2017 Belmont University Lenten Devotional Guideنمونہ

Ash Wednesday It is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent, which will last for the next 40 days. These texts, which are read on Ash Wednesday each year, remind us of the main themes of this season: when God comes, things are never the same, and there are places in our lives that need to be redeemed. God can do that, and we are invited to quietly pursue God’s transforming work in our lives. Many people often think about Lent as a season to avoid—who wants to deny themselves and give something up? Who wants to think about all of the ways that we fall short of what God has for our lives? Who has extra time to spend in prayer and devotion? These things are really hard, but even still, Lent is one of my favorite seasons of the Christian calendar. It is a reminder to me that I am a work in progress. One of the most amazing things to me about the Christian life is that we are not saved and then left to our own devices until the return of Christ someday. No, when we experience God’s salvation in our lives, it is only the