VERSION: 2 April 2002

LENT SEASON

CONTENTS

GENERAL
	This document
	What is Lent?
	Lenten observance
	Note on the Sundays in Lent
	The character of Lent in the Revised Common Lectionary
	Use of silence in the liturgy
	Baptisms

LITURGY
	Sentence
	Kneeling
	Confession and absolution
	Introduction to confession of sins
	Lent penitential responses
Lord, have mercy
	Hymn of adoration
	Verse
	Using an acclamation with the Verse
	Lent responses
	Offertory
	Prayer of the church
	Litany
	Seasonal preface
	Eucharistic prayer
	Acclamation after the words of institution
	Communion invitation
	Prayer after communion
	Seasonal blessing

HYMNS AND SONGS
	Sources
	Hymns for Lent
	Lord, have mercy
	Offertory
	Lenten hymns from various sources
	'All Together' songs suitable for Lent
	Together in Song hymns/songs suitable for Lent
	Taize songs suitable for Lent
	Iona Community songs suitable for Lent
	Canticles

MUSIC

VISUAL ARTS
	General
	Colours
	Flowers
	Decoration for Lent
	A time to clean
	Cross and objects of the Passion
	Cross / crown of thorns and candles
	Lent-Easter tree
	Congregation crucifix
	Symbols for Lent
	Concordia Commentary 'icons'

DRAMA 

CHILDREN
	General
	Offering basket

OTHER MATERIAL
	Ash Wednesday service outline
	Imposition of ashes 
	Enrolment for baptism and confirmation (catechumenate)
	Midweek devotional services

LENT SEASON

GENERAL

THIS DOCUMENT
Please see the general worship guidelines and ideas given in the document 'General notes and resources' in this folder. This Lent document supplements that document, containing additional suggestions for the season of Lent as a whole (covering Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before the Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday)). Material specific to each Sunday and festival day is given in the documents for those days.

WHAT IS LENT?
Lent is the season of preparation for Easter. It is a time for repentance and renewal, discipleship and walking the way of the cross. The season has a sombre character, marked by austerity and restraint. Traditional emphases have been prayer, fasting, and giving for the needs of others. Lent has also included study and meditation in preparation for baptism.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 40 days before Easter. The 40 days are a reminder of the 40 days of fasting of our Lord after his baptism at the beginning of his ministry. (Moses also remained 40 days on the mountain at the giving of God's law; Elijah spent 40 days on Mount Horeb; and the children of Israel spent 40 years wandering in the desert before entering the promised land.)

These 40 days exclude the Sundays, which still retain something of the Easter character belonging to every Sunday. However, at the same time they have some of the restraint of Lent, shown, for example, in the omission of the alleluias, the hymn of adoration, and flowers in the church.

Lent reaches its climax in Holy Week, focusing specifically on our Lord's suffering and death.

LENTEN OBSERVANCE
Adaptations of traditional emphases could be considered by congregations for Lent:

*	Instruction could be given emphasis on the Sundays. This could vary in method; the content could include a systematic treatment of the church's main teachings, the appointed readings, or Luther's Catechism. Where applicable, the instruction could lead to baptisms (the Easter Vigil order includes a place for baptism and an affirmation of the baptismal vow) or confirmation (see the documents 'Enrolment of an adult baptismal candidate' and 'Enrolment of confirmation candidates' in the 'Rites and services' folder).

*	Fasting  (as a reminder of Christ's self-denial and as an aid to meditation on repentance and discipleship) could still be encouraged throughout the season, especially on Wednesdays (the day when Judas arranged the betrayal of Christ) and/or Fridays (the day of Christ's death), intensifying in Holy Week. One possibility is fasting prior to the mid-week service. Families might choose to forgo the Wednesday evening meal before the service, or abstain from such things as meat, alcohol, dairy products, or dessert. (Note that Luther, in his Catechism, says that fasting and other outward preparations serve a good purpose).

*	Meditation on Christ's suffering and its meaning for us could be given mid-week emphasis, as in Wednesday night devotional services. Meditations could also be held where appropriate on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week.

NOTE ON THE SUNDAYS IN LENT
It has been pointed out that the Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are Sundays in Lent, not Sundays of Lent. The 40 days of fasting are calculated by counting all the days other than Sundays from and including Ash Wednesday to and including Holy Saturday. This was not always the case. Before the sixth century, Lent began on the First Sunday in Lent, which was exactly 40 days until (but not including) Good Friday. The purpose of distinguishing between the Sundays in Lent and the days of Lent is to point to the fact that every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection, even those Sundays which fall during Lent. However, in today's world, where attendance at mid-week devotions is decreasing, the Sundays in Lent are often the only opportunity for Christians to experience a Lenten emphasis in their worship. For this reason, the services on Sundays in Lent are often treated, at least partly, as Lenten services.

THE CHARACTER OF LENT IN THE REVISED COMMON LECTIONARY
In Australia, due to the piety passed down from our Lutheran forebears, it has become customary to celebrate to some extent the season of Lent as an extended Passion season, focusing almost entirely on the suffering and death of our Lord. The old one-year lectionary encouraged this by inserting a pre-Lent season of three weeks before the beginning of Lent (the -gesima Sundays) and a longer two-week Passion season beginning on the Fifth Sunday in Lent. With the introduction of the three-year lectionary, the pre-Lent period was abolished and the Passion season shortened, so that it began only on the Sixth Sunday in Lent, otherwise known as Palm Sunday, but now known also as the Sunday of the Passion.

The Revised Common Lectionary continues this revised pattern. The Sundays in Lent observe the true Lenten themes of repentance, discipleship and walking the way of the cross, in preparation for the Passion focus in Holy Week itself. If it is desired to have a more intense focus on the suffering and death of our Lord, this is appropriate at mid-week Lenten services, rather than on the Sundays in Lent. For more information, see below under 'Hymns and songs'.

USE OF SILENCE IN THE LITURGY
Our culture does not like silence. Silence strips us bare and exposes us. In conversation and at public events we like to fill in the gaps with words or noise. In films, radio, and television there is rarely silence. During Lent, silence in the liturgy can be used to focus attention on an action, to allow time for prayer, and to leave room for reflection on God's gifts to us in Christ. Silence can be used very effectively in the liturgy in the following places:

*	When gathering, instead of an organ prelude
*	After the call to confession of sins
*	After the readings or the sermon (instead of a hymn of the day?)
*	During communion
*	After communion (instead of a thanksgiving song such as the Song of Simeon)

BAPTISMS
It is preferable to try to avoid scheduling baptisms in Lent unless absolutely necessary. Reschedule baptisms for the Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday or the other Sundays of Easter. This highlights Lent as the time of conversion and preparation for baptism, and Easter as the time of new life in Christ.

LITURGY

SENTENCE
A Sentence may be said or sung entirely by the minister, or it may be said or sung as a responsive verse. See the document 'General notes and resources' (under 'Sentence') in this folder for suggested general Sentences and for some suggested places in the service for using a Sentence.

Here are three suggested Sentences for Lent. Other Sentences are suggested in the notes for each Sunday or festival.

The Lamb who was killed is worthy 
to receive power and wealth, wisdom and strength, honour, glory and praise!  (Rev 5:12 comp)
OR
Now is the acceptable time; 
now is the day of salvation!  (2 Cor 6:2 NRSV)
OR
We do not live not on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. 
(Matt 4:5 NJB alt)

The Sentence is said or sung without alleluias in Lent.

If longer responses are desired for opening sentences, see below under 'Lent responses'.

