Our Savior Lutheran Church
  • Home
  • I'm New
  • Worship
    • In-Person
    • Watch Live Online
    • Watch On Demand
  • Connect
    • Adults >
      • Life Groups
      • Bible Studies
      • Men
      • Women
      • Young at Heart 50+
    • Youth >
      • High School
      • Middle School
      • Confirmation
    • Kids >
      • Kids Home Page
      • VBS
    • Baptism
    • Become a Member
    • Faith Milestones
    • Parenting
    • Care >
      • Prayer
      • Mental Wellness
      • Coaching
      • Justice
  • Serve
    • In Our Church
    • In Our Community
    • In Our World
  • Preschool
  • Resources
    • Events
    • Calendar
    • Podcasts
    • Right Now Media
    • Parenting
    • Church Center App
    • Pastor Tim's Blog
    • Church Business
    • Employment
    • Links & Files
    • Health
  • Give

Pastor Tim's Blog

connecting leadership, community, wellness, and faith
​

conectando el liderazgo, la comunidad, el bienestar y la fe​

Ukraine, Russia, Ash Wednesday, and Lent

2/24/2022

 
Where did Ash Wednesday come from?

I'm glad you asked. :)

Ash Wednesday has its origins in the early Christian Church – somewhere between the sixth and eight centuries. Originally, the idea was that a Christian, as a sign of repentance, would sprinkle ashes on his or her head.  In the Bible, ashes were always associated with humility and mortality, fasting and remorse. If you had sinned against God, and you felt remorse about that sin, and you were repenting of that sin, then sometimes, in the Bible, you would sprinkle ashes on your head as a sign of sorrow and repentance. Ashes were supposed to remind you that you were mortal, that you will eventually become ashes after you die. We’re only ashes, and we need to repent of our sins now while God gives us a time of grace. 

During 6th or 7th centuries, Christian churches thought about this idea. Sometimes, in private, people would sprinkle ashes on themselves as a sign of repentance. Eventually, this became a public practice. Instead of sprinkling the ashes on your head, the ashes would be rubbed onto the forehead in the shape of a cross. It was a sign of repentance, and a reminder of your baptism, when the sign of the cross was placed on you with water and the Word. The ashes would actually be taken from the palm branches from Palm Sunday, burned the year before.

As you think of the ashes on your head, you might think how Christians have done this as a remembrance of sins for hundreds of years. 
So how do we begin preparing our hearts for Ash Wednesday and the walk through what we call, Lent?

One way is through prayer.

Throughout the entire Christian scriptures, we hear generations praying, the same prayer: Lord, have mercy...
​
  • The Psalm writers and the Tax Collector...
  • The Cannanite Woman and the Blind Bartimaeus...
  • The crowds of people lining the streets of Jerusalem as Jesus rides in on a donkey...

They're all praying... crying... begging... Lord, have mercy...

The prayer, "Lord, have mercy..." is still echoed today. And, every generation finishes the prayer with a specific subject.
How will you finish the prayer, 'Lord, have mercy...', today?
This week, it's appropriate that we pray, Lord, have mercy on Ukraine and Russia.

So, let's do that together.

A Prayer for the People of Ukraine & Russia
Kyrie from 'Now the Feast and Celebration"
​Marty Haugen

In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
 Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
For the Reign of God, and for peace throughout the world, for the unity of all, 
let us pray to the Lord. ​
 Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
For your people here, who have come to give you praise, for the strength to live your Word, let us pray to the Lord.
 Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Help, save, and defend us, O God.
Amen.

​Ash Wednesday & Lent

On Wednesday, March 2, I'm going to be taking this prayer a step further and unpack how Ash Wednesday is God making his mercy known to us.

So, let's take a walk together through what we call "Lent".

​Join me here onsite in Tacoma or online at www.oslc.com/lent.

For now, check out this video to learn more about Lent.

    Meet Pastor Tim

    Tim Bayer has served as Our Savior's Lead Pastor since September 2019. He also serves as an Adjunct Instructor at Concordia University - Irvine, a National Leadership Facilitator and Resource, and a Community Mental Health First Aid Instructor. Tim studied sociology, psychology, and theology prior to earning his M.Div at Concordia Seminary - St. Louis. He has also is a candidate for an Ed.D (ABD) in Transformational Leadership. He is married to Beth and they have three young children. Together, they enjoy exploring the outdoors, experiencing culture, and pizza and movie nights.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

OUR CHURCH

Service Times & Location
Mission & Values
Staff
Resources
Contact Us

GET INVOLVED

Connect
Serve
Grow
Give

OUR SCHOOLS

OSLC Preschool
Concordia Christian Academy (K-12)
© 2023  |  Our Savior Lutheran Church  |  253.531.2112
4519 112th St E, Tacoma, WA 98446
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30-3:00
Sunday Services: 9:00 & 10:30am
Site powered by Weebly. Managed by Well Water Design

Privacy Policy

  • Home
  • I'm New
  • Worship
    • In-Person
    • Watch Live Online
    • Watch On Demand
  • Connect
    • Adults >
      • Life Groups
      • Bible Studies
      • Men
      • Women
      • Young at Heart 50+
    • Youth >
      • High School
      • Middle School
      • Confirmation
    • Kids >
      • Kids Home Page
      • VBS
    • Baptism
    • Become a Member
    • Faith Milestones
    • Parenting
    • Care >
      • Prayer
      • Mental Wellness
      • Coaching
      • Justice
  • Serve
    • In Our Church
    • In Our Community
    • In Our World
  • Preschool
  • Resources
    • Events
    • Calendar
    • Podcasts
    • Right Now Media
    • Parenting
    • Church Center App
    • Pastor Tim's Blog
    • Church Business
    • Employment
    • Links & Files
    • Health
  • Give