Introduction to the Lenten Devotional Guide
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that, if I do this,
You will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore I will trust you always
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
-Thomas Merton, Thoughts from Solitude
The simple affirmation in the prayer above “I believe that the desire to please you does indeed please you.” sums up my intentions during the season of Lent - to orient my life toward desiring to please God above all else. The Lenten season is one that the church has set aside since the 4th century for preparation, formation, and renewal. Originally observed as the time of preparation of the believer for baptism on Easter Sunday, Lent is now observed by many Christians from Ash Wednesday through Holy Thursday. In it, the church affirms that through the practices of prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial, Christians are prepared to remember the death of Jesus on Good Friday and celebrate his resurrection on Easter Sunday. This prayer from Merton is a reminder that the point of this season is not to keep a perfect Lent, but instead to offer up our imperfect practices believing that the very act of offering pleases God.
Each year, we create this campus-wide collaboration that includes contributions from students, faculty, staff and alumni. You are encouraged to read the assigned scripture passages, the devotional, and spend time in prayer and meditation. As I read through these devotionals, they are a means of God’s grace in my life. They remind me that God is at work through our community encouraging, inspiring, and challenging us. My prayer is that the words found here will be a guide to you as you journey with Jesus to the cross.
Grace and peace,
Heather Gerbsch Daugherty