KNEELING
Kneeling is particularly appropriate to the season of Lent, and so it may be worth encouraging the congregation to practise kneeling at certain points of the liturgy just for Lent and Holy Week. For more details, see the document 'General notes and resources' (under 'Kneeling') in this folder.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
On Ash Wednesday the Order for Confession and Absolution may be used instead of the confession and absolution in the regular service. Originally this order was intended for use as a short separate service to prepare people to receive holy communion. There may be opportunity to use it that way still today in some circumstances. Note that modern wording for this order is found in the Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement (p32) and in Approved Worship Services  (AWS) (which also has different forms for confession and absolution in its Appendix). AWS is now available in coil bound hard copy as well as on disk.

It is often beneficial to leave a time of silence between the call to confession and the prayer of confession. If there is a silence, the minister can lead with the words of confession after it.

INTRODUCTION TO CONFESSION OF SINS
Precede the regular invitation to confession with these words:
EITHER
Friends in Christ: 
Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, 
so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness.
Then continue with the regular invitation and prayer of confession.

OR
Friends in Christ: 
The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Then continue with the regular invitation and prayer of confession.

LENT PENITENTIAL RESPONSES 
The following penitential responses which were suggested for Advent are equally appropriate for Lent, perhaps even more so. These responses do not include an absolution, and may therefore be appropriate for a lay reading service. However, if an absolution is desired, the usual absolution in the service may be used after the final prayer of the responses.

We are all born weak and helpless. 
All lead the same short, troubled life. 
We grow and wither 
as quickly as the flowers; 
we disappear like shadows.
O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty,
O holy and most merciful God,
have mercy on us.

In the midst of life we are in death. 
To whom can we go for help, 
but to you, Lord God, 
though you are rightly displeased 
because of our sins?
O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty,
O holy and most merciful God,
have mercy on us.

You know the secrets of our hearts; 
mercifully hear us, 
most worthy judge eternal; 
keep us, at our last hour, 
in the consolation of your love.
O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty,
O holy and most merciful God,
have mercy on us.

O Lord God, your mercies are always new. 
Give us the Spirit of your dear Son, 
so that in the day of judgment 
we may stand in your presence 
as your forgiven people, despite our sins, 
as your faithful people, despite our failures, 
and as those who have been claimed by your Son through faith, 
although we have not deserved him. 
On that day may the same Christ, who has redeemed our lives, 
also plead our cause before your throne of grace. 
In his name we pray. 
Amen.

LORD, HAVE MERCY
For guidelines and variations of the 'Lord, have mercy', see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Liturgy', 'Lord, have mercy', in this folder. 

Here is a Lenten introduction to the 'Lord, have mercy'.

Let us call on Jesus our suffering Lord*, and ask him to help us.
[silence]
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
(or one of the other regular forms of the 'Lord, have mercy' may be used after the silence.)

* or our Lord who suffered (and died) for us

The following variations of the 'Lord, have mercy' may be used during Lent. The responses may be said or sung in English or Greek. A single or threefold response may be used. Consider using tunes for the response from the 'All Together' books (nos 11, 238, 379 and 392), Taize (vol I pages 55 to 59, vol II page 36), or Together in Song (734, 735, 736, 756, 757, 758, 759, 760).

Lord Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, hear our prayer and save us.
Lord, have mercy. OR Kyrie, eleison.
Lord Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, hear our prayer and help us.
Christ, have mercy. OR Christe, eleison.
Lord Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, hear our prayer and give us peace.
Lord, have mercy. OR Kyrie, eleison.

OR
Lord Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, hear our prayer and save us.
Lord, have mercy. OR Kyrie, eleison.
Lord Jesus Christ, bearer of our sins, hear our prayer and help us.
Christ, have mercy. OR Christe, eleison.
Lord Jesus Christ, redeemer of the world, hear our prayer and give us peace.
Lord, have mercy. OR Kyrie, eleison.

OR
Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered in our place, hear our prayer and save us.
Lord, have mercy. OR Kyrie, eleison.
Lord Jesus Christ, who died to end our death, hear our prayer and help us.
Christ, have mercy. OR Christe, eleison.
Lord Jesus Christ, who rose to bring us life, hear our prayer and give us peace.
Lord, have mercy. OR Kyrie, eleison.

OR
Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us. 
Jesus, you resisted evil,
have mercy on us. 
Jesus, you teach us to recognise what is evil,
have mercy on us. 
Jesus, you give us strength to resist evil,
have mercy on us. 
Jesus, you protect us from evil,
have mercy on us. 
Jesus, you will deliver us from evil,
have mercy on us. 

HYMN OF ADORATION
It is advisable to omit the hymn of adoration ('Glory to God in the highest' or 'This is the feast') entirely during Lent, so that it is not said or sung at any service from after Transfiguration until the Easter Vigil. In this way, the singing of the 'Glory to God in the highest' or the alternative canticle 'This is the feast' at the Easter Vigil or the first service of Easter Sunday acts as a proclamation of the risen Christ. The song 'This is the feast' is especially inappropriate for Lent. 

The only exception to this rule is that the 'Glory to God in the highest' is sung in services for special festivals such as the Annunciation and Maundy Thursday. The use of the 'Glory to God in the highest' in these services distinguishes these occasions from the austerity of the Lent liturgy.

A suitable alternative canticle may be used in the place of the hymn of adoration. See below under 'Canticles', and also in the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Canticles', in this folder.

VERSE
The word of praise 'alleluia' (or its Hebrew form, 'hallelujah') is not used at all during Lent, even on festivals such as Maundy Thursday or the Annunciation. In its place, the common order suggested Philippians 2:8: 'Christ humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross'. More recent orders, such as the Service - Alternative Form, have suggested Joel 2:13 as an alternative: 'Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love'.

Liturgical settings for these verses are given in the Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement. Here are some more suggestions for settings.

Philippians 2:8
'Christ humbled himself', ATA 139, by Robin Mann

Joel 2:13
Sing the Feast, setting one, by Tim Arnold-Moore
Song 'Turn to me with all your heart', ATO 331, by John Ylvisaker

As alternatives to these common verses, the notes for each Sunday or festival suggest a verse which fits with the readings for the day. If these alternative verses are used, they could be read in unison by the congregation, said responsively by minister/reader and congregation, or sung in unison (see settings in the Music Packages 2 and 5).

USING AN ACCLAMATION WITH THE VERSE
The Lutheran orders of Matins and Vespers both suggest that the sung 'Alleluia!' in the opening sentences is replaced by the acclamation 'Praise to you, O Lord, King of eternal glory' during Lent. In fact, the Roman Catholic liturgy has used this acclamation with the Verse as a congregational response. There are therefore many musical settings in worship books such as Gather Australia and Taize for the Verse to be sung responsively by cantor/minister and congregation in this way (see Gather Australia nos 92, 145, 146, 147, and 148; Taize vol I page 37 and vol II page 103). If desired, therefore, the Verse can be sung as follows (eg from 1 Lent).

Cantor:	Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of eternal glory!
Cong.:	Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, 
King of eternal glory!
Cantor:	No one lives on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Cong.:	Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, 
King of eternal glory!

Other acclamations, based on the acclamations before and after the reading of the gospel, are as follows.

'Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.'
'Glory to you, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ.'

Note that Bernadette Farrell's song 'Praise to you, O Christ, our Saviour' (see Together in Song 258) may be used as an acclamation. Use one verse each Sunday or use one verse before the gospel and one verse afterwards.

