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In this scenario, the burlap squares could still be used, but each person comes singly or as a family unit to the altar rail and kneels to receive the square off a tray on a stand or held by a masked and gloved attendant. Scenario 3: Able to meet in person, but with distancing rules in place

Over time, the ashes will fade from the square and the cloth will remain, a symbol of renewal and forgiveness. But the square could last longer and become a symbol for the whole Lenten season. The ash-marked square could then become the symbol of the mark usually borne by each person on this date. Make sure that in the preparation of the squares, all precautions are maintained (masked and gloved in as sterile an environment as possible). If there is a possibility of gathering outside or in a drive-through format, then prepare two-inch square pieces of burlap with ashes in the sign of the cross to hand out to each person.

Scenario 2: Able to meet outside or in a drive-through format Focus on the prayer and not, this time, on the ritual act. Consider sending a prayer-perhaps Psalm 51 or some other common prayer to be shared by all in their different places-to the whole scattered church. Scenario 1: Completely virtualĪlthough it might be possible to email or even snail mail items to be used in an at-home ritual of Ash Wednesday the better route might be to shift the emphasis from the mark to the confession, from the ashes to the repentance. We encourage you to take this information and work with your own worship team to contextualize it for your community of faith. At the end are links for additional articles and information. We begin by sharing some scenarios and then offering some practical ideas for imposing the ashes safely. Below are some suggested considerations for your preparations for Ash Wednesday. However, as COVID-19 cases continue to soar, churches are left with the task of re-envisioning these liturgical markers while keeping faithful to their importance and meaning in the community of faith. For some churches, this time of Lent begins on the eve of Ash Wednesday, known as Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, where Christians party for one last day and clean out the pantry as fasting (one of the spiritual disciplines during Lent) begins on Ash Wednesday.

The marking of ashes in the shape of a cross on the foreheads of believers as a reminder of mortality and belonging is how Christians begin the forty-day journey of Lent leading to Easter and ultimately the Day of Pentecost. Each year, Christians worldwide attend church services centered on the liturgical act known as the imposition of ashes. Ash Wednesday, February 17 this year, is the beginning of the Lent-Easter-Pentecost-cycle of the Christian year.

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