass" type music, readings from the penitential Psalms and Scriptures, a brief sermon, and the imposition of ashes. I talked to the pastor after church, and it seemed like a good community. I may visit again in the future.

 

[RileyG]

[posting in fellowship]

I wasn't aware the UCC celebrated Ash Wednesday. Would they have celebrated if it wasn't cancelled?

Learn something new everyday.

edit: I also know Presbyterians, UCC, Reformed et al all fall under the Reformed umbrella.

 

[FireDragon76]

[posting in fellowship]

I wasn't aware the UCC celebrated Ash Wednesday. Would they have celebrated if it wasn't cancelled?

Yes.

Ash Wednesday is normative in Mainline Protestant churches. It has been ever since the mid-20th century liturgical renewal movement. Certain Episcopalians have practiced it even longer.

I appreciate Ash Wednesday, and this year in particular, it seems like I really need to get into Lent, with all the craziness in the world happening. It just feels like the right thing to do.

Learn something new everyday.

edit: I also know Presbyterians, UCC, Reformed et al all fall under the Reformed umbrella.

My inclination is towards Lutheranism or Reformed, that's why I chose a Presbyterian church to visit. The Presbyterian church downtown is also LGBT affirming, which was an important criteria in my choice as well. Methodists downtown are LGBT affirming, but I am not Wesleyan. I was raised in that tradition but I don't resonate with it that much anymore, particularly the emphasis on human freedom. I resonate more with the message of grace in Reformed/Lutheran churches.

The Presbyterian church had good folks, the pastors at the church were a husband and wife couple. I was worried I would be treated as a stranger, but it felt more like I was treated like family. That's very refreshing in a society where people are having less and less trust in each other.

 

[RileyG]

Yes.

Ash Wednesday is normative in Mainline Protestant churches. It has been ever since the mid-20th century liturgical renewal movement. Certain Episcopalians have practiced it even longer.



My inclination is towards Lutheranism or Reformed, that's why I chose a Presbyterian church to visit. The Presbyterian church downtown is also LGBT affirming, which was an important criteria in my choice as well. Methodists downtown are LGBT affirming, but I am not Wesleyan. I was raised in that tradition but I don't resonate with it that much anymore, particularly the emphasis on human freedom. I resonate more with the message of grace in Reformed/Lutheran churches.

The Presbyterian church had good folks, the pastors at the church were a husband and wife couple. I was worried I would be treated as a stranger, but it felt more like I was treated like family. That's very refreshing in a society where people are having less and less trust in each other.

Ah.

I was aware Lutherans, Anglicans, and Episcopalians celebrated Ash Wednesday, because they are liturgical and "Catholic-lite" so to speak.

I hope you find/are in a good Church home!

Take care

 

[FireDragon76]

I go to Ash Wednesday, but I view the ashes as strictly optional. The important thing is that it marks the beginning of Lent with a penitential service. I do not view wearing ashes on my forehead all day as appropriate, so I don't (eastern Christians don't have an imposition of ashes at all). I think it's ultimately a personal decision. But as the reading of the words of Jesus says, we should be careful of using religious symbols for the purposes of status of noteriety.

Lutherans and Reformed in the distant past did not practice Ash Wednesday, at least they did not use the imposition of ashes, from what I can tell based on my reading of history. Perhaps early in the Reformation Lutherans might have done this, but it eventually fell out of favor, and wasn't revived until centuries later. Some divines in particular found ashes to be objectionable, as it was more of a folk custom or tradition that was gradually adopted in the middle ages as a sign of penitence, and some saw it as lacking a sound biblical basis.

One interesting thing the Presbyterian church I attended did was a Burning Man style rite where people wrote their sins or concerns on a piece of cloth, then hung the cloth on a wooden cross. I think that's an interesting idea, even if I chose not to participate, I can see how it would be deeply meaningful to some people.

 

[RileyG]

I go to Ash Wednesday, but I view the ashes as strictly optional. The important thing is that it marks the beginning of Lent with a penitential service. I do not view wearing ashes on my forehead all day as appropriate, so I don't (eastern Christians don't have an imposition of ashes at all). I think it's ultimately a personal decision. But as the reading of the words of Jesus says, we should be careful of using religious symbols for the purposes of status of noteriety.

Lutherans and Reformed in the distant past did not practice Ash Wednesday, at least they did not use the imposition of ashes, from what I can tell based on my reading of history. Perhaps early in the Reformation Lutherans might have done this, but it eventually fell out of favor, and wasn't revived until centuries later. Some divines in particular found ashes to be objectionable, as it was more of a folk custom or tradition that was gradually adopted in the middle ages as a sign of penitence, and some saw it as lacking a sound biblical basis.

One interesting thing the Presbyterian church I attended did was a Burning Man style rite where people wrote their sins or concerns on a piece of cloth, then hung the cloth on a wooden cross. I think that's an interesting idea, even if I chose not to participate, I can see how it would be deeply meaningful to some people.

That's very interesting. I assume the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches do have words of pardon and assurance rather than absolution as some Anglicans or Lutherans are used to.

 

[FireDragon76]

That's very interesting. I assume the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches do have words of pardon and assurance rather than absolution as some Anglicans or Lutherans are used to.

Yes.

I think it's splitting hairs; a distinction that merely reflects different terminology. Lutherans do not consider absolution, or any sacrament, to be effecacious ex opere operatio, but requires faith. Nor is it necessarily considered a discrete sacrament (sacramental rite would be more accurate to how many Lutherans understand it).

 

[RileyG]

Yes.

I think it's splitting hairs; a distinction that merely reflects different terminology. Lutherans do not consider absolution, or any sacrament, to be effecacious ex opere operatio, but requires faith. Nor is it necessarily considered a discrete sacrament (sacramental rite would be more accurate to how many Lutherans understand it).

Thanks for the info!