Rasid Rachman
Tonight, February 6th 2008, was the second time for my congregation celebrated Ash Wednesday. The first was last year, 2007. After sermon, people made a sign of cross on forehead with ash. Tonight, we celebrated with a little elaboration. Besides more people came, we celebrated the eucharist as well. I served sermon and my colleague, Rev Suryatie Ambarsari, led the euharist. Two pastors led one celebration. It was not something new for me, but for the people. They watched both of us led the celebration, and it was Ash Wednesday.
Tonight, February 6th 2008, was the second time for my congregation celebrated Ash Wednesday. The first was last year, 2007. After sermon, people made a sign of cross on forehead with ash. Tonight, we celebrated with a little elaboration. Besides more people came, we celebrated the eucharist as well. I served sermon and my colleague, Rev Suryatie Ambarsari, led the euharist. Two pastors led one celebration. It was not something new for me, but for the people. They watched both of us led the celebration, and it was Ash Wednesday.
Most Protestant Churches in Indonesia don’t celebrated Ash Wednesday. They don’t know what Ash Wednesday is, how to celebrate it, or even when celebrate it as well. According to their knowledge that they get from the past, Ash Wednesday belongs to the Roman Catholic liturgy. Only Roman Catholic celebrates Ash Wednesday in Lent.At the beginning of 21st century, some Protestant Churches in Indonesia started open their mind. The complicated traditions of liturgies do not only belong to the Roman Catholic, but also belong to them. Some of them celebrate some new style of liturgy, such as Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Palm Sunday, Christ the King, etc. But most other Protestant Churches still in their way of worship.
In the year of 2007, when we celebrated Ash Wednesday for the first time, some people fell weird. People needed socialization some weeks before. Elders had to inform what it is and how to do that. They provided the readings about Ash Wednesday and Easter. Even organizer had to know how to get the ash and people had to be known how sign ash on their forehead with thumb. I had to make myself comfortable because everybody thought I know everything to do that.
Tonight we finished Ash Wednesday safely. There was only once reading about Ash Wednesday, but no other practical information at all as we did last year. Hope, next year and the years to come, we celebrate Ash Wednesday in consciousness that it belongs to us as a Christians who begin the Lent. ©
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