With Lent just a short while away, we thought we’d let you know that we have a special Ash Wednesday service taking place for our Cluster of churches at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday 5 March at St Mary’s, West Malling.
Rt Rev Dr Brian Castle, the Bishop of Tonbridge, has kindly agreed to be present with us and to lead and preach at the service. The service itself will be a Holy Communion service but will involve the traditional ‘ashing’ for those that would like to participate.
Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the forehead as a celebration and a reminder of human mortality, and as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. As the person is ‘ashes’, the minister speaks over them these words:
“Remember that you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.
Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ.”
At the start of Lent, a time of self-examination and repentance, the Ash Wednesday service can be a powerful reminder that all of us fall short from time-to-time and that ultimately, we are frail, mortal beings whose time will one day reach its conclusion. Rev David Green, one of our church’s leaders, said recently “Lent is a good chance to give yourself some time to do things that are important; things that are vital to being a follower of Jesus Christ. You may not be one for traditions, but we all ought to be one for repentance, self-examination, self-denial, study and preparation.”
Why not come and join the other four churches in our Cluster on Ash Wednesday to start Lent off in the right way and worship in unity with the other church communities with whom we are joined.