Over the years, after having had conversations with various individuals at church I realized that the average person in the pew may not be as aware or understanding of the seasons of the church year. This led me to write a column about the “Season of Ordinary Time” last June and the “Season of Advent” in November. As we head into the month of February, I now add one more installment — the “Season of Lent.”
Like Advent, Lent is a season of preparation. Unlike Advent it has a more solemn tone that focuses on prayer, repentance, self denial, and soul-searching. The colour for this season is purple and it lasts for forty days, excluding Sundays. These forty days mirror Jesus’ forty days of fasting and temptation in the desert before he began his public ministry. It also signifies spiritual testing and preparation found in such stories as those of Noah, Moses, Elijah, and Nineveh. So, like Jesus, we go on a journey. It is a journey of discovery with the guidance of our scripture readings based on the cycle of the church year. The Anglican Church, along with other denominations, follows a three year cycle that provides a systematic way to read through much of the Bible, ensuring the Old Testament, Psalms, and Epistles are covered alongside the Gospels. Each new cycle begins on the first Sunday of Advent and is designated as year A, B, or C. The primary gospel focus in Year A is Matthew, Year B is Mark (and John) and Year C is Luke.
Currently, we are in Year A. This coming Lent you can expect to hear scripture readings that include stories of Adam and Eve, Abraham, the Temptation of Jesus, the Miracle at Mount Horeb, the Anointment of David, the Blind Man at Siloam’s Pool, the Valley of Dry Bones, and the Raising of Lazarus. Liturgically speaking, like Advent, the singing or saying of the Gloria and any Alleluias will disappear.
Musically, the tone takes on a more solemn character. We may sing more hymns that are written in minor keys and depending on your congregation’s musical repertoire, there may be more plainsong melodies, mantra-like chants, canticles, penitential hymns, and those with deep theological texts. Before continuing, I must put in a plug for chants from the Taizé Community. (See the Authors, Composers, Sources index at the back of your hymnal.) I love these because they are simple, short, and can be embellished with instruments. If used properly, they are very effective in creating a meditative environment. The best way to do this is to allow the chant to be repeated over and over without having a predetermined stopping point. This allows time for the words and music to become one with your soul. A good time to sing these chants is during communion.
With regard to hymn singing, worship leaders shouldn’t restrict themselves only to those hymns in the Lent section. This becomes very limiting. Check out other section titles in the Table of Contents and the subject indices at the back that coincide with scriptural themes. Common Praise offers headings like Covenant, Discipleship, Forgiveness, Guidance, Healing, Jesus (the way, truth, and life), Lazarus, Lent, Meditation, Penitence, Pilgrimage, Prayer, Renewal, Repentance, and Yearning. Also, I highly recommend hymns from the Iona Community and its composers John Bell and Graham Maule. Their words are profound and the melodies are memorable. A few of my favourites for Lent are O Lord My God (… why do you seem so far from me? – CP579), We Cannot Measure How You Heal (CP 292), and Before I Take the Body of My Lord (CP610).
Beyond these general suggestions I don’t dare get any more specific because there is so much wonderful music out there to enhance your worship services during Lent. Also, resources, style, and musical preferences vary from one congregation to another. However, I often cite specific hymns from “Common Praise” and “Sing a New Creation” because these are the official hymn books of the Anglican Church of Canada. Lastly, I have not talked about Holy Week at all. That is another topic that will have to wait until next year.
