The Symbols of Lent: Year B
Responsive Readings for the Season of Lent and Easter
Sunday
For use with
Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary
For an explanation and background of the liturgy see
The Symbols of Lent.
Lent 1: The Crown of Thorns
| Psalm Reading |
OT Reading |
Epistle Reading |
Gospel Reading |
| Psalm 51:1-17 |
Genesis 9:8-17 |
1 Peter 3:18-22 |
Mark 1:9-15 |
 Leader: Today we place the
crown of thorns upon the cross. With a crown of
thorns we mocked and marred the one who proclaimed a Kingdom we did not
want. But today we also
remember a redemption that came to us through suffering.
People: Lord Jesus, with
a crown of thorns
we mocked the Kingdom you proclaimed. With a crown of
thorns we rejected you as our King. Help us say “No”
to our private notions
of how the Kingdom of God should look. Help us say “Yes”
to the cross.
Leader: Throughout the
centuries we have ascribed greatness to those
who bring quick resolutions to our
political conflicts. We want immediate
results with little cost.
People: Lord Jesus, we
confess we are often disappointed
in the Kingdom you reveal. Your Kingdom
reflects your patience with creation. Your Kingdom
requires our participation. Help us say “No”
to our craving for ease and luxury. Help us say “Yes”
to the cross.
Leader: Our world honors
kings who enforce peace by destroying their enemies. The King we crowned
with thorns established peace by dying for his enemies---the righteous for the unrighteous, to
reconcile us to God.
People: Lord Jesus, we
still look for leaders
to bring peace through power. To the mighty,
the strong, and the beautiful
we grant our places of honor. Help us say “No”
to our dread of weakness. Help us say “Yes”
to the cross.
Leader: Let us pray
together…
All: Almighty God, we
want kingdoms with great power. Your Son came in
weakness. We want
deliverance through conquest. Your Son brought
deliverance through suffering. We want freedom
from temptation. Your Son
participates in our struggles. Free us from our
selves; deliver us from our evil; conform us to the image of your Son. Amen.
Lent 2: The Nails
| Psalm Reading |
OT Reading |
Epistle Reading |
Gospel Reading |
| Psalm 22:23-31 |
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 |
Romans 4:13-25 |
Mark 8:31-38 or Mark 9:2-9 |
 Leader:
We lay
before the cross today the nails
with which we pierced the hands and feet
of God’s Son. Nails are usually used for construction. We used
these nails, however, for destruction.
They forever symbolize our attempt
to destroy God’s true temple.
People: Lord Jesus, have mercy upon
us.
Forgive us for our
violent rejection of Your truth. Help us say “No” to
destroying one another. Help us say “Yes” to the
cross.
Leader: The nail-scars on Christ’s hands and feet remind us
of a Suffering Servant
who brought redemption
through His obedience unto death, even death on a
cross. He let us fasten Him
to a cross, that we might never be
separated from His love.
People: Lord Jesus, have mercy upon
us.
We cannot grasp Your love that suffers
for us.
We often fail to love like that;
we turn from the suffering of others. Help us say “No” to our self-centered
nature. Help us say “Yes” to the cross.
Leader: With nails we
implemented our condemnation of Our Lord. They remind us of our bent to
condemnation, our frequent inability to forgive ourselves and to extend
forgiveness to others.
People: Lord Jesus, you have had
mercy on us!
There is now no condemnation,
for You, our God, are for us. We cannot lose Your love. Help us say “No” to our condemnation of
others.
Help us say “Yes” to the cross.
Leader: Let us pray
together…
All: O God, whose glory it is always
to have mercy:
Give us Your grace in our
self-centeredness.
Help us take up our cross
and spend ourselves
on a life that cannot be taken away. We thank You
that nothing can separate us from Your
love.
Transform us by that love, we pray.
Amen.
Lent 3: The Whip
 Leader:
The symbol we lay before the cross today is the soldier’s whip, an
instrument of punishment and coercion. Of the elements before the
cross, the whip is the only one used by Christ as well. With a
whip Jesus purified the temple; with a whip we destroyed the temple of
His body.
People: Lord, Jesus Christ, we
confess our frequent
misuse of power.
You granted us dominion over creation, but we have too often used this gift for domination.
Help us say “no” to immoral
coercion of others.
Help us say “yes” to the cross.
Leader: The
whip was used to punish Jesus for failing to fit preconceived notions of
holiness. Still today, we sometimes threaten those on the outside to
behave according to the expectations of those on the inside.
People: Lord, Jesus Christ, we
confess our
blindness to your Holiness.
We are so busy protecting the God of
our own construction that we
try to destroy the God you
reveal. Help us say “no” to
squeezing you into our mold.
