The African American Lectionary

Worship Resources

Wilderness Hell by Leroy Almon, Sr.

ASH WEDNESDAY

MUSIC & WORSHIP RESOURCES

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Edythe Poole, Guest Lectionary Liturgist
Minister of Music, Sacred Zion Full Gospel Baptist Church, Baltimore, MD

Worship Planning Notes

Include in your bulletin/order of worship a brief history of Ash Wednesday (which is the first day of Lent) and give its history as it is practiced at your church.

Liturgical Color: The liturgical color for Ash Wednesday is violet (purple) representing royalty, repentance, and humility.

If your church has not traditionally celebrated Ash Wednesday and you want to begin making your church familiar with this day on the church calendar, this year, instead of or in combination with a Wednesday evening Bible Study or Wednesday evening worship service, celebrate Ash Wednesday. A sample Ash Wednesday Order of Worship is provided below. Appropriate music is found throughout this worship unit.

If Ash Wednesday is new to your congregation or if you simply want to commune with sister congregations, invite at least two others churches to participate in your service.

1. Invocation

Abide with Us

Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on us. As we enter this season of reflection and repentance, cleanse us, heal us, lift us, and direct us only toward your will. In moments of joy and in moments of sorrow, in moments of peace and in moments of war, in moments of abundance and in our moments of need, abide with us, abide with us. Abide with us. Amen.

2. Hymns or Anthems
(a) Did Christ O’er Sinners Weep. By Benjamine Beddome. Tune, A. Davisson’s Kentucky Harmony

(b) Yield Not to Temptation. By Horatio R. Palmer. Tune, (Yield Not) by Carl Haywood

(d) Does Jesus Care? By Frank E. Graeff. Tune by J. Lincoln Hall

3. Traditional Songs
(a) Oh How I Love Jesus. By Frederick Whitfield

(b) Oh How He Loves You and Me. By Kurt Kaiser

(d) No Not One. By Johnson Oatman, Jr. Tune, (Harper Memorial) by George C. Hugg

4. Gospel Songs for Choirs, Ensembles, or Praise Teams
(a) Calvary. By Richard Smallwood

(b) Here Is Our Praise. By Freda Battle

5. Liturgical Dance Music
(a) One God. By Darien Dennis

(b) Everybody Clap Your Hands. By Percy Gray, Jr.

6. Modern Songs
(a) Perfect Peace. By Rudolph Stanfield

(b) He Can Deliver. By Deandre Patterson

(d) You Are My Daily Bread. By Fred Hammond

7. Offertory Songs
(a) Declaration (This Is It). By Kenny Loggins

(b) I Know Who I Am. By Israel Houghton and Chris Tomlin

8. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) Oh to Be Kept By Jesus. Text and Tune by Thurston Frazier. Arr. by Kenneth Morris

(b) I Need Thee Every Hour. By Annie S. Hawks. Tune by Robert Lowry

9. Sermonic Selection
(a) If That Isn’t Love. By Dottie Rambo

(b) There Is None Like You. By Lenny LeBlanc

10. Invitational Song or Instrumental
(a) I Love You (Lord Today). By Edwin Hawkins

(b) Come to Jesus. By Charles Nix

11. Benediction Song or Music
(a) God Be with You. By Jeremiah E. Rankin. Tune by William G. Tomer

(b) Take the Name of Jesus with You. By Lydia Baxter. Tune by William H. Doane

12. Audio Visual Suggestions
Before and throughout your worship service, display images of Ash Wednesday services from Christians around the world. Include brief explanations or captions for each image.

13. Sample Ash Wednesday Service
Opening
Begin with displays of Ash Wednesday Services from around the world. If a screen is not available, include images in your Order of Worship and as music softly plays, have someone review and reflect upon the images.

Music Interlude
Select from songs provided above.

Prayer
O Lord,
The house of my soul is narrow;
enlarge it that you may enter in.
It is ruinous, O repair it!
It displeases Your sight.
I confess it, I know.
But who shall cleanse it,
to whom shall I cry but to you?
Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord,
and spare Your servant from strange sins.
—St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354–430)

Additional prayers may be offered as appropriate for your church. If multiple prayers are given,
at least one should be led by a youth (age 11–17) or a child (age 5–10).

