Introduction - 2011

At last, a Lent that doesn’t start early in the year, that doesn’t sneak up on us before we have a chance to finish, or at least to start writing those devotions we’ve been storing up since last Easter. Yes, we actually had three weeks more this year than last to get things written and submitted.
But wait, the last fifteen submission all showed up in the week after the deadline? You mean I didn’t do enough early begging ... Again?

Well, after twelve of these books, I suppose it’s reasonable that we’ve all gotten a bit complacent. It’s easy to think there’s that one more day, and it turned out that we got what we needed.
As has often happened in previous years, there seemed to be a bit of a theme or thread going through a bunch of this year’s devotions. I saw a lot of what I would call Providential themes coming out - find the ones that really strike you that way, I’d be interested to see if we read each other’s writings the same way.
At any rate, just as God has provided for many of those who’ve shared their experiences in this volume, He has blessed me with those writings in time for this book to actually come out on time. I pray He blesses you through the stories, thoughts, Scripture, and prayers shared here with you by your church family

Just as we have each year since reviving this Lenten tradition, we repeat the introduction from our congregation's first book of devotions of well over 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