These five Lenten readings provide a dramatic boost to your worship services leading up to Palm Sunday. With each reading a symbol is presented and placed at the foot of a cross in the front of your sanctuary. There are two readers or players in each reading--the Leader and Jesus. All five readings are taken from important New Testament scripture passages, but they are presented in a way to draw in the congregation and stimulate deep spiritual insight. If the church has multi-media capabilities, slides can be shown as the short drama unfolds. Three slides are suggested for each reading.
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Example for First Sunday in Lent
Lenten Reading – First Sunday in Lent
Props
- a stone that resembles a loaf of bread (symbolizing temptation)
- a cross placed at the front of the sanctuary (symbolizing sacrifice)
Scripture basis—Luke 4:1-13—Jesus Is Tested in the
Wilderness
Slide 1—the wilderness or desert scene
Leader: Temptation. We all face it. At times we give in to
it (Leader takes the stone and places it in front of the cross). Early in Jesus’ ministry he was led by the
Spirit to a place of great testing
(Jesus enters and
sits somewhere at the front of the sanctuary)
Leader: His purpose was to find a place of seclusion where
he could draw close to the Father and be strengthened for the difficult road
that stretched out before him. But after many days of fasting and seeking the
Father, he became hungry.
Slide 2—Satan tempting Jesus
Leader: This wilderness became a place of great temptation.
The evil one appeared to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell this
stone to become bread.”
Jesus: (picks up the stone) It is written: “Man shall not
live on bread alone.”
Slide 3—a view from a mountaintop with a great city below
Leader: Then the evil one led him up to a high place and in
an instant showed him the power and wealth he could bestow upon him. He said,
“If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
Jesus: It is written: “Worship the Lord your God and serve
him only.”
Leader: Then the evil one took him to the top of the temple
in Jerusalem and said, “If you are the Son of God, then throw yourself from
here for it is written: “God will command his angels concerning you, and lift
you up and prevent you from even striking your foot against a stone.”
Jesus: (walks to the cross and places the stone down) It is
said: “Do not put the Lord God to the test.” (Jesus exits)
Leader: And the evil one left him. Jesus, human like us,
battled temptation, but he won the victory through obedience to the Father even
to his death on the cross. So must we learn to put to the things of the flesh,
the selfishness, the lusts, the pride at the foot of the cross.
