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Home , Shrove Tuesday

Ideas for Shrove & Introduction

At the time of writing this, in the midst of lockdown 3, our church buildings can be open for public worship, but many have elected to not take the risk and are worshipping online.

There is a service for Ash Wednesday in ‘Times and Seasons’ (you can find it online here: https://bit.ly/3ouZx8t)

Nonetheless, we may be considering how to connect with people in our parishes in a deeper way than is sometimes possible in online worship for Ash Wednesday (and perhaps how we use Shrove Tuesday as an opportunity to socialise…on line!).

Ash Wednesday is a dramatic, spiritual and, in many ways, counter-cultural service to begin the season of . The highlight of the service is the imposition of ashes – an act that would normally involve closeness and touch as our foreheads are marked with the sign of the cross in ash.

There is advice on the Church of website for how the imposition of ashes might work in a service in a church building (https://bit.ly/3onSLRN). In short, the whole congregation together say the words that are normally said by the priest at the imposition of ashes. The priest should then sprinkle (dry) ashes at arm’s length on the heads of those wishing to receive the ashes, wearing a mask whilst doing so.

The question remains of what we might do that is creative and physical - engaging all our senses – to compliment online worship for Ash Wednesday recognising that many of us have closed our buildings and/or many of our congregants are ‘shielding’?

There follows some suggestions. All of these may need some adaption for the circumstances of particular parishes or benefices.

General guidelines

As ever it is important to be ‘Covid-secure’, and avoid distributing items that have been handled for 72 hours. In smaller parishes it may be possible to make some worship resources available to all. In other parishes it may be that you are able to leave items for people to collect whilst taking their daily exercise, for example, the church porch, a safe place at the Rectory, etc. Guidelines suggest that items should be in envelopes or paper bags and be able to be picked up without touching other packs. You might leave hand sanitizer out so people can sanitize before and after picking up packs.

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday or ‘ Day’ is the day before Ash Wednesday and so the day before Lent begins. The name comes from the word “shriven” meaning to confess your sins and receive forgiveness. Forgiveness for sins is at the heart of the story and many choose to use Lent as a time to think about their own behaviour and to recommit themselves to God. Many people choose to give up things during the period of Lent such as unhealthy foods or treats, or dedicate part of Lent to .

• There is a good resource from ‘Together at Home’ that is especially suited to families, but not exclusively so! There is a simple pancake recipe, a Bible verse, a prayer, and some questions for personal consideration or to ask family members. This might be useful if you send it out in advance and then have a quick Zoom gathering to see who can flip their the highest! Find it here: https://bit.ly/2YjVsJy • You might have a short online Pancake day quiz that includes a pancake flipping competition, or decorate a pancake as a biblical character. Other fun ideas include a lemon sucking competition, or a ‘most unusual pancake filling that is then eaten’ competition. • Scripture Union Wales are having a free online pancake party. Children must have at least one adult with them whilst online in accordance with Scripture Union’s online safeguarding policy. Register for free here: https://bit.ly/3a8KnjL

Ash Wednesday Creative ideas

• There is a good resource from ‘Together at Home’ that is especially suited to families, but not exclusively so! It explores the theme of dust in four Bible readings with questions for consideration. Find it here: https://bit.ly/2MvvkZf • For those not able to come to a service in person to receive the imposition of ashes there are a number of ideas. If you mix ashes with PVA glue you can ‘paint’ a cross on a stone or pebble and allow people to collect them or distribute them. • Equally the above could be done on a piece of card with the collect for Ash Wednesday and a Bible reading printed on it. • A ‘finger prayer labyrinth’ might form part of a worship at home Ash Wednesday resource. There is an example and guide on how to use one from the Diocese of Sheffield here: https://bit.ly/3a9WJIu

Ash Wednesday Liturgy/Music ideas

• Engage Worship have ‘Worship in the Wilderness’ resource including a service for Ash Wednesday as well as for the six weeks of Lent. The resource includes Prayers and Bible readings; creative and all-age worship ideas; adaptable sermon outlines; responses and sending prayers; and song and hymn suggestions. Purchase also includes a free download code PowerPoint presentations and videos of songs and readings that can be used in online worship. The downloadable pdf is £11. Available at https://bit.ly/2KQ76si • The ‘A Church Near You’ Resource Hub provides choral music based on the lectionary. They are free to download as mp3s and use in online worship providing you have the necessary licenses: https://bit.ly/3iQvZRb • There are other contemporary offerings too. These include St Ebbe’s Church in Oxford who offer downloadable lyric videos: https://bit.ly/3qYaFMK Also music-ministry.org with downloadable lyric videos from a variety of churches: https://bit.ly/39jZx6M Soul Survivor Watford also have videos. You may find it necessary to edit these as some of them are a number of songs grouped together (or use them as a worship set): https://bit.ly/2KQVV2z