Fifth Wednesday in Lent

Denise and I came up with the concept of visual markers for each Wednesday in Lent a few years ago after one of our Christian Spiritual Formation Certificate courses at Columbia Theological Seminary. We used the Wee Worship Book from Wild Goose Publishing of Iona (Iona Books) for the liturgy.

On Ash Wednesday, we had the worshipers pick up a stone, hold it, meditate on sin (how we missed the mark in serving and loving God) before placing them on the Communion Table. At the conclusion of the service, we blew out one of the candles. The second Wednesday in Lent, the theme was “Broken Vessels.” The visual marker placed on the Communion Table was a jar to represent the jar of precious ointment which the woman used to anoint Jesus. At the conclusion of the service we blew out the second candle. On the Third Wednesday, the theme was “Broken Trust” and the visual markers placed on the Communion Table were the thirty pieces of silver Judas received from the chief priests. At the conclusion of the service we blew out the third candle. On the Fourth Wednesday in Lent, the theme was “Broken Bread” and the visual marker was the chalice. We celebrated communion by intinction.

Tonight is the Fifth Wednesday in Lent. The theme was “Broken Promises” and the visual marker was the rooster. The Scripture Reading was Matthew 26:69-75.

“Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus the Galilean.’ But he denied it before all of them, saying, ‘I do not know what you are talking about.’ When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ Again he denied it with an oath, ‘I do not know the man.’ After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.’ Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, ‘I do not know the man!’ At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: ‘Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.”

After the Scripture reading, we blew out the fifth candle.