VERSION: 9 April 2002

MIDWEEK LENTEN DEVOTIONAL SERVICES OUTLINE

It has been customary in the LCA to conduct midweek devotional services on the passion of our Lord throughout Lent, usually on Wednesdays. In church tradition, Wednesdays, like Fridays, were kept as days of fasting, since it was on a Wednesday that Judas arranged to betray Jesus. It is a good custom to reserve these days during Lent for special study and meditation on the suffering and death of our Lord, so that the Sundays in Lent may focus on the lectionary readings, with their themes of repentance and discipleship, and the teaching of the catechism.

Note that it is not necessary for the pastor to lead these devotional services. If a suitable meditation has been prepared for reading, a lay reader may lead the service. This may be especially suitable in multi-point parishes, so that every congregation has a midweek service each week.

For material to use in the midweek devotions, see the individual 'Midweek Lenten devotional services' documents in this folder.

If you wish to devise your own series of devotional services, the following is a possible structure which may be used (this structure is from the Lent document in the Approved Worship Services).

1. OPENING
This could be the 'In the name . . . ' and/or responsive verses from an appropriate Scripture passage such as Isaiah 53 or Psalm 22.

2. PSALM or HYMN
A psalm or hymn suitable for Lent may be sung.

3. COLLECT
A collect may be prayed (eg Prayer of the day from the previous Sunday).

4. READING(S)
One or more readings from one of the gospel narratives of Christ's suffering and death. The readings throughout the midweek devotions could be continuous, and taken from passion narrative of the gospel assigned for the year in the RCL (year A = Matthew 26:14 - 27:66; year B = Mark 14:1 - 15:47; year C = Luke 22:14 - 23:56). Note that this reading will also be read in its entirety as the long, dramatised gospel on the Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday).

NOTE: It is best to avoid using histories of the passion which attempt to harmonise the accounts of the four gospels. These obscure each gospel writer's intention in telling their version of the story.

5. SILENT MEDITATION
Silent meditation on the reading may follow the reading, or the meditation on the reading.

6. ADDRESS or MEDITATION
A short address or meditation (eg 5-10 minutes) may be given by the pastor.

7. PRAYERS
The prayers may be introduced by a response such as:

Listen to my prayer, Lord,
and hear my cry for help.

One to three short prayers, preferably collect style, may be prayed. The last could be the Collect for Peace (from the Order of Vespers) or Luther's Evening Prayer (from Responsive Prayer: Evening). A pause for silent prayer between the spoken prayers could be observed. Instead of collects, a suitable litany could be used.

8. LORD'S PRAYER

9. BLESSING
The pastor pronounces the blessing. The congregation may then leave the church in silence, or remain for a while in private prayer or reflective meditation. It is preferable if announcements after the service can be avoided.