The Calls to Confession and Declarations of Forgiveness are designed to be spoken at the baptismal font. The baptismal font should be open and in full view of the congregation. The font may already contain water, provided that there is sufficient room to add an ample amount of water at the Declaration of Forgiveness.
All of these texts are drawn from the scripture readings of the Revised Common Lectionary for the Season of Lent, Year A. The scripture references indicate the particular lectionary passage from which the text is derived. It is not necessary to follow the lectionary to use these texts; however, when used with the lectionary, they will help to reinforce the proclamation of the scriptures for the day.
A single Confession of Sin based on Psalm 51:1-17 (the psalm for Ash Wednesday) is provided. This prayer is designed for use throughout the season of Lent, so that worshipers may enter more deeply into the words of the prayer as the season progresses. However, worship planners may substitute other Confessions of Sin where more variety from week to week is desired. Another possibility is to use different selections from the psalm at each service during Lent — for instance, using the first stanza and one of the following six during each of the six weeks of Lent (see suggestion below).
These materials are provided in two formats: in this document (version two) the materials are divided into individual weeks or services; an accompanying document (version one) demonstrates the progression of the texts through the season.
See related pages: Season of Lent, Confession and Pardon, Presbyterian Worship