Ash-less Ash Wednesday services
Pomona
Shipmate
Most churches appear to be fully closed now, so I'm curious as to how people are handling ash-less Ash Wednesday services. What are your local churches doing? Personally, a virtual Ash Wednesday service is even less appealing than a standard virtual service and seems pretty pointless when the thing it's named after isn't being administered.
Comments
Our place has delivered a little pot of ash to each household that has requested it. We'll have zoom services at our usual times (lunch and evening), and parishioners will ash themselves at the appropriate point. Mine's currently safely tucked away on a high shelf, next to our Lord's Most Precious Body and Blood.
Unfortunately, we're not doing my favourite early-morning service that usually attracts about a half a dozen people. I still haven't decided whether I'll just do it for myself first thing, or wait for the lunchtime service.
AIUI, the minister will NOT say *Remember you are dust etc.* to each individual, but will say it only once, to everyone, before sprinkling some DRY ash (no oil mixed with it) on the head of each person - FatherInCharge says that he will use a spoon (and his long arm!) to do this safely.
FInC is advertising Mass at 10am and again at 730pm, though I don't expect many will turn up. Our usual Sung Mass at 730pm only has a congregation of 20 or so in *normal* times...which reminds me that this year there will probably be no music, either.
For the past couple of Ash Wednesdays, I've been to the Cathedral's lunchtime Eucharist, but that's not happening this year AFAIK.
ISTM that the C of E's penitential provision for AW in Common Worship could be used for an online service, with self-ashing as @Leorning Cniht's Place is doing, if that's been arranged.
BTW, I know ashing has become much more common in various churches in recent years, but it's not the only aspect of the service that's important.
The recollection, confession, and absolution are somewhat longer and more comprehensive than usual, but should not be left out or curtailed, even for an online service. Shorten the homily instead!
In the past we've had ashless Ash Wednesday services due to a prudent doubt, now resolved, as to whether it was proper for a lay person to bless and impose the ashes. At the appropriate point in the service I invited those present to trace the sign of the cross on their own forehead.
This year, of course, any form of touching is FORBIDDEN, and AFAIK the official advice is for the minister to simply, but carefully, throw the ash onto the penitent's head.
FatherInCharge's use of a spoon is a good idea, I think, and will lessen the chance of ash falling around the penitent's shoulders in the manner of dandruff...
NB imposing ashes can be done by anyone. No magic involved.
In this realm of Scotland it was resolved by the College of Bishops authorising new liturgies that made explicit provision for lay leadership (and indeed for transfering the service up to and including the first Sunday in Lent so as to more easily accommodate the scheduling of rapidly moving priests).
The Latin for liturgical ash spoon seems a bit too vulgar to mention.
We do.
(Does "prople" mean "proper people? A handy neologism.)
If I am an improper person does that mean I'm bigger on the top than the bottom, like a fraction?
I like the aesthetics of this - but would you trust your priest / appropriate lay person to be (essentially) poking you in the head with a long stick?
Hmm... good point. Perhaps a calligraphy brush?
Dipped in sanitizer between foreheads ... the sanitizer of course could be a good sticky substitute for oils. In which case maybe we should bless sanitizer each Chrism Mass.
I should love to see Father taking aim...and missing...
Maybe their need for repentance is greater.
Do the laity get to hear the priests' confessions beforehand? No? Shame...
<Shudders>
The road to Hell is paved with priests' bones and the lanterns are bishops' skulls. — old Orthodox proverb
I can attest to the truth of that!
We've been asked to bring our own ash, and apply it ourselves.
I can't help but feel that this will lead to a range of applications from 'tiny speck that wouldn't be noticed' through to 'rolled in chimney sweep's ash pile'...
I heard that we'll be using cotton buds to apply the ashes. Face-mask, of course, s with distributing communion.
Heh. Me too.
On Ash Wednesday itself, there are to be two services (10am and 730pm) with Sprinkling of Ashes, but I don't know if either of them is being videoed for Facebook.
Our Cathedral is livestreaming a Eucharist at 530pm, so I might watch that. I can easily find some ash, having a coal-fired range in the Ark!
The Lutheran church around the corner from me, where I had been attending services until they went all-virtual again, is having virtual services on Ash Wednesday with drive-up communion and imposition of ashes afterwards. Unfortunately the times aren't right for me -- I'm getting my second Covid vaccine Wednesday and there's a virtual Board meeting for my choral group that evening. I'm secretary, so I can't miss it.
I remember some years ago attending a Prayer Book eucharist in Winchester Cathedral which was sombre but ashless.
If you can find any Orthodox who do "ashing" I will eat my hat.
I hope it tastes good. Some Western Rite Orthodox in USA do imposition of ashes. See, for example, http://stvincentchurch.org/parish-calendar/ for March 17th.