This first Sunday in Lent, what is changing for you? Are there particular traditions that you follow this season of the liturgical year – things you take up or things you leave out of worship? In my tradition, we won’t sing the Gloria again until the Easter vigil – and by that time, way, way off, we’ll be glad to embrace it once more. What are some of the things you do to mark the season of penance?
And what are you preaching on this week – will it be the temptations in the Revised Common Lectionary or, the Question from the Narrative Lectionary? Click on the links to find discussions from Lectionary Posts earlier in the week. Perhaps you take the opportunity of the season of Lent to follow a series or something different. And how might you explain this season to all ages?
We’d love to hear about your plans for worship- and whether weather or illness is affecting those plans. We can inspire and pray for one another.
Rev Liz Crumlish is a Presbyterian minister living on the west coast of Scotland. She is a member of the RevGalBlogPals Board, writes for Spill the Beans, blogs at Journalling and contributed to There’s a Woman in the Pulpit.
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thanks Liz.
It is Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade in Sydney tonight, so i watched some on TV waiting for the Uniting float, but somehow missed it. 9.15 Saturday evening i am very late in sitting down to start writing.
for Lent i move the confession to after the sermon, we also include a section on a Lent fundraiser our denomination runs this year looking at the work of partner church in the Philippines. Lent 1 is also when we renew the covenant, Wesley style, though this year i have a sung version for people to reflect on, and it is communion Sunday. Lent 1 is a combined Parish service, so i have instead of two services tomorrow morning, followed by a few activities and a BBQ lunch.
so lots happening, i am thinking i should look at how long the service already is before i start writing the sermon.
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Patty, lots happening in your Lent 1. Interesting how the Liturgy changes to accommodate Lent.
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10.45 pm and calling it done. i think the service will go for an hour or so without the sermon, so i have kept it a bit shorter than usual.
what is life?e
on the news tonight they spoke about having an extra day because of the leap year, it doesn’t feel like an extra day – apparently it is good for the economy 🙂
my heart wasn’t in sermon writing tonight, so we will see how much i rewrite in the morning.
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I am using Marcia McFee’s Entering the Passion Worship Series. We are not going full steam into all the options she suggests. The series takes one event of Holy Week each Sunday and does a ‘freeze frame’ moment. This week is Palm Sunday. The children’s time will get the entire story (Matthew) and then the sermon is based more on getting ready for Jesus entering. Thinking about crowds, heaven and hosanna for me and how the Roman Empire figures into all of that.
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Elaine, I love that you’ll take the opportunity to preach ahead on the key events of Holy Week
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We did something similar a couple of years ago, using Borg & Crossan’s “The Last Week.” People really liked it, as we were able to spend more time with the events of Holy Week than the lectionary allows. Hope it goes well for you!
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Preaching off lectionary (including my own!) at a local UU congregation. They’ve been looking at Wisdom. I’ll focus on the wisdom/torah of the earth from Baruch 3: Learn where there is wisdom…Where are the rulers of the nations, and those who wield dominion over the animals on earth? In conversation with Job 12:
7 Now then, ask the animals, and they will teach you;
the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
8 or the plants of the earth, and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will expound to you.
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Can’t think of anyone better to preach on wisdom! Love the conversation between the texts.
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I am preaching on the Temptation of Christ, specifically on how the devil questioned Jesus’identity with the conditional “If you are the Son of God” and reflecting on how through temptation we all must remember who we are attending to the voice at our baptism that named us beloved child of God and not the voices in the desert that question that. I will be officially installed at my first call tomorrow afternoon (where I have been since July). Very excited about all who will be involved and a big fellowship dinner afterwards!
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It’s easy to drown out the voice of God calling us beloved. Excited for your installation tomorrow – and the dinner! May it be a blessed day.
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I’ve been involved in some training for Church of Scotland Lay Readers today. It was good to re-use my Ash Wednesday reflection to help us focus on our calling http://liz-vicarofdibley.blogspot.com/2020/02/beautiful-dust.html
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I am also using the series ‘entering the passion of Jesus so we kick that off this week with the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. I will talk about risk and the procession as a demonstration. We are also celebrating our new Reconciling in Christ Status so will talk about risk and justice in that.
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I’m embarking on a re-working of a sermon series on spiritual disciplines, which I did in Lent a thousand years ago (it feels that long, anyway). First up is fasting. I’m editing and re-arranging.
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