LENT RESPONSES
These responses may be used as opening sentences, or after one of the readings as a response (this is especially appropriate in Matins or Vespers), or as a gradual after the second reading (as in the Service with Communion). If they are used as opening sentences, the 'Glory to the Father . . .' may be replaced by 'In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.'

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God. 
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
(Matt 5:3 NRSV)

Christ himself suffered for us and left us an example,
so that we would follow in his steps.
He committed no sin,
and no-one ever heard a lie come from his lips.
When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult;
when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, 	the righteous Judge.
Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross,
so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness.
It is by his wounds
that we have been healed.
We were like sheep that had lost their way,
but now we have been brought back to follow the Shepherd and 	Keeper of our souls.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
(1 Pet 2:21-25)

OFFERTORY
The use of verses from Psalm 51 'Create in me' is most appropriate for a Lenten offertory. There are various tunes for this offertory besides the common one in the Service with Communion. See the Service - Alternative Form in the Supplement to the Lutheran Hymnal page 67 (harmony edition page 99), Sing the Feast settings one and two, All Together Everybody no. 269. See below under 'Hymns and songs', 'Offertory', for further suggestions.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
For general guidelines and ideas, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Liturgy', 'Prayer of the church', in this folder. 

It is generally preferable to use a well-known response such as 'Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer' to the intercessions, so that congregations can respond readily without having to look at the printed order of service or bulletin, which can be disrupting. However, if a seasonal variation is preferred, the following may be used as a response throughout Lent:

Have mercy on your people, Lord,
and renew us in your love.

Here is a suggestion for a way of doing the prayers during Lent:

A cantor can lead the congregation in singing the prayers. The congregation begins the prayers by singing together the first verse of 'O Christ, our king, creator, Lord' (Supplement to the Lutheran Hymnal, 755). Then the cantor sings the petitions on the single tone of E (using B for a modulating tone if desired), and the congregation responds with the words 'Lord, hear our prayer' to the tune of the first four notes of the first line of the verse. The organ can accompany their singing with the first four chords of this line. Then the congregation closes the prayers by singing the final verse of the hymn. (This idea comes from Sundays and Seasons 2000, published by Augsburg Fortress).

Reference could be made in the prayer to symbolism of the weather or geography etc of the local region, eg trying hot days during Lent.

LITANY
Instead of the prayer of the church, a litany may be used during Lent.

A litany is a form of prayer in which fixed responses are made by the congregation to short biddings or petitions said or sung by a minister or cantor. Although litanies of thanksgiving or adoration do exist, most litanies are by nature intercessory. The litany style of prayer originated in the Eastern liturgies, of which we have an example in the extended 'Lord, have mercy' in the Service - Alternative Form (given in the document 'General notes and resources' in this folder, under 'Liturgy', 'Lord, have mercy', in its full form from the liturgy of St John Chrysostom). 

In the West, the word litania was used for public penitential responsive prayers which were sung by the congregation while walking in procession. The traditional music for the litany had a strong rhythm to accompany the walking. The use of music and procession for the litany did not survive in the churches of the Reformation, although Luther gave music for the litany when he published his Latin liturgy, corrected in 1529. See below for a suggestion of how the litany may be sung in a modern way which still keeps the old rhythm of the responses.

Originally, the congregation sang the response to each prayer of the litany. The Anglican tradition altered this practice, and instead grouped the prayers together with a congregational response only after each group of prayers. The balance of the litany as a responsive intercession was thus obscured. 

The text of the litany may be found in modernised form in the Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement on page 80 and in Approved Worship Services. Other litanies, especially suitable for Lent, may be found in the 'Mid-week Lenten devotional service' documents in the 'Rites and services' folder. When praying these litanies, give thought to the following possibilities:

*	Instead of saying the response that appears at the end of a group of intercessions only after the whole group has been said, say the response after each intercession in that group.
*	Sing the litany to the simple tune by Martin Luther (cf Luther's Works, vol 53:153168) or the tune in Lutheran Book of Worship: Ministers Desk Edition (pages 86-91).
*	Sing the litany responsively to the tune 'I want Jesus to walk with me' (ATN 84), with the words given below. The verses are divided into sections which may be arranged in any way convenient for singing. For instance, parts I, II, IV and VI may be sung on one Sunday, and parts I, III, V and VI on the next. The rhythm of this tune makes it suitable for singing in procession.

I. 	Lord, have mercy: O hear our prayer.
Christ, have mercy: O hear our prayer.
Lord, have mercy; Christ have mercy;
Lord, have mercy: O hear our prayer.

O Christ, hear us: O hear our prayer.
God, the Father: O hear our prayer.
God, the Son, our Lord Christ Jesus;
God, the Spirit : O hear our prayer.

Lord, be gracious: Spare us, good Lord.
Lord, be gracious: Help us, good Lord.
From all sin and from all error,
from all evil: deliver us.

II. 	From the devil: deliver us.
from injustice: deliver us.
from rebellion and corruption;
war and violence: deliver us.

From all droughts, Lord: deliver us. 
And from fire, Lord: deliver us. 
From disease and floods and famines, 
and from death, Lord: deliver us.

III.	By your birth, Lord: help us, good Lord. 
By your life, Lord: help us, good Lord. 
by your cross and by your suff'ring, 
by your death, Lord: help us, good Lord. 

By your rising: help us, good Lord. 
and ascension: help us, good Lord. 
by the coming of the Spirit
on the disciples: help us, good Lord. 

In all trouble: help us, good Lord. 
and when prosperous: help us, good Lord. 
in the hour of death and judgment, 
when we need you: help us, good Lord.

IV. 	Rule your church, Lord: hear us, Lord God. 
Guide all pastors: hear us, Lord God. 
Keep your servants pure and holy; 
heal division: hear us, Lord God. 

Trample Satan: beneath our feet. 
Send out workers: into your field. 
Bring back all the lost and straying; 
give your Spirit: your word and power. 

Raise the fallen: and heal the weak. 
Give your strength, Lord: to those who stand, 
and give comfort to the weary, 
the faint-hearted: and those distressed. 

V. 	Bring peace and justice: hear us, good Lord. 
Preserve our country: hear us, good Lord. 
Guide all rulers, and our leaders, 
bless our people: hear us, good Lord. 

For those in trouble: hear us, good Lord. 
For all travellers: hear us, good Lord. 
For the sick and for the prisoner; 
For the mourning: hear us, good Lord. 

For forgiveness: hear us, good Lord. 
For conversion: hear us, good Lord. 
For the earth and all its people, 
hear our prayers, Lord: hear us, good Lord.

VI.	O Lord Jesus: the Son of God. 
Show your mercy: O Lamb of God. 
You who take away the world's sin, 
O Lord Jesus: grant us your peace. 

O Christ, hear us: O hear our prayer. 
Lord, have mercy: O hear our prayer. 
Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy: 
Lord, have mercy: O hear our prayer.

SEASONAL PREFACE
The seasonal preface given in the documents for each Sunday and festival is a modernised text recommended for use by the Department of Liturgics with all forms of the liturgy (originally released with the Approved Worship Services disk, in the Service - Alternative Form and the Sing the Feast settings). However, at this stage, these modernised prefaces have not been set to music for singing by the presiding minister. 

