Lent, the penitential forty-day season of preparation for Easter, begins with Ash Wednesday, February 18 this year, and extends through Holy Saturday, April 4. The liturgical color for this season of the church year is purple – the color of penitence as well as in remembrance of the royalty of Christ who reigns from the cross. Visible in Good Shepherd’s sanctuary, purple is the primary color of the altar and pulpit paraments, the woven pieces that hang in the ‘gates’ of the weavings, and the drape on the Shepherd’s Cross.
This set of altar and pulpit paraments was designed and woven by congregation member and professional weaver, Barbara Berg. They were completed and dedicated in 2013 in memory of Charter Member Angeline Jacobson (1910-2011). The altar parament design depicts hills and valleys, a road leading us on a journey of faith, and a stream of life-giving water in shades of blue appears toward the bottom edge. Scarlet, the color for Holy Week, is introduced in some of the hills. The colors and design of the pulpit parament repeat those on the altar piece on a smaller scale. The three woven pieces that hang in the ‘gates’ are purple with scarlet crosses. The purple drape on the Shepherd’s Cross is in the tradition of the Lenten Veil sometimes used to cover statues, pictures, and crosses in the sanctuary. A further reminder of Lent can be seen on the grapevine wreaths decorated with purple ribbons, hanging on the entry doors.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Good Shepherd is fully accessible to all. 