“I’m wondering, Charlie, how you are coping with Lent being so early this year. You will have hardly got over Christmas before having to prepare your Lenten Devotion booklet.”
Little did she know that I had hung my purple Lent Stocking in the hallway with care, in hopes that devotions soon would be there. I’ll be sure to tell her, of course, but the telling is that much better because they were there. (I’d like to thank the Santas who dropped their writings in my stocking - it was fun for me, at any rate, and I hope for you as well.)
As has been the case each of the past issues, it’s been quite exciting to see the patterns emerge in the submissions. This year we even had a couple authors focus on Christmas! I suppose the purple of preparation that unites Advent and Lent is part of the glue that binds these seasons together, but then so is the Holy Spirit, whom we meet in several of the devotions this year. Since He is the one who comes into our hearts and makes real to us the things of God, what could be more appropriate as we make our journey through Lent and on to Easter and Christ’s glorious resurrection!
It still seems just as appropriate as it has been these last several years to repeat the introduction from our congregation's first book of devotions of more than thirty years ago:
Keeping a true Lent requires us to be vigilant in many ways: in prayer, study, worship, sacrifice, giving, meditation, and fellowship.
One or all may take precedence, depending upon our daily commitments. From these devotions, lovingly prepared, may you find a well spring of faith to renew and sustain you, so that the Glorious Triumph that is Easter will remain with you always.
The Lenten Committee
Again, we can but say, “Amen.”
Charlie van Becelaere, Editor
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