Lent 2019 - Introduction

Welcome back to Lent! As always, it has been an honor and a joy to edit this book; and as almost always, you made me wait until the last moment again this year. In the end I had a new problem to solve: there were more devotions submitted than official days in Lent! What a great problem to have, and I thank each of the writers (including at least four first-time contributors) for making my job so difficult by sharing their thoughts, time, and insights with our church family, as we make our slow but sure journey toward the glory of Easter Sunday.

Back when I was worrying about getting enough devotions, I was especially missing my Mom – I could always count on her for a couple pithy, heartfelt pages. I was also missing Ron Draper – another prolific writer – and when I reached out to him he replied, “Fear not! The Lord is with you, and so am I.” With that kind of assurance, how could I worry?

Next – as they so often do – a theme or two emerged as I collected and arranged your contributions. This year there were some darker thoughts – themes of Loss, Grief, and Anger at God, but accompanied by themes of Acceptance of God’s Will, Realization that “my Father knows best.”

It’s pretty amazing. I don’t know how these “themes” appear each year (although I think it’s the Holy Spirit prompting us to write on what our readers will need!), but I am always comforted and excited when they do.

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.”

Charlie van Becelaere, Editor