The modernised text for Lent is:

It is indeed right and good, 
Lord God, holy Father, 
that we should at all times and in all places 
give thanks to you, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
He has taken upon himself our sin, 
so that we might die to sin
and live to righteousness. 
And so, with angels and archangels, 
and with all the company of heaven, 
we adore and praise your glorious name:

Until music is made available for these modernised texts, those who sing the prefaces may either attempt to adapt the relevant chant to the new words, or use the original texts on pages 20 to 23 of the music edition of the Supplement to the Lutheran Hymnal (for the Service with Communion) or pages 101 to 103 (for the Service - Alternative Form). For convenience, these texts for the sung form of the seasonal prefaces for Lent are given below.

For the Service with Communion:
It is truly fitting and right, 
and for our lasting good, 
that we should at all times and in all places 
give thanks to you, 
O Lord, holy Father, 
almighty and eternal God, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord; 
for he has taken upon himself our sin,
that we, being dead to sin,
should live to righteousness.
Therefore with angels and archangels, 
and with all the company of heaven, 
we adore and magnify your glorious name, 
evermore praising you and saying:

OR, for the Service - Alternative Form
It is indeed right and salutary 
that we should at all times and in all places 
offer thanks and praise to you, 
O Lord, holy Father, 
through Christ our Lord. 
You bid your people cleanse their hearts
and prepare with joy for the paschal feast.
Renew our zeal in faith and life, 
and bring us to the fullness of grace 
that belongs to the children of God.
And so, with the church on earth
and the hosts of heaven, 
we praise your name
and join their unending hymn:

OR, if the Modern Liturgy (originally from Worship Today) is used:
Who died upon the cross
to save us all from sin, 
and rose from death again
to bring eternal life.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
One of the following Lent variations could be used. 

A. A modified form of the prayer in the Service - Alternative Form (also in the Sing the Feast settings).

All praise and thanks be to you, eternal God, holy Father, 
together with your only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, 
and the Holy Spirit, who unites your people in love.
We thank you for creating all things.
We thank you for calling and rescuing your chosen people.
Above all we thank and praise you
for keeping your promise to the people of old
and sending your Son Jesus Christ.
He was tempted in every way as we are, 
yet did not sin.
He offered himself as the sacrifice for sin
to deliver his people
and bring us victory over evil.
And so we remember
his life, death, and resurrection for our salvation
as he comes to us in this holy meal.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

B. A modified form of the prayer in the Modern Liturgy (originally from Worship Today).

Gracious Father, 
we therefore remember the sacrifice of our Lord in celebration, 
as we receive his body and blood
with this bread and wine.
We rejoice to receive all that he has done for us
in his life and death, 
his resurrection and ascension.
We thank you that he was tempted in every way as we are, 
yet did not sin, 
and that he offered himself as the sacrifice for sin
to deliver his people
and bring us victory over evil.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit, 
so that we who receive the body and blood of Christ
may live as true members of the body of your Son.
Amen.

ACCLAMATION AFTER THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION
If the Service- Alternative Form is used (either with the setting on page 58 of the Supplement, or one of the settings from Sing the Feast), the acclamation 'Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again' after the words of institution may be replaced with the following alternative (taken from the canticle 'O Saviour of the world' (Salvator Mundi, cf LHS 668)). It is appropriate to use words of invitation with the acclamation such as:

Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.
Lord, by your cross and resurrection, 
you have set us free.
You are the Saviour of the world.

COMMUNION INVITATION
The following invitation may be used before communion throughout Lent. The congregation may respond with the words 'Thanks be to God' after the verse, before the invitation, 'Come . . .'. 

Every time we eat this bread and drink from this cup 
we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 
(Thanks be to God.)
Come, everything is ready. 

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
The following variation of the post-communion prayer may be used during Lent.

Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, as you did not spare your own Son, 
but gave him up to die on the cross for us all: 
Grant that we who have received
his body and blood in the sacrament
may live in him and he in us, 
so that, as your children, 
we may walk in your ways 
and serve you all the days of our life; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

SEASONAL BLESSING
Here is a seasonal blessing for Lent. It may be used before the usual blessing.

(May) Christ our crucified Saviour draw you to himself, 
so that you may find in him the assurance of sins forgiven 
and the gift of eternal life; . . . (the blessing follows)

HYMNS AND SONGS

SOURCES
The following are the main sources for suggested hymns and songs:

Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement (LHS)
The 'All Together' songbooks (AT)
Together in Song: Australian Hymn Book II (TIS)
Revised texts: Modernised 'Lutheran Hymnal' hymns (see the 'Modernised Lutheran Hymnal hymns' folder). These modernised hymns are usually indicated with an asterisk (*) and the words 'Modernised version available'.
Some new hymns/songs. 

Permission is given for the new songs/hymns and new versions to be reproduced by congregations for non-commercial worship purposes (with acknowledgment).

HYMNS FOR LENT
Much of the hymnody that has traditionally been sung during Lent in the Australian Lutheran church is more specifically orientated towards the Passion of Christ than to the themes of Lent in general. This can be seen from the fact that the Lutheran Hymnal of 1973 does not contain a section called Lent but rather has a generous selection of hymns under the heading Passion. For more information on this, see the notes on the character of Lent under 'General' above. The Supplement, it may be noted, has a Lent section, rather than a Passion section, and yet at least four of these hymns (nos 753, 754, 758 and 759) are more correctly songs of the Passion than Lenten hymns. 

When choosing hymns for the first five weeks of Lent, consider selecting (rather than Passion hymns) hymns that reflect the Lenten readings (see the notes for each Sunday) or hymns that reflect themes of discipleship, repentance, or walking the way of the cross. If it is desirable to use Passion hymns before the Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday), mid-week Lenten services may provide a suitable opportunity.

Suitable Lenten hymns may be found in the following sections of the Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement: Consecration, Love and Obedience, Repentance, Cross and Comfort, Redeemer.

LORD, HAVE MERCY
See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Hymns and songs', 'Lord, have mercy', in this folder for metrical paraphrases of the 'Lord, have mercy'. Below are two Lent versions.

The following 'Lord, have mercy', by David Schütz, may be sung to 'Sieh, hier bin ich', LH 150.

Jesus Christ, you suffered for us,
hear our prayer and rescue us.
Lamb of God and Lion of Judah,
Jesus, Lord, in you we trust.
Lord, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy on us now.

Jesus Christ, you perished for us, 
hear our prayer, deliver us.
Ransom us from death's dark prison,
set us free from Eden's curse.
Lord, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy on us now.

Jesus Christ, you live forever,
hear our prayer and give us peace.
You alone are our Redeemer,
here we seek your gift of grace.
Lord, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy on us now.

Here is a metrical 'Lord, have mercy' by David Schubert. It is to the metre 8.6.8.6, so there are plenty of available tunes (eg the tune of LH 48 (TIS 515(ii)) or LH 620 could be considered). Note that there is also a 'Lamb of God' (in the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Hymns and songs', 'Lamb of God') to the same metre, so consider singing the 'Lord, have mercy' here to the same tune, to help give a unity to the liturgy if hymnic parts are used. The pastor/cantor/choir could sing lines 1 and 3, or they could be sung by only men or only women, alternating verse by verse, and then the whole congregation could sing lines 2 and 4 in each verse as a repeated response.

Redeemer, Lord, we pray to you,
in mercy hear us, Lord.
Look down in pity on our needs,
have mercy on us, Lord.

Redeemer, Lord, we pray to you,
in mercy hear us, Christ.
Defend and help and comfort us,
have mercy on us, Christ. 

Redeemer, Lord, we pray to you,
in mercy hear us, Lord.
Be with your people, give us peace,
have mercy on us, Lord.