Music Interlude
Select from songs provided above.

Imposition of the Ashes
The following statement is to be read before the ashes are imposed upon the foreheads of congregants. If multiple congregations are participating, have persons form two or more lines, as music plays. Ashes can then be imposed by each pastor as persons come forth.

Beloved, we embark upon the march toward Easter with the sign of ashes. This ancient sign reminds us that we are flesh, that we sin, and that we fail to lean on God and instead lean on our own understanding. As we begin the journey, join me in spending the next forty days by examining yourself and by re-energizing any part of your faith walk that has become dull or lifeless. Examine your work for the Kingdom of God; examine your goals, your interests, your hopes, your relationships, your finances, and your health, all of which are part of your stewardship contract with God. Observe a holy Lent season through self-examination and penitence, by prayer and fasting, by works of justice and works of love, and by reading and meditating on the Word.

Prayer for Examination

Passing of the Peace or Departing Embrace
Music is played softly.

Parting Song
All should exit quietly.

Cites and Additional Information for Music and Material Listed

1. Invocation—“Abide with Us.” By the African American Lectionary Liturgical Team

2. Hymns or Anthems
(a) Did Christ O’er Sinners Weep. By Benjamine Beddome. Tune, A. Davisson’s Kentucky Harmony
Location:

African Methodist Episcopal Hymnal. Nashville, TN: AME Publishing House, 1998. #154

The Baptist Standard Hymnal with Responsive Reading. Nashville, TN: National Baptist Convention, 1985. #201

(b) Yield Not to Temptation. By Horatio R. Palmer. Tune, (Yield Not) by Carl Haywood
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, 2001. #429

African Methodist Episcopal Hymnal. #413

Church of God in Christ. Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. Memphis, TN: Church of God in Christ Pub. Board in association with the Benson Co., 1982. #325

The Baptist Standard Hymnal with Responsive Reading. #518

The New National Baptist Hymnal 21^st Century Edition. Nashville, TN: Triad Publications, 2001. #524

(d) Does Jesus Care? By Frank E. Graeff. Tune by J. Lincoln Hall
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #428

African Methodist Episcopal Hymnal. #442

The Baptist Standard Hymnal with Responsive Reading. #237

The New National Baptist Hymnal 21^st Century Edition. #253

3. Traditional Songs
(a) Oh How I Love Jesus. By Frederick Whitfield
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #291

African Methodist Episcopal Hymnal. #141

Baptist Standard Hymnal with Responsive Reading. #129

Boyer, Horace Clarence. Lift Every Voice and Sing II: An African American Hymnal. New York, NY: Church Pub., 1993. #95

National Baptist Publishing Board. The New National Baptist Hymnal. Nashville, TN: National Baptist Pub. Board, 1981. #10

The New National Baptist Hymnal 21^st Century Edition. #362

(b) Oh How He Loves You and Me. By Kurt Kaiser
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #228

Lift Every Voice and Sing II. #35

A Piece of My Passion. Dallas, TX: Flow Records, 2006.

(d) No Not One. By Johnson Oatman, Jr. Tune, (Harper Memorial) by George C. Hugg
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #308

African Methodist Episcopal Hymnal. #381

Baptist Standard Hymnal with Responsive Reading. #139

Lift Every Voice and Sing II. #90

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #217

The New National Baptist Hymnal 21^st Century Edition. #62

4. Gospel Songs for Choirs, Ensembles, or Praise Teams
(a) Calvary. By Richard Smallwood
Location:

Richard Smallwood and Vision. Persuaded: Live in DC. New York, NY: Verity, 2001.

(b) Here Is Our Praise. By Freda Battle
Location:

Here Is Our Praise. New York, NY: Axiom Records, 2006.

The City of Refuge Sanctuary Choir. Welcome to the City. Indianapolis, IN: Tyscot, 2007.

