Ash Wednesday
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle C Gospel Texts
Liturgical Color: Purple
Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Have a guitarist or harpist quietly playing Lenten hymns as people arrive. Have a sign at each entrance asking them to pray and meditate silently on the Gospel text.
Hum one of the Lenten hymns. Ask them to consider silently how the words of that hymn influence their daily walk in the sights, sounds, and scenes of the world.
Offer a prayer which focuses both on the hymn and their daily walk.
Introduce the meditation time by sharing one or two of your own favorite quotations on the Gospel for today. Then, have three different people read the following: (1) verses 2-4; (2) verses 5-6; (3) verses 16-18. If possible, have them read from the Cotton Patch Version, and to read slowly and deliberately.
Following the reading, invite the people to share their quotations, with one minute of silence between each. (Take as much time as you need; no need to rush; they will have plenty of time for rushing when they leave the sanctuary.)
After everyone has shared, spend time in prayer, using individuals' sentence prayers followed by the people's favorite form of "amen."
If you serve communion, do so around a single table; or, have people sit in circles of eight to ten, and to serve one another, using the statement, "Christ's body is for you, (name); Christ's blood is for you, (name)." (I encourage you to use the darkest bread you can find and to put vinegar in the juice.)
Following the communion, sing two or three Lenten hymns.
Invite the people to offer the blessing to each other, and then, to leave the sanctuary in silence.
Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Have a guitarist or harpist quietly playing Lenten hymns as people arrive. Have a sign at each entrance asking them to pray and meditate silently on the Gospel text.
Hum one of the Lenten hymns. Ask them to consider silently how the words of that hymn influence their daily walk in the sights, sounds, and scenes of the world.
Offer a prayer which focuses both on the hymn and their daily walk.
Introduce the meditation time by sharing one or two of your own favorite quotations on the Gospel for today. Then, have three different people read the following: (1) verses 2-4; (2) verses 5-6; (3) verses 16-18. If possible, have them read from the Cotton Patch Version, and to read slowly and deliberately.
Following the reading, invite the people to share their quotations, with one minute of silence between each. (Take as much time as you need; no need to rush; they will have plenty of time for rushing when they leave the sanctuary.)
After everyone has shared, spend time in prayer, using individuals' sentence prayers followed by the people's favorite form of "amen."
If you serve communion, do so around a single table; or, have people sit in circles of eight to ten, and to serve one another, using the statement, "Christ's body is for you, (name); Christ's blood is for you, (name)." (I encourage you to use the darkest bread you can find and to put vinegar in the juice.)
Following the communion, sing two or three Lenten hymns.
Invite the people to offer the blessing to each other, and then, to leave the sanctuary in silence.