Alternatively, the three adapted and modernised verses of 'Jesus, in thy dying woes' (LH 82) in 'Modernised Lutheran Hymnal hymns' could be sung.

OFFERTORY
The following hymn and song versions of Psalm 51 'Create in me' are suitable for use as an offertory during Lent.

LHS 364, TIS 559 A new heart, Lord, create in me (*modernised)
LHS 358 Renew me, O eternal Light (vv 3,4) (*modernised)
ATE 269 Create in us

The following could also be considered as an offertory song. 

LH 377 Take my life, Lord, let me be (*modernised)
(also as TIS 599, not modernised)

From Together in Song, hymn number 506 'Author of life divine' is a very suitable offertory when holy communion is celebrated, especially if the bread and wine for the communion are presented during the offertory.

LENTEN HYMNS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES
Here are some new and modernised hymns suitable for Lent.

Lord, your suffering love to us (Words: Stephen Pietsch; tune: LH 590, TIS 561 Monk's Gate)

Lord, your suffering love to us
has won salvation. 
Let our hearts forgiven thus
gain inspiration
our debtors to forgive; 
in unity to live, 
walking the path of peace, 
patiently bearing.

Cleanse our hearts of bitterness. 
Heal all division.
Teach your church to live in peace; 
true to our mission. 
Jesus, you bore the cross
and suffered death for us! 
Pardoned and pardoning, 
we live by mercy.

Freedom to the heart you bring, 
freedom for living. 
From our opened hearts shall spring
your sweet forgiving. 
Under your cross we stand
together, hand in hand. 
One through your suffering! 
One in your glory!

Now is the healing time decreed (Evening office hymn for Lent from before 12th century, translated TA Lacey, modernised by David Schütz; suggested tune: LH 74, Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten)

Now is the healing time decreed
for sins of heart, of word or deed, 
when we in humble fear record
the wrong that we have done the Lord;

who, always merciful and good, 
has borne so long our wayward mood, 
nor cut us off unsparingly
in our so great iniquity.

Therefore with fasting and with prayer, 
our secret sorrow we declare; 
with all good striving seek his face, 
and lowly-hearted plead for grace.

Cleanse us, O Lord, from every stain, 
help us the joy of praise to gain, 
till with the angels linked in love
joyful we tread your courts above.

Father and Son and Spirit blessed, 
to you is all our prayer addressed, 
to you, in threefold name adored, 
from age to age, the only Lord. 

O kind Creator, bow your ear (Ascribed to St Gregory the Great, 5th cent., translated by TA Lacey, modernised by David Schütz; suggested tune: LH 65 Das walt Gott Vater)

O kind Creator, bow your ear
to mark the cry, to know the tear
before your throne of mercy spent
in this, the holy fast of Lent.

Our hearts are open, Lord, to you: 
you know the sin and wrong we do; 
pour out on all who seek your face
the fullness of your pardoning grace.

Our sins are many, this we know; 
spare us, good Lord, your mercy show; 
and for the honour of your name, 
from power of death, your people claim.

Give us the self-control that springs
from discipline of outward things, 
that as we keep the inward fast
our hearts may seek the things that last.

We pray you, holy Trinity, 
one God, unchanging Unity, 
that we from this our abstinence
may reap the fruits of penitence.

Forty days and forty nights (Words, George Hunt Smyttan (1822-70), alt. by David Schütz; tune: Heinlein, TIS 591 or Vienna, LHS 207, TIS 440). Note: A shorter version of this hymn may be found in Together in Song 591. 

Forty days and forty nights
you were fasting in the wild; 
forty days and forty nights
strong, yet tempted all the while.

Beating sun throughout the day, 
freezing cold when light had fled, 
prowling beasts around your way, 
stones your pillow, earth your bed.

Now we know, Lord, that you share
our temptation and our pain. 
Teach us how to strive in prayer, 
fighting greed for earthly gain.

Then when sin and evil press
on our hearts so weak and frail, 
Victor in the wilderness, 
help us not to stray or fail.

Send us those angelic powers
such as ministered to you. 
So shall grace and peace be ours
as you show us what to do.

Keep, O keep us, Saviour dear, 
ever, always, by your side, 
so with you may we appear
at the heav'nly Eastertide.

Dear Lord and Father of mankind (Words, John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-92), alt. by David Schütz; tune: Repton TIS 598). 
Note: A less modernised version of this hymn may be found in Together in Song 598.

Dear Father, Lord of humankind, 
forgive our foolish ways; 
reclothe us in our rightful mind, 
in purer lives, your service find,
in deeper rev'rence, praise,
in deeper rev'rence, praise.

In simple trust, like those who heard
beside the Syrian sea, 
the gracious calling of the Lord, 
let us, like them, obey his word,
'Rise up, and follow me.'
'Rise up, and follow me.'

In Sabbath rest by Galilee, 
with hills so calm above, 
there Jesus shared on bended knee
the silence of eternity,
interpreted by love!
interpreted by love!

Rain down on us your quietness, 
till all our strivings cease; 
take from our minds the strain and stress, 
and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of your peace,
the beauty of your peace.

Breathe through the heat of our desire, 
refresh our weary heart; 
let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; 
speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,
O still small voice of calm!
O still small voice of calm!

Note that Luther’s Dear Christians, one and all rejoice has seven verses in LH ( no 322) and five verses in modernised form in TIS (no 196). A modern version of all ten verses may be found in ‘Modernised Lutheran Hymnal hymns’ (no 322); this tells more completely the salvation history, and may be split into two hymns, verses 1-5 and 6-10.

'ALL TOGETHER' SONGS SUITABLE FOR LENT
The Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement has seasonal sections for Lent and the Passion. Since this is not so with the 'All Together' songbooks, a list of songs which could be considered for use in Lent is given here. Note: These songs focus on the themes of repentance and discipleship that characterise Lent. For songs that concentrate on the Passion, see the document 'Holy Week', under 'All Together songs suitable for Holy Week', in this folder.

6	O Father, my Father
10	In the house of God
34	Seek ye first
84	I want Jesus to walk with me
93	Pass my love around
95	Prayer of St Francis
114	The promised land (Come, my brother)
137	I heard the voice of Jesus 
145	What wondrous love is this
156	He set us free
168	Hear our prayer
175	The greatest commandment
177	Love one another
180	A time for building bridges
185	Jesus, Son of God and man
190	The way is low
191	The servant song
197	When I needed a neighbour
235	In your hand, my Saviour
261	The Servant King
265	Take us now, we are yours
274	In Jesus' name (When I call you)
276	Into your death we go
286	Sorrowing song
292	Because we bear your name
300	Practise love
308	We are called to follow Jesus
310	Yesu, Yesu, fill us with your love
322	Lord, where have we left you
327	Sorry
329	This kingdom
331	Turn to me with all your heart
332	We are sorry
348	Sing hey for the carpenter
354	Change my heart, O God
357	Give us hearts to know you, Lord
372	Teach me your way
373	Bound by love
384	If we will trust in God to guide us
397	Before I take the body of the Lord (These I lay down)
401	Follow me
413	The Summons (Will you come and follow me)
436	Amen, amen, it shall be so!
482	His love within the world
491	You call me to love
495	Come and follow me
506	Oh, let’s get up to love and serve

TOGETHER IN SONG HYMNS/SONGS SUITABLE FOR LENT
25	As pants the hart for cooling streams
26	Just as a lost and thirsty deer
31	Have mercy on us, living Lord
32	Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness
81	Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord
131	Father of heaven, whose love profound
201	King of glory, King of peace
206	With joy we meditate the grace
252	When he was baptised in Jordan
407	Breathe on me, breath of God
463	May this Lenten discipline
546	Lord Jesus, think on me
549	God be in my head
576	O for a closer walk with God
577	Come, let us too the Lord our God
580	Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
591	Forty days and forty nights
633	Lord, we are blind; the world of sight
684	Love will be our Lenten calling

TAIZE SONGS SUITABLE FOR LENT
Taize chants may be used in a separate service, or they may be used in the service with holy communion as meditative responses to readings, replacements for the equivalent section of the liturgy (eg kyries may replace the 'Lord, have mercy'), as a simple chant to be sung during communion, or as sung responses to the intercessions. Here are some suitable for Lent.

