Water of Life: An Altarscape for Lent 3A

This week, the Gospel lection offers one of the most revealing conversations we’ve got about Jesus and his nature. It’s one of the longer lections that we we have in Lent (outside of, you know, Good Friday–which is practically all of John 18 and 19).  There is so much rich insight to mine from this passage: deeper understandings about identity, faith, and what separates us from God. Most people know this passage as “The Woman at the Well” and one of the more well known verses is this one: “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”

Last week, the altarscape collected the waters of baptism. This week that water, the water of life, is poured out to sate the thirst of all.

Start the way we always do: with a table.  Top it with a fabric (I’ve used the fabric that we’re using through the season of Lent) and get out your trusty hymnals.

I provided a fabric base around the hymnals. This particular fabric catches the light and plays with it in a way that it almost looks like two different fabrics depending on which angle you look at it from. Next, I added our jug facing downward.

Some candles of various widths and lengths in dramatic hurricanes add another level of depth.

I pulled the fabric out as far as it would go. It looks like a path leading to the water.

To finish it off, add some blue fabric! I used three different fabrics to give it some texture and depth. PROTIP: Put a knot in the end of the fabric that’ll be in your vessel. It’ll help it stay put. 

I hope that, as we hit this halfway Sunday in Lent, you’ve found the season to be meaningful in your life.  Clergy and church worker friends: Easter’s coming! Keep the faith! Be well!