Lenten Liturgy
by the Rev. Elizabeth Coulter
article from New Song Notes
This year the
season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 25.
Easter is April 11.
A primary purpose
of Lent is preparation of candidates for Holy Baptism at the Great
Vigil of Easter. (This inner meaning of Lent is described in the
special liturgy for Ash Wednesday -- see p. 264 in the Book of
Common Prayer.) The Lenten season is also a time of renewal
for all of us and a season of repentance.
One of the Lenten
prefaces in the Book of Common Prayer says, "You bid
your faithful people cleanse their hearts, and prepare with JOY
for
the Paschal
feast; that, fervent in prayer and in works of mercy, and renewed
by your Word and Sacraments, they may come to the fullness of
grace
which you have prepared for those who love you." (BCP p. 379)
This captures for me how we are to view Lent as we keep in mind
that JOY and RENEWAL are as important as prayer, fasting, and self-denial.
Ash Wednesday
is a day of fasting and penitence, and its liturgy does have an
austere quality to it. After we hear the lessons and the Word preached,
we are invited to observe a Holy Lent, and we are invited to the
imposition of ashes. As we are marked on our foreheads with those
ashes, we hear the words, "Remember that you are dust, and
to dust you shall return." There words remind us of the mortality
of all creatures.
For me, it is
always a reminder that death and life are intertwined. The Rev.
Nancy Roth wrote, "Our sense of invincibility often causes
us to wait until 'tomorrow' (which for some of us will never come)
to heal an estrangement, to contact a cherished friend, to pursue
an activity that gives us joy and fulfillment and to spend time
with God." As the sign of the cross is traced on our foreheads
with those ashes as the symbol of death and of life, may we hear
and be reminded that our bodies are dust and will someday return
to dust and that the life of each creature on earth must never be
taken for granted. May we allow those ashes to prepare us for forty
days of spending time with our God as we prepare for the glorious
celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.
The propers (readings)
used for each year in the three year lectionary cycle differ and
help us to focus on different aspects of Lent. In this Year A of
the liturgical lectionary, the propers for the first Sunday in Lent
focus on the temptation of Christ in the wilderness. Next year in
Year B the propers speak of the flood and baptism of Christ with
only a passing reference to the temptation in the wilderness. Year
C produces a different set of themes, significant in their own way.
(An interesting note - paying attention to the propers is important
for those planning our liturgies. For instance, singing "Forty
Days and Forty Nights" is appropriate on the first Sunday of
Lent in Year A but would not be in Year B.)
The Lenten Sundays
of Year A contain the ancient Gospels for the preparation of catechumens
for Easter baptism, the great Johannine "signs of the Kingdom."
The second Sunday in Lent, John 3 gives us the discussion with Nicodemus
on being born again. Lent 3 tells the story of the woman of Samaria
at the well. Lent 4 is the miracle of the man born blind who was
healed by washing in the pool of Siloam. Lent 5 provides the climax
of the series with the raising of Lazarus.
As we prepare
for Lenten worship, the series of these Gospels demands serious
consideration in planning sermon themes, hymns, and anthems. Our
Eucharist Prayer changes from the season of Epiphany to reflect
the more penitential season. The service music also assumes a different
tone. During Lent at the end of worship we use the collection of
solemn Prayers over the People found in The Book of Occasional Services
instead of the seasonal blessing. This prayer is introduced by the
Deacon saying "Bow before the Lord." As we pay attention
to the Scripture lessons and participate in the liturgy, the weaving
of our worship can be seen.
Come, be present
with the faithful people of the New Song community as we cleanse
our hearts, and prepare with JOY for the Paschal feast; that, fervent
in prayer and in works of mercy, and renewed by God's Word and Sacraments,
we may come to the fullness of grace which has been prepared by
our God!'
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