Music from Taize, volume I
Miserere mei (Psalm 25)
Miserere nobis
Ubi caritas
Adoramus te, Domine I
Domine, miserere
Gloria tibi, Domine (suitable for use as an acclamation before the gospel)
Jesu Christe, miserere
Kyrie IX (used as a prayer response, or for the 'Lord, have mercy')
Libera nos Domine (a setting of the litany)
Memento nostri, Domine
Mysterium fidei
Agnus Dei (suitable for 'Lamb of God')
Salvator mundi

Music from Taize, volume II
Adoramus te, Christe
Dominus Deus
Laus tibi, Christe (suitable as an acclamation after the gospel)
O poverty
Seek first
Son of God (a litany)

IONA COMMUNITY SONGS SUITABLE FOR LENT
Here is a list of some of the available volumes of Iona music and recordings, and those songs in the collection that are suitable for Lent. Note that the Iona Community is willing to allow a church or worship assembly to reproduce the words only of a song from these publications on a service sheet or overhead transparency that is to be used once only on a non-commercial basis, provided that the title of the song and the name of the copyright holder is clearly shown.

John L Bell & Graham Maule, Wild Goose Songs vol. 1 Heaven Shall Not Wait
Available as songbook. Contains sixty-two songs and chants on the themes of 'God: creating and caring', 'God: coming among us' and 'Jesus: one of us'. 

page 70, God on earth
page 75, Lord, where have we
page 76, When to the temple (esp for Third Sunday in Lent)
page 79, Names they called him
page 80, The Temptations (esp for First Sunday in Lent A,B,C)
page 84, Sing Hey for the carpenter (esp for Second Sunday in Lent B)
page 96, Gifts of the Spirit (a Pentecost song that's appropriate for Lent)
page 104, Heaven shall not wait 
page 112, Blessing and honour (esp for First Sunday in Lent C)
page 117, The Summons (esp for Second Sunday in Lent B)

John L Bell & Graham Maule, Wild Goose Songs vol. 2 Enemy of Apathy 
Available as songbook. Contains sixty-two songs and chants for Lent, Eastertide and Pentecost. 

page 23, Jerusalem, Jerusalem (esp for Second Sunday in Lent C)
page 28, I will give what I have (esp for Fifth Sunday in Lent C)
page 30, The Pawnbroker (esp for first reading Third Sunday in Lent C)

John L Bell & Graham Maule, Wild Goose Songs vol. 3 Love from Below
page 48 God it was (esp for first reading Second Sunday in Lent C)

John L Bell, Psalms of Patience, Protest and Praise
page 11, May the words of my mouth (Ps 19) (Third Sunday in Lent B)
page 14, I lift my soul to you, O God (Ps 25) (First Sunday in Lent B)
page 34, O God, you are my God alone (Ps 63) (Third Sunday in Lent C)
page 42, Whoever lives beside the Lord (Ps 91) (First Sunday in Lent C)

CANTICLES
For guidelines on using canticles as well as different versions of the texts, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Canticles', in this folder. Particularly suitable for Lent are:

* Saviour of the World (Salvator Mundi)
The following settings and words are available for this canticle:

*	Lutheran Hymnal nos 668 and 669 (traditional wording)
*	Music from Taize, volume I
*	Metrical paraphrase by Stephen Pietsch (see below)
*	'Saviour of the world', words paraphrased by David Schubert, music by Sue Collyer. This is in ATW, no. 451, and also in Approved Worship Services, Canticles document, and the music is also in the Music Packages 2 and 5.

By your precious blood you have saved us (paraphrase by Stephen Pietsch; tune: Picardy, harmony edition of Supplement to LH A9)

By your precious blood you have saved us,
Lamb most holy, Jesus Christ.
On the cross of death you redeemed us,
suffering for the sin of the world.

	Hear us now, we pray, O Jesus,
	help us in your mercy, Lord!

On the restless sea, your disciples
cried to you to still the waves.
Fearing death, they sought your protection.
In your love, you spared their lives:

Jesus, look on us with compassion.
Free us from our sin, we implore.
By your mighty power, now deliver
all who call upon your name:

Christ, we pray, now dwell with your people.
Guide us with your gentle hand.
Shield us by your powerful presence.
Guard your church from every foe:

Lord, when you return in your glory,
in the fullness of your power,
so transform our mortal bodies
to be like your own in light:

* The Song of the Word of the Lord (Isaiah 55:6-11)
The text here is from NRSV.

Seek the Lord while he may be found, 
call upon him while he is near; 
let the wicked forsake their way, 
and the unrighteous their thoughts; 
let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, 
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 
so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, 
and do not return there until they have watered the earth, 
making it bring forth and sprout, 
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; 
it shall not return to me empty, 
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, 
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

* The Beatitudes

* The Song of Christ the Servant (1 Pet 2:21-25)
This New Testament canticle is given for use during Lent in the Service of the Word (see Approved Worship Services). 

Christ himself suffered for us and left us an example,
so that we would follow in his steps.
He committed no sin,
and no-one ever heard a lie come from his lips.
When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult;
when he suffered, he did not threaten, 
but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge.
Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross,
so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness.
It is by his wounds
that we have been healed.
We were like sheep that had lost their way,
but now we have been brought back 
to follow the Shepherd and Keeper of our souls.

MUSIC

For various music resources and guidelines, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Music', in this folder. See also in this folder the document 'Indexes to Music Packages'.

VISUAL ARTS

GENERAL
For general guidelines and ideas, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Visual arts', in this folder.

COLOURS
Violet or purple, or unbleached cloth.

Traditionally, violet or purple has been used for the Lent season, since purple is the traditional colour for royalty and reminds worshippers of Christ's kingship (a special emphasis of St John's account of the Passion). The paraments and vestments for Lent have doubled for Advent as well. Unfortunately, this has often meant that the symbols on the paraments have not always been appropriate to Lent (eg mangers and stars). Thought may therefore be given to preparing separate sets of paraments and vestments with Lent and Advent symbols.

Note that for many centuries, the use of unbleached cloth was considered normal during Lent. Some imagination may be used here, if plain undecorated rough cloth such as calico or hessian is used instead of the usual violet or purple.

FLOWERS
During Lent, it is appropriate to omit the placing of flowers in the sanctuary. Greater contrast will be created if special effort is put into decorating the sanctuary at the Easter Vigil or the first service on Easter Sunday with more flowers than usual. If flowers are used, they could be used sparingly and arrangements could contain mainly violet flowers.

Some suggest that instead of flowers, floral artists could work with greens or sticks and branches, eg palm or olive branches or reeds. This may be an opportunity to explore plant decorations other than flowers.

