Prayers of People (Lent A)
The Prayers of the People provided for the Season of Lent have been composed to echo or complement words and images from the scripture
passages assigned for Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Congregations engaging in “Becoming the Story We Tell” will find them of particular support. These prayers may be used “as is,” or adapted
according to local need.
The response suggested for the prayers remains the same for each Sunday, with the exception of Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion. It is hoped that
the words will be readily committed to memory, whether said or sung.
For congregations wanting to use a sung refrain, #769 in Common Praise (1998) is recommended. It is an accessible refrain that uses the congregational response suggested in the prayers below.
It is recommended that only the response for the Prayers of the People be printed in the worship leaflet or provided in PowerPoint slides.
Intercessors should prepare for The Prayers of the People well before the Liturgy to ensure any particular names or places to be included are
identified.
Even if no one in the congregation is a candidate for baptism at the Paschal Triduum (The Three Days of Christian Passover, which extends
from the evening of Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday in the evening) or during the Season of Easter, prayers for those preparing for baptism
should be included throughout Lent. The same holds true for petitions offered for those making an intentional journey of baptismal renewal over
this Lenten season.