The Living Word
Daily Devotions for the Season of Lent
Grace and peace to you!
This year’s Lenten Devotional booklet focuses on the writings of the Apostle Paul, as he proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ through his public letters to the new Christian communities around the Mediterranean Sea. In January, our Adult Faith Formation Class began a weekly exploration of Paul’s life and letters, in part as preparation for members of our congregation to go on a “Footsteps of Paul” tour next fall. Most of all, though, our focus as a whole church is to gather around scripture in such a way that we might “reason together” and be “built up” in our common life and faith.
For each of these 47 days of Easter, we invite you to read the selected passage and read what our pastors, staff and congregation members share as a “reflection.” You are also invited to consider what the passage means for you. And pray that God’s Spirit will lead us to receive with wisdom and joy what God is saying to the body of the Church together and to each of its individual members.
This year’s devotional booklet has a couple of special features. One is the cover art by Carol Meeske (as seen above in the image, “Grandfather Saguaro”). Her work is being displayed on our art wall throughout Lent, paired with scriptures that reflect Jesus’ time fasting and praying in the desert.
And another feature of this booklet is that on the Sundays we highlight the stories of particular Bibles that are treasured parts of our staff and members’ faith. Consider the Bibles that have made an impact on your life…or those that may be gathering dust on a shelf. Dust them off and enter the world that God would have you encounter there.
Rev. Dr. Mike Hegeman