NOTE: We are still planning to hold our service TONIGHT at 6pm. If there is a change in plans, we will post to our website and socials by 3pm.
Welcome to St. John’s United Church of Christ
No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, You are welcome here!
Rev. Scott Siefert | Special Musician: Mary Hudson
“Ash Wednesday” by Karl Spitzweg
Ringing of the Church Bell
Announcements
Greeting
Rev Scott: Have mercy on us, O God. Create in us clean hearts and put a new and right spirit within us.
Call to Worship
One: Come, all who seek God’s presence. Come, all who long for renewal.
All: We come, aware of our need for grace.
One: This is a time of repentance, a time to turn our hearts toward God.
All: We come, humbly seeking mercy and new life.
One: The Spirit calls us to return – to let go of the past and embrace God’s future.
All: We come to worship God, who is slow to anger and abounds in steadfast love.
*Opening Hymn: “Lord, I Want To Be a Christian” (New Century Hymnal #454)
Prayer of Invocation
One: Holy God, on this sacred night, we come before You in humility and honesty. As we begin our Lenten journey, we confess our need for Your grace. We carry the dust of failures and the weight of brokenness, but You, O Lord, are the One who brings beauty from ashes.
All: Breathe Your Spirit upon us now. May this be a time of transformation, a place where we encounter your mercy, and a reminder that we belong to You. AMEN.
Call to Confession
Rev Scott: As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to struggle against everything that leads us away from the love of God and neighbor. Repentance, fasting, prayer, study, and works of love help us return to that love. I invite you, therefore, to commit yourselves to love God and neighbor by confessing and asking God for strength to persevere in you during this season of Lent.
Prayer of Confession and Transformation
Rev Scott: Merciful God, we confess that we have turned away from You. We have allowed selfishness, pride, and fear to guide our steps. We have failed to love as You love, to give as You give, and to forgive as you forgive.
All: Have mercy on us, O God.
Rev Scott: Lord, we are marked by the dust of our mortality, but we long to be shaped by the fire of Your Spirit. Create in us clean hearts.
All: Renew us, O God, we pray.
Rev Scott: As we come together on this night of ashes, let them not be a sign of sorrow alone, but a symbol of our transformation, our turning back to You.
All: In the name of Christ, our Redeemer, we pray. AMEN.
–Time of Silent Confession-
Assurance of Grace
Rev Scott: Children of God, the faithful and loving embrace of our Creator knows our hidden places and wants our truth. God knows our struggles and sadness and restores joy and celebration in our lives. The Lord is merciful and gracious, and does not turn away from a repentant heart. Through Christ, we are forgiven, restored, and made new.
All: Thanks be to God. AMEN!
Scripture Readings and Pastoral Prayer
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 16“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Pastoral Prayer
Hymn of Response: “Just As I Am, Without One Plea” (New Century Hymnal #207)
A Moment of Spiritual Contemplation
Rev Scott: Beloved Friends, we gather on this sacred evening to begin our journey through the season of Lent, a season of reflection, repentance, and renewal. The ashes we receive are a sign, reminding us of our mortality, our humanity, and our need for grace. They remind us that even in the dust, God is at work, shaping us, renewing us, and calling us into deeper love.
As we embark on a journey of exploring sacredness through spiritual contemplation, you are invited to say “No” (or “Yes”) to what does not serve us or God (or adding a ritual or discipline that “Says Yes”). In preparation, please take a moment to reflect on what you may want to take away or add this season in order to bring yourself closer to the living God.
Imposition of Ashes
Rev Scott: So come, not in fear, but in faith. Come, not in despair, but in trust, Come, just as you are, and receive this sign of both our human frailty and God’s boundless grace.
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. But even in the dust, God breathes life anew.”
If you wish to receive ashes either on the forehead or the wrist, please come forward.
The Lord’s Prayer
ALL: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. AMEN
Closing and Blessing
*Closing Hymn: “God Be With You” (New Century Hymnal #81)
*Benediction and Blessing
*Ringing of the Church Bell
*Please to stand if able
Our Mission: Love God, Connect with Others, Serve Others, and Live Abundantly
Upcoming Events & Announcements
Thursdays – Soup for the Soul Adult Bible Fellowship – 6pm – Fellowship Hall and via ZOOM
Mar 9th – Worship and Gather Team Meeting following worship
Mar 12th – UCC Lenten Service at Frieden’s County Line UCC at 7:00 – Worship Leader Rev Brian
Mar 19th – UCC Lenten Service at First Congregational at 7:00 – Worship Leader Rev Penny
Mar 26th – UCC Lenten Service here at St. John’s at 7:00 – Worship Leader Rev Al with fellowship to follow hosted by Cheryl Bachmann and Karen Otto
Mar 30th – Fellowship following worship hosted by Steve and Bonnie Schmitz
“Fruit of the Spirit”: Bountiful Basket Food Shelf with sites in Cologne and Chaska. Nourishing neighbors, inspiring hope, and supporting families on their road to self-sufficiency. 9.5% of households in Minnesota are food insecure and will struggle to find enough food this week. Learn more at https://bountifulbasketfoodshelf.org/
“UCC Hope Art Contest” “Planting Seeds of Hope.” Deadline is today!
Wednesday Lenten Services. Pick up a flyer in the Narthex with all the dates and times.
Special Music: Mary Hudson will be with us on Ash Wednesday, Mar 9th, and Mar 16th. Please see the Worship and Gather Team if you are aware of musicians in the community.
Fellowship Opportunities. Thank you to Cheryl, Karen, Steve, Bonnie, for volunteering to host fellowship this month. Please contact them if you wish to support and help them!
Join a Team. If you feel called to use your talents, join a team! Consistory, which will be in need of two new members in 2025, Faith and Service, Worship and Gather, and Women’s Guild. Please contact Michelle Bachmann or Pastor Scott if you have any questions.
Online Giving. It’s easy and secure. Give any amount, at any time. Scan the QR Code listed in the worship guide.
The Word To Go. Find Sunday morning worship services on our Facebook Page, St. John’s UCC of Bongards. Worship will also be live-streamed on Facebook, when available.
Bongards Buzz. Submit items for the newsletter by the 1st of each month to Michelle Bachmann or sjuccbongards@gmail.com.
Looking for a church community? If you’d like to be more than a visitor, we welcome you openly and would love to chat. Contact Pastor Scott.
For Pastoral Care. Please contact Pastor Scott at 804-350-0826 or email pastorsjuccbongards@gmail.com
St. John's United Church of Christ 
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