Six Contemporary Lent Devotionals
Lent is a season in the church year centered on fasting, prayer, and repentance. Ash Wednesday reminds us of our finitude. The following 40 or so days invite us into a time of wilderness, which is symbolic of Jesus’ experience in Matthew 4. Holy Week prepares us for the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. As a whole, Lent draws us in to a time of reflection and lament.
“Lament is honesty before God and each other. If something has truly been declared dead, there is no use in sugarcoating that reality. To hide from suffering and death would be an act of denial. If an individual would deny the reality of death during a funeral, friends would justifiably express concern over the mental health of that individual. In the same way, should we not be concerned over a church that lives in denial over the reality of death in our midst?”
— Soong-Chan Rah, Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times
Lent is the door we must walk through to experience and appreciate the joy of the resurrection. It can be a difficult threshold to cross, but there is no way around it. I’m not sure what that looks like for you, but I pray this season makes a transformative impression on your heart and mind.
The Lord’s Prayer from Common Grace
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christian leaders have collaborated on this Lent devotional email series following the Lord’s Prayer. You’ll need to sign up for their newsletter to view the video reflections.
With Creation: A Native and Indigenous Lent Devotional from Justice Unbound
This Lenten devotional is a collection of reflections and scripture readings in text and audio formats. This year they’ve gathered Native and Indigenous voices to
“Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Christian Social Justice is an online journal and community that examines, expresses, and encourages commitments to social justice as inspired by the prophetic gospel of Jesus Christ. As both a journal and a forum for conversation, action and community building. Unbound seeks to be an inclusive and welcoming platform, no matter one’s gender, sexuality, race, religion, age, ability or creed. We seek to experience and express different perspectives that further the Kin-dom of God and move us toward the arc of justice.”
Wilderness Weekly Lent Devotional from Little Way Chapel
Alissa from Little Way Chapel has complied hymns, scripture, poems, psalms, and art into a beautiful Lenten resource with six meditations. This devotional follows a weekly rhythm and can be easily printed out for individual or family use.
Prayerful Reflections from Julia Styles
This Lent devotional was written by over 50 women. I was happy to discover it in a Facebook group last year, and although I haven’t read all of it, it looks wonderful. And it’s free to download!
“Over 50 women responded to the call by writing a reflection on the scripture passage that resonated with them from the lectionary (church calendar). The writers participating in this Lent Devotional are from varying Christian denominations, some are pastors or spiritual directors and others hold jobs outside of the Church. The women and transgender persons involved are from all over the globe, of different ethnicities, races, sexual-orientations and gender identities, political persuasions and theological positions, yet we all hold one thing in common—our willingness to hear from the Holy Spirit and reflect on the Divine Mystery.”
The Poetry of Lent: A Lenten Companion to Mary Oliver’s “Devotions” from SALTyProject
The SALTyProject is relatively new to me, but I discovered their work through Etsy. They have over 10 Lent devotionals in their shop that integrate poetry and art into Lenten themes. I’ve got a glimpse at their Mary Oliver version and I’m a fan!
A Lenten Companion with Eight Guided Lectio Divinas
I would be remiss not to mention the Lent devotional I’ve put together this year. Following the lectionary scriptures for Ash Wednesday, the six Sundays of Lent, and Good Friday, this resource includes guided lectio divina prayers, poems, psalms, and breath prayers.
What other Lent devotionals, books, or resources would you put on this list?
