Introduction - Lent 2022

Welcome back to Lent! As always, it has been my honor and joy to edit this book; 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 most of the Sundays with original devotions! (On a possibly interesting side note, I believe this is the first of our books of the modern era not including anything from Charles Wesley.)

I had wondered if the pandemic lockdown would still be a topic for devotions but, based on your writings, it appears we are largely over it. We got submissions from several new writers to go along with many of our long-time stalwarts, a few from our brothers and sisters at College Grove UMC in Tennessee, a couple from a long-time writer who had gone missing in recent years, and even a few posthumous submissions. 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.

Next – as so often happens – an overall theme seemed to emerge as I collected and arranged the contributions. This year the theme wasn’t really COVID-related. It wasn’t anything like “Dealing with Frustration” “Who was that masked man?” “What I want for Christmas” or anything like that. No, it was God surprising us with blessings, nudges, direction. A thread of Providence weaves through our book, and reminds us we need to pay attention to what God is doing in our lives and in our world.

It’s pretty amazing. I don’t know how these “themes” appear each year (Maybe I do: it’s the Holy Spirit prompting us to write on what our readers will need!), but still, 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

Introduction - Lent 2021

Welcome back to Lent! As always, it has been an honor and a joy to edit this book; but this time you didn’t make me wait until the last moment! No, this year I had a new opportunity to conquer. For the first time in these 20+ years, I had more devotions than days to hold them. As you know, there are 40 days in Lent – 47 if we include the Sundays. Well, with a week to go I had over 50 devotions in hand with a few more promised for delivery “very soon.” I had decisions to make, so make them I did. There are a few days sporting two devotions, and I did leave out two submissions – one a repeat from a past year provided “just in case,” and one that I had purloined from a Facebook post back when I was worried about just getting enough.
I had said that a pandemic lock-down should have been a fertile field for devotions, and it appears I was right – we got submissions from several new writers to go along with many of our long-time stalwarts. It really was a joy 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.

Next – as so often happens – an overarching theme has emerged as I collected and arranged the contributions. This year the theme wasn’t really anything COVID-related. It wasn’t anything like “dealing with frustration,” “Who was that masked man?” or anything like that. No, it was Noticing. Paying attention. There’s a thread woven through this volume that looks at God’s nudges, whispers, pokes, even shouts, and that reminds us we need to pay attention to them.
It’s pretty amazing. I don’t know how these themes appear each year (although I believe it’s the Holy Spirit prompting us to write on what our readers will need!), but I am always 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



A note about the cover photo is probably in order here.

In years past we’ve usually used an image of one of the windows from the Sanctuary, but there have also been pictures of other crosses found around the church.

With the disruption of our normal worship which we experienced this past year, this was probably the cross that was seen by the most people in person, as we worshiped around the Memorial Garden through the Summer.

It seemed appropriate to use this image to recall how we all scrambled to make the best of a bad situation, and how we discovered that the most important parts of corporate worship are the corporate part – gathering together – and the worship part – meeting with and praising our Lord.

May this image remind us that no matter what, God is with us, and we are with one another.

Amen.