Help us say “yes” to the cross.
Leader: We
use the whip to remind people – with pain and scars – of their
trespasses. Jesus cleansed the temple so that we might meet freely in
prayer with a God who forgives.
People: Lord, Jesus Christ, when
we are
tempted constantly to remind our
neighbors of their sin
and wound them by rehearsing their past,
help us say “no” to keeping a record
of wrongs.
Help us say “yes” to the cross.
Leader: Let us pray
together…
All: Almighty God, you know our sin.
You know how we misuse our power.
Our lives are filled with guilt.
Wash us and make us clean.
Help us to lay down our instruments
of destruction.
Teach us to be a reflection of your
love and grace. Forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive those who trespass
against us.
Mold us into the image of Jesus,
in whose holy name we pray.
Amen.
Lent 4: The Placard
| Psalm Reading |
OT Reading |
Epistle Reading |
Gospel Reading |
| Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 |
Numbers 21:4-9 |
Ephesians 2:1-10 |
John 3:14-21 |
 Leader:
We have added to the cross today the mocking sign that hung above the
head of our Lord, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
This sign forever symbolizes our spiritual deadness. In our disobedience
and death we mock a Kingdom we do not want---while through His death the
Ruler of that Kingdom offers us life.
People: Lord Jesus,
deliver us from our spiritual deadness. We do not know
what it means to live the life of Your Kingdom,
to walk in step with Your Spirit. Help us say “no”
to our desire for earthly kingdoms. Help us say “yes”
to the cross.
Leader: The sign was meant
to mock a “king” whose life ended, absurdly, on a cross. Instead, it
signifies our inability---or unwillingness---to believe in a Messiah who
suffers, because we want a Messiah who conquers.
People: Lord Jesus, in
our desire for power and prestige
we miss out on Your coming Kingdom. We think being
seated with You means having positions of power. Help us say “no”
to our passion for earthly success. Help us say “yes”
to the cross.
Leader: With this sign we
passed judgment upon God’s nature as revealed in Christ. But the
sign actually reveals our true nature as children of wrath.
People: Lord Jesus, Your
cross exposes all the ways we are not like You. We confess the
difference between Your life and ours. Help us say “no”
to our self-confident boastings. Help say “yes” to
the cross.
Leader: Let us pray
together…
All: Almighty God,
Your cross reveals our true nature. We look at Your
Son, and we look at ourselves,
and we confess the great difference.
Deliver us from
our selves;
we admit our helplessness apart from Your grace. Thank You for
Your kindness, for the riches of Your grace to us in Christ.
Create us anew in
Christ Jesus
for the way of life You have prepared for
us. Make us like Your
Son, we pray. Amen.
Lent 5: The Coins
| Psalm Reading |
OT Reading |
Epistle Reading |
Gospel Reading |
|
Psalm 51:1-12 or Psalm 119:9-16 |
Jeremiah 31:31-34 |
Hebrews 5:5-10 |
John 12:20-33 |
 Leader:
We lay before the cross today the bag of silver coins, payment given for
betrayal of our Lord. Judas handed Jesus over to the authorities,
hoping finally to force Jesus to demonstrate His power. The
mission of Judas succeeded, but in a way he did not expect, and could
not bear.
People: Lord Jesus, it is easier to be
unfaithful to You
than to give up our desire for earthly
power. Help us say “no”
to our quest for this world’s
kingdoms. Help us say “yes”
to the cross.
Leader: Judas pushed Jesus
to bring a kingdom of earthly power, with swords and conquests.
Jesus established the Kingdom instead in humility and service, with
forgiveness, and with sacrifice. God’s Kingdom came, strangely
enough, not through the shedding of enemy blood, but through the shed
blood of its Ruler.
People: Lord Jesus, when
we are tempted to reshape the
Kingdom of God
for our own prestige, profit, or power,
help us say “no” to the thirty pieces of
silver. Help us say “yes”
to the cross.
Leader: Judas wanted a king
to take away his country’s suffering. He received a High Priest
who chooses to participate in those sufferings.
People: Lord Jesus, the
world seeks a life free from
suffering. You lived a life
made perfect in suffering. Help us say “no”
to the way of the world. Help us say “yes”
to the way of the cross.
Leader: Let us pray
together…
All: Almighty God, you
allowed Your Son
to be perfected through suffering.
Remind us today
of our High Priest
who meets us in our suffering.
In our
sufferings, teach us obedience;
mold us into His image, we pray. Amen.
Lent 6: The Palms
 Leader:
We place at the cross today
the palm branches that welcomed Jesus as He rode triumphantly into
Jerusalem. The people loudly shouting, “Hosanna!” expected to be
saved by a conquering hero. Palm Sunday reminds us of our
self-centered expectations.