DECORATION FOR LENT
The austerity of the Lenten liturgy is heightened if the church is stripped of its usual decoration, such as banners and flowers. This enables a contrast to be created with respect to the coming Easter season, when banners, flowers, and other decorations are used to their fullest extent. The removal of all banners can be incorporated into the service on the last Sunday after Epiphany (Transfiguration), by carrying them in procession out of the church during the closing hymn. 

In some places, it has been customary to shroud all remaining representations of Christ or the saints, whether pictures, crucifixes or statues, during Lent. A remnant of this custom remains in some congregations where the crucifix is shrouded in a black cloth on Good Friday. However, while it is perhaps appropriate to extend the shrouding to the whole of Holy Week (including the Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday)), it is probably not desirable to do this for the whole of Lent.

If the church has a large empty cross as a central feature, a very striking addition during Lent is to drape a long thin piece of coloured material over the arms of the cross as a symbolic shroud. The colour may match the colour of the paraments on the altar. Thus violet may be used for Lent, and then it could be changed to rose red for Holy Week, white for Maundy Thursday, and black for Good Friday. On Easter Sunday, the cross may be left bare or a white and/or gold cloth may drape the cross for the whole of the Easter season.

A TIME TO CLEAN
Lent and Holy Week, when banners are taken down, and altars are stripped, are excellent times to do the cleaning that is necessary to keep these fabrics from becoming dusty and/or stained. 

CROSS AND OBJECTS OF THE PASSION
At the beginning of Lent, on Ash Wednesday or the First Sunday in Lent, the congregation may erect a large wooden cross in a prominent place either inside or (as a witness to the local community) in front of the church. Each Sunday, objects of the Passion, such as the following, are added to the cross. This may be done by children. Each addition may be accompanied by brief words of explanation or words of Scripture, or the objects may be added in silence.

Dice and robe
Nails and hammer
Spear
Crown of thorns
Notice of sentence
Whip

CROSS / CROWN OF THORNS AND CANDLES
The following suggestion is based partly on the Advent wreath and partly on the tradition of the Tenebrae service. The extinguishing of candles represents the way in which the disciples abandoned Jesus. 

A wooden cross laid flat, or a crown of thorns, or a combination of the two, are placed in the sanctuary. Six purple or violet candles (one for each Sunday in Lent) or 12 candles (one for each disciple) are placed on the arms of the cross or on the ring of thorns. One white candle, representing Christ, is placed in the centre. (Note: Do not use the paschal candle for this - leave that until Easter.) If a cross is used, holes can be drilled to hold the candles. Alternatively, drive nails into the wood, snip off the heads of the nails and insert the candles on the nails. If a crown of thorns is used, it could be made of blackberry branches or box thorn or some similar local thorny branches or twigs, and the candles arranged around it, as in the Advent wreath. 

Alternatively, a triangular candle stand may be used as for Tenebrae, having a horizontal base and two equal upwardly sloping sides; three (or six) purple/violet candles are mounted on each of the two sloping sides, and the white one at the apex. A cross or crown of thorns may be displayed at the base of the triangle. 

At the First Sunday in Lent all the candles are lit including the white one, and at the end of the service one of the purple candles is extinguished (or two, if using 12 candles). For the Second Sunday in Lent, five (or ten) of the purple candles are lit, and at the end of the service one of those is extinguished (or two); and so on throughout the Sundays in Lent. The last purple candle(s) is/are extinguished at the end of the Passion Sunday service and only the Christ candle remains lit. This remains throughout Holy Week, and at the end of the Good Friday service it is removed, still lit, and carried out of the worship area ready for the full light to reappear at the Easter vigil or the first service on Easter Day in the form of the paschal candle. The removal of the candle may take place during the silence after chapter 19, verse 30, in the reading of St John's Passion.

LENT-EASTER TREE
A representation of a trunk of a tree with removable branches may be displayed. The tree initially has six bare branches. One branch is lopped off on each Sunday in Lent, until at the Passion Sunday service only a bare dead stump is left - which remains displayed throughout Holy Week. It then sprouts and grows again throughout Easter (see document 'Easter season', under 'Lent-Easter tree', in this folder).

The representation of a tree could consist of pieces placed on a flannelgraph, or cardboard pinned on a display board, or paper or cloth pinned on a fabric hanging. Alternatively, a craftsperson in the congregation could make a tree with six removable branches.

CONGREGATION CRUCIFIX
Medieval crucifix paintings and carvings often showed the crucified Christ on the cross surrounded by a larger cross-shaped frame, containing depictions of saints, eg the apostles and local saints. The best known of these is the so-called 'Cross of St Francis'. This concept could be adapted by the congregation during Lent as follows.

Draw or copy a large crucifix and surround it with a frame containing photos or drawings of members of the congregation, eg confirmation candidates or children - or a different group could be included each Sunday during Lent (it is best to avoid showing only the 'leaders'). A halo could be drawn or painted around each of the heads. This crucifix could be displayed in the church and briefly explained - that all Christians are saints gathered around the cross of Christ.

SYMBOLS FOR LENT
The following symbols may be used during Lent. Most of them relate more specifically with Holy Week and the celebration of the Passion, but they may be introduced earlier.

The cross
There is an almost infinite variety of designs for the cross, among which the following are most popular:

*	The Latin cross
This form of the cross has the cross arms and the upper arm at equal length, with the bottom stem twice as long. The Latin cross can be further decorated with a crown of thorns to emphasise the passion of Christ. In the ancient church, a skull was sometimes depicted at the foot of the cross symbolising Christ's victory over death. Other common ways of depicting the cross are: empty, but with the nails in place; and shrouded with the sheet used to wrap the body of Christ.

*	The Greek cross
All four arms of equal length. The cross cantonnee is a Greek cross with four smaller crosses of the same design in the blank space in each quarter. This symbolises the five wounds of Christ.

*	The Eastern cross
Used by the Orthodox church, this is the same shape as the Latin cross (although a little slimmer) with an extra shorter arm (representing the notice of sentence) above the usual cross arm. A lower arm (representing the place where Christ's feet were supported), the exact length of the upper arm, is also added, but slanting backhand, ie down to the right, at an angle less than 45 degrees. 

*	The Celtic cross
Also known as the Irish cross or the cross of Iona, used by the ancient Celtic Christians. A circle, representing eternity, lies over the cross with its centre at the point where the arms cross. The circle is smaller in diameter than the arms of the cross, so that the circle intersects the arms.

*	The crucifix
A crucifix is a Latin cross which includes a represention of the Lord's body.

INRI monogram
The familiar INRI stands for the Latin words Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, that is, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. These words were written in Latin, Hebrew, and Greek on the cross above Jesus when he was crucified. Often the monogram is placed on a scroll.

Crown of thorns (and nails)
Sometimes the crown of thorns is shown alone, or with the INRI monogram. Sometimes either three or four nails are thrust into it. Whether three or four nails are used depends on whether or not the tradition is accepted which says that one nail pierced both of Jesus' feet.

Cross rising out from a chalice
The agony in Gethsemane is almost invariably pictured by the use of a jewelled chalice out of which is rising a small cross, with pointed ends. This is called the cross of suffering. The chalice is golden, and the cross is red. The reference is to our Saviour's prayer in Gethsemane concerning the cup of suffering (Luke 22:42).