5. Liturgical Dance Music
(a) One God. By Darien Dennis
Location:

Clark, Maurette Brown. One God. Atlanta, GA: A.I. R. Gospel, 2007.

(b) Everybody Clap Your Hands. By Percy Gray, Jr.
Location:

Joshua’s Troop. JP3: Joshua’s Troop. Chicago, IL: New Haven, 2007.

Journeys: Live in New York. New York, NY: Verity, 2006.

6. Modern Songs
(a) Perfect Peace. By Rudolph Stanfield
Location:

Sapp, Marvin. Be Exalted. New York, NY: Verity, 2005.

(b) He Can Deliver. By Deandre Patterson
Location:

I Made It. Bolingbrook, IL: Holy Spirit Records, 2001.

Youthful Praise. You Are So Awesome. Conshohocken, PA: Evidence Gospel, 2005.

(d) You Are My Daily Bread. By Fred Hammond
Location:

Fred Hammond and the Love Fellowship Crusade Choir.
Speak Those Things: POL Chapter 3. New York, NY: Verity, 2002.

7. Offertory Songs
(a) Declaration (This Is It). By Kenny Loggins
Location:

Kirk Franklin. The Fight of My Life. Inglewood, CA: Gospocentric, 2007.

(b) I Know Who I Am. By Israel Houghton and Chris Tomlin
Location:

Israel and New Breed. A Deeper Level: Live. New York, NY: Integrity/Columbia, 2007.

49 Hidden Treasures from the African American Heritage Hymnal. Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, 2006.

8. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) Oh to Be Kept By Jesus. Text and Tune by Thurston Frazier. Arr. by Kenneth Morris
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #423

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #318

The New National Baptist Hymnal 21^st Century Edition. #212

(b) I Need Thee Every Hour. By Annie S. Hawks. Tune by Robert Lowry
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #41

African Methodist Episcopal Hymnal. #327

Baptist Standard Hymnal with Responsive Reading. #379

Lift Every Voice and Sing II. #192

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #229

The New National Baptist Hymnal 21^st Century Edition. #303

African American Heritage Hymnal. #254

African Methodist Episcopal Hymnal. #136

Lift Every Voice and Sing II. #37

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #485

The New National Baptist Hymnal 21^st Century Edition. #109

9. Sermonic Selection
(a) If That Isn’t Love. By Dottie Rambo
Location:

The Dove Brothers. Treasured Hymns. Newport Beach, CA: Diamante, 2000.

(b) There Is None Like You. By Lenny LeBlanc
Location:

Hurd, Stephen A. Gotta Have Gospel: Special Edition. New York, NY: Columbia, 2008.

African American Heritage Hymnal. #258

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #137

The New National Baptist Hymnal 21^st Century Edition. #145

10. Invitational Song or Instrumental
(a) I Love You (Lord Today). By Edwin Hawkins
Location:

The BAJADA Minstrels. Breathe: Instrumental Meditation. New York, NY: Light, 2002.

(b) Come to Jesus. By Charles Nix
Location:

The Wolverine State Baptist Mass Choir. I Really Love the Lord. (INDIE) Sounds of Gospel, 2003.

Jonathan Butler and Juanita Bynum. Gospel Goes Classical: Volume 1. Dallas, TX: Flow, 2006.

11. Benediction Song or Music
(a) God Be with You. By Jeremiah E. Rankin. Tune by William G. Tomer
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #634

African Methodist Episcopal Hymnal. #45

Baptist Standard Hymnal with Responsive Reading. #650

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #361

The New National Baptist Hymnal 21^st Century Edition. #560

(b) Take the Name of Jesus with You. By Lydia Baxter. Tune by William H. Doane
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #297

African Methodist Episcopal Hymnal. #44

Baptist Standard Hymnal with Responsive Reading. #649

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #258

The New National Baptist Hymnal 21^st Century Edition. #410

African American Heritage Hymnal. #646

African Methodist Episcopal Hymnal. #662

Baptist Standard Hymnal with Responsive Reading. #582

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #341

The New National Baptist Hymnal 21^st Century Edition. #553