People: Lord Jesus, we confess our
misguided, impatient expectations.
We expect You to deliver
us from suffering.
We expect You to bless
our materialism.
We expect You to destroy
our enemies.
Help us say “No” to our
self-centered, unholy expectations.
Help us say “Yes” to the
cross.
Leader: Palm Sunday is about
worship. We worship the One most holy. We worship the One
for whom we are willing to die.
People:
Lord Jesus, Holy Week
reminds us that, although we worshiped You on Sunday, we denied You on
Friday. Like Peter we promised
to die for You; You have died for us.
Help us say “No” to
worship without sacrifice.
Help us say “Yes” to the
cross.
Leader: Palm Sunday is about
worship. But the people turned the triumphal entry into a
political parade.
People:
Lord Jesus, Holy Week
reminds us that the heroes we most admire ride in chariots pulled by white horses. We confess that we don’t want to follow leaders who empty themselves of
power, and ride on donkeys.
Help us say “No” to
“might making right.”
Help us say “Yes” to the
cross.
Leader: Palm Sunday is about
worship. But we follow Jesus, hoping we for positions of power on
his right and on his left.
People:
Lord Jesus, Holy Week
reminds us that we want Your power without accepting the cup of suffering that You drank, without the obedience to the point of death.
We want your Kingdom to
come, but we fear it will cost us too much.
Help us say “No” to our
weak disobedience.
Help us say “Yes” to the
cross.
Leader: Let us pray
together…
People:
Almighty God, we confess
that we love parades of power; Your parade was humble.
We confess that we
worship conquering heroes; You were conquered. We confess that we grasp
whatever advantage we can get; You emptied Yourself for us.
In Jesus Christ You have
brought us mercy!
Teach us to be merciful
to one another. Burn our palm branches
into ash; help us take up our cross daily and follow You. Amen.
Resurrection Sunday
Leader: The Lenten symbols
have been removed from the cross today. The stone has been rolled
aside—the tomb is empty—death is swallowed up in victory! What we
intended for evil, God has transformed into good. Our lives have
been redeemed. Because Jesus said "Yes" to the cross, we now live
through the power of His resurrection.
People: Lord Jesus, we
confess that with a crown of thorns
we mocked Your Lordship. But You
participate in our sufferings. By Your stripes
we are healed---we are reconciled to God. Help us continue to say "Yes" to the cross, that we might be made alive in Your resurrection.
Leader: Lord Jesus, we
confess that with nails we destroyed Your hands, hands that touched the
outcast, healed the sick and fed the hungry. But Your resurrected
hands now embrace even Your condemners. Help us continue to say "Yes" to
the cross, that we might be made alive in Your resurrection.
People:
Lord Jesus, we confess that we used the whip to punish you
for not fitting into our systems of might.
But Your patient, enduring love exposes our misuse of power. Help us continue
to say "Yes" to the cross,
that we might be made alive in Your
resurrection.
Leader: Lord Jesus, we
confess that in our deadness we hung a sign above Your head, mocking a
Kingdom we did not want. Yet our earthly kingdoms crumble, while Your
Kingdom of life remains. Help us continue to say "Yes" to the
cross, that we might be made alive in Your resurrection.
People: Lord Jesus, we
confess that we sold Your betrayal
for earthly treasure we could not keep.
But you have
bought us with a price;
You give us the treasure of life that
cannot be taken away. Help us continue to say "Yes" to the cross, that we might be made alive in Your resurrection.
Leader: Lord Jesus, we
confess that with palm branches we worshiped You, hoping You would
conquer our enemies. Holy Week has reminded us that we are too
often your enemies. Yet You have conquered us with Your self-emptying
love. Help us continue to say "Yes" to the cross, that we might be made
alive in Your resurrection.
People: Lord Jesus, we
confess that the cross embodies our sin, our violence,
and our inability to make peace with You
and with each other. But You have now
made the cross an eternal reminder of Your love,
Your mercy, and Your ability to be our
peace. Help us continue to say
"Yes" to the cross,
that we might be made alive in Your resurrection.
Leader: Let us pray
together…
People: Almighty God, we
have been reminded this Lent of the depth of our sin. We confess that
all of the dark and violent symbols of Lent,
including the cross, come from our hands.
But You are the
resurrected Lord. You transform our
instruments of destruction
into images of Your love. Beat our swords
into plowshares;
turn our spears into pruning hooks.
Remove our hearts
of stone and give us hearts of flesh. May our old lives
be crucified with You. May our new lives
be caught up in the power of Your resurrection life. Amen.
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