Bethany’s 2021 Lenten Cross

Each week during the time of Lent, the small wooden cross on Bethany’s communion table subtly but inevitably changed.

It began with a simple perimeter design of small volcanic rocks and ashes, symbolizing the turmoil Jesus was about to create with his ministry.

Subsequent Sundays saw the cross filled in with tiny green pebbles (to honor the legacy of St. Patrick), moss and seeds (in observance of creation and the first Sunday in spring), pottery shards (to correspond with a lesson about adapting to change) and finally … on Easter Sunday … pearls, which symbolize perfection and incorruptibility.