Lent: Day 1, Ash Wednesday

[dreamflower]

I just came home from the Ash Wednesday service, which was very nice this year. I was surprised at the attendance, more than we often have at the 11AM service on Sunday.

Some of my friends many not be Christians, or may be of a denomination that does not observe Lent. I am United Methodist, and we observe most of the special traditional days.
So if you don't know what Ash Wednesday is, or Lent, here is a link:
What is Ash Wednesday?

Behind the cut are the words to a hymn new to me, although the tune was familiar (we sang it to the tune of "Amazing Grace". This was sung as the congregational prayer of confession.

Lord, who throughout these forty days
For us didst fast and pray,
Teach us with Thee to mourn our sins
And close by Thee to stay.

As Thou with Satan didst contend,
And didst the victory win,
O give us strength in Thee to fight,
In Thee to conquer sin.

As Thou didst hunger bear, and thirst,
So teach us, gracious Lord,
To die to self, and chiefly live
By Thy most holy Word.

And through these days of penitence,
And through Thy passiontide,
Yea, evermore in life and death,
Jesus, with us abide.

Abide with us, that so, this life
Of suffering over past,
An Easter of unending joy
We may attain at last.


As I have tried to do for the last few years, I will try give up complaining, whining and ranting. And I will try to post something special each day that will be joyful, inspiring or uplifting.

Comments

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

Wishing you a blessed Lent.

[dreamflower]

Thank you dear!

[brennanspeaks.livejournal.com]

*Methodist-high-fives*

*Offers secret handshake and secret casserole recipe*

Good to know my church isn't the only one that does the old "swap the tune of an unfamiliar hymn with that of a classic one" trick. We sang "Sunday's Palms Are Wednesday's Ashes" to the tune of "Hymn of Promise."

[dreamflower]

*high fives back*

*grin* I have a few tried-and-trues for our monthly potlucks. Last month I took some of my homemade cheese. But usually it's something in the crock pot, plus a dessert.

Yes, we often do that. Of course, most hymns are interchangeable with at least a few other hymns. A lot of them have the same tunes anyhow!

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

Happy Lent! (if that's what you say! :D)

[dreamflower]

Well, it will be happier that I am not giving up chocolate or fanfic for forty days! But I suspect giving up ranting will be harder.

Anyway, I hope to make it happy for others too!

[baranduin.livejournal.com]

That's beautiful.

I remember your posts from previous years' Lent, will look forward to this year's.

[dreamflower]

Thank you, dear! I hope I am able to do it every day this year!

[meneleth.livejournal.com]

At noon I went to the church that's a couple of blocks from my office. It's the church where I grew up and I still have a great fondness for it. All through Lent they do a 20-minute service at noon on Thursdays and I attend as many as work permits. Good luck with giving up complaining! I gave up chocolate for all of Lent but added daily things, and Fridays are my days not to complain.

[dreamflower]

How nice to have that so close!

Giving up complaining is hard! I honestly don't know how successful I will be. I already know of a couple of LJ comms I will have to avoid, and I will probably also be giving up watching a lot of the news. (Certain politicians are just about guaranteed to send me into a ranting mood just at the sight of their faces.)

[meneleth.livejournal.com]

I set a reminder in my calendar for each of my daily "quits" so I wouldn't forget.