The passion flower
Although of modern origin, the passion flower has lately been used as a Passion symbol. The flower is said to contain all the symbols of the Passion:
*	Central column represents the column to which Christ was tied when he was whipped
*	The ovary is shaped like a hammer used to drive the nails
*	The three styles, each with a rounded head, are the nails
*	The five stamens symbolise the five wounds
*	The rays within the flower form a halo, symbolising the Lord's glory
*	The leaf is shaped like the spear that pierced his heart
*	The ten petals represent the ten apostles who forsook Jesus
*	The flower is said to bloom for three days, the time of Christ in the tomb

Heart pierced by a lance
A common symbol relating to the death of Christ when his heart was pierced.

The Lamb of God
This is a symbol for Christ, but care must be taken that the lamb which is depicted is not a victory lamb such as is portrayed in the visions of Revelation and which is more appropriate for Easter. The passion lamb is sometimes shown with its heart pierced and with its blood flowing into a chalice to symbolise the blood of Christ shed for the life of the world.

CONCORDIA COMMENTARY 'ICONS'
Some striking and simple visual designs, among which some are suitable for Lent, may be found in the Concordia Commentary Series published by Concordia Publishing House (eg in Greg Lockwood's commentary on 1 Corinthians, page xxi). These could be especially fruitful for ideas for banner designs or bulletin art.

Dr Christopher Mitchell is the editor of the Concordia Commentary series. Greg Lockwood says that he would be able to help regarding copyright matters; his e-mail address at CPH is cmitchell@cph.org 
and his home e-mail is 
ccdnmitch@aol.com

DRAMA

For ideas involving drama and dramatisation, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Drama and movement', in this folder. See also 'Offering basket' and 'Imposition of ashes' below.

CHILDREN

GENERAL
For guidelines and general ideas on involving children, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Involving children', in this folder. The imposition of ashes is an example of a dramatic rite which can speak to all people (see under 'Imposition of ashes' below).

OFFERING BASKET
Since one of the focuses of Lent is fasting and giving to the needy, Lent can be a good time to introduce a food basket in your congregation, and the children can help the congregation learn about its importance. 

Buy an attractive wicker basket to place at the door of the church. Encourage children during the week to keep those less fortunate in mind when they go shopping with their parents, and to buy an article or two of non-perishable food to place in the food basket on Sunday. Ask two children to bring the food basket to the altar with the other offerings during the service. Then the food may be donated to welfare agencies to distribute to those whose need is greatest.

See also: 'Cross and objects of the Passion' (above), 'Imposition of ashes' (below).

OTHER MATERIAL

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE OUTLINE
The Ash Wednesday liturgy can be made quite sparse. In some ways, it is similar to the Good Friday liturgy. Below is a suggested outline for an order of service for Ash Wednesday. See also the document 'Ash Wednesday' in each year's 'Lent to Trinity' folder. 

1	Minister(s) enter in silence
2	Opening sentences
3	Greeting
4	Prayer of the day (collect)
5	First reading
6	Psalm
7	Second reading
8	Verse
9	Gospel
10	Hymn or song
11	Sermon
12	Imposition of ashes
13	Prayer
14	Offering (during hymn or song)
15	Preface
16	Seasonal preface
17	Holy, holy, holy
18	Lord's Prayer (prayed by pastor)
19	Come, Lord Jesus
20	Words of institution
21	Christ has died...
22	Peace
23	Lamb of God
24	Communion (in silence)
25	Dismissal
26	Prayer after communion
27	Blessing
28	Silent prayer / congregation leaves in silence

IMPOSITION OF ASHES
As the name implies, Ash Wednesday is the day on which Christians are marked with the sign of the cross in ashes. This ceremony is optional and, if introduced for the first time, may be preceded with instruction as to its meaning. (See  the document 'Ash Wednesday' in each of the three years' 'Lent to Trinity' folders.) 

The imposition of ashes is a personal reminder of our mortal nature (Genesis 2:7, 'The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground') and of our need to repent and die to sin. Since the ashes are imposed in the sign of the cross, the imposition is also a reminder that Christ became dust and ashes like us, taking on our mortal nature and bearing our sin, so that we might be redeemed. Some people object to the ceremony on the basis of the gospel for the day ('Some disfigure their faces . . . but when you fast, wash your face') but imposition of ashes is not intended to be a public sign to others of our piety.

The ashes are prepared by burning dry leaves and, when the ashes are cool, passing them through a sieve to produce a fine powder. Traditionally, the ashes come from the leaves of the branches used at the procession with palms on Palm Sunday of the previous year.

The ashes are placed in a small bowl about two inches across. The bowl should comfortably sit in the palm of the left hand, leaving the right hand free to apply the ashes. Before the Ash Wednesday service begins, the bowl of ashes is placed on a side table or on the corner of the altar ready for use. 

If the imposition of ashes is used in the service, the rite takes place after the sermon. This is to enable the sermon to serve as a call to repentance. It also enables the minister to explain the rite during the sermon if the imposition of ashes is new to the congregation's experience.

The text of the rite is to be found in the 'Ash Wednesday' document. The responses (from the funeral service) are said. During the final collect, the presiding minister may touch the bowl of ashes, or make the sign of the cross over them, to indicate the ashes referred to in the prayer. The minister then asks the worshippers to come forward (if they wish) and receive the imposition. Children also may be encouraged to participate. The worshippers may approach the altar as for continuous communion, or they may simply come forward in single file. The presiding minister (with the help of an assistant if the congregation is large) imposes the ashes by rubbing some of the ash between his thumb and forefinger of his right hand and then, with his thumb (using the other fingers of his hand to brush aside hair etc) he marks the forehead of the worshippers with a small cross. 

The minister may use either of the two formulas of imposition, but it is essential to address each worshipper individually. The minister may also address each worshipper by their Christian name, for instance:

N, repent and believe the gospel.

Having received the ashes, the worshipper returns to his or her place. After all who wish to have received the ashes, either the minister marks himself with the ashes, or this may be done by his assistant. A period of silence may be observed, and then the service continues with the prayers.

ENROLMENT FOR BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION (CATECHUMENATE)
Lent is the traditional time for congregational educational programs focusing on learning the faith. In particular, it may be a time for preparing candidates for the following rites of the church, especially for holy baptism and confirmation.

In Lutheran circles, Palm Sunday has been a traditional time for the rite of confirmation and admission to first communion. This practice arose during the time of infrequent communion services, when communion was celebrated only four times a year, Easter Sunday being one of these occasions. Candidates were confirmed on Palm Sunday in preparation for the Easter communion.

A more appropriate time for confirmation is the traditional baptismal festival celebrated on the night before Easter Sunday, now celebrated as the Easter Vigil. Since ancient times, this service has had a baptismal focus. Celebrating baptisms and confirmations at this service culminates the period of instruction during Lent, and has the added bonus of making a clear connection between the initiation rites and the celebration of new life in Christ.

Whichever approach is adopted in your congregation, it is also appropriate to have a public enrolment of candidates for these rites at the beginning of their period of instruction. Candidates may be encouraged to attend Sunday and mid-week services during this time, and be involved in the rites of Holy Week (when it is useful to have more lay assistants than normal).

For rites of enrolment, see the documents 'Enrolment of an adult baptismal candidate' and 'Enrolment of confirmation candidates' in the 'Rites and services' folder.

MIDWEEK DEVOTIONAL SERVICES 
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. Midweek lenten devotional services are best kept fairly brief.

For material to use in the midweek devotions, see the individual 'Midweek Lenten devotional services' documents in the 'Rites and services' 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). (Alternatively, consider using Vespers, in LHS page 47, with its meditative setting, as a framework, or Responsive Prayer: Evening, in LHS page 56. Both of these are in Approved Worship Services of the Lutheran Church of Australia.)

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.