Welcome back to Lent! As always, it has been my honor and joy to edit this book (my 26th as editor and 27th as a contributor!); and once again, you came through for me – and for each other! Not only did I have enough devotions to cover the forty days, I could even cover every day – including Sundays – with original devotions! (In fact, I had to double up on one day with a couple of shorter entries – how amazing is that?!)
We have devotions from some new writers and new members to go along with many of our long-time stalwarts, a few from our friends at College Grove Methodist Church, and even a possibly-chilling entry from a long-time contributor who attends worship online from Florida. It really was great to have so many new voices share their thoughts, time, insights, and witness with our church family as we make our slow but sure journey toward the glory of Easter Sunday.
As it often happens, some themes seemed to emerge as I collected and arranged the contributions. This year there was a lot of meditation on neighbors, fellowship, and service. As I’m putting this together during Shelter Week, that seems much more than fitting. In fact, it seems as though we’ve been led to share thoughts that will help us all live and love like Jesus: not just in the church building, not just in our congregation, but out in the wide world – where His Love and Life are needed perhaps more than ever. As St. Francis of Assisi told us, “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.”
It’s pretty amazing how these “themes” appear each year (of course, the Holy Spirit prompts us to write on what we and our readers will need!), and I am somewhat awestruck when they appear each year.
Now, as we have each year since reviving this Lenten tradition, we repeat the introduction from our congregation's first book of devotions, published in 1974:
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.” (and “Wow, was it really fifty years ago?!”)
Charlie van Becelaere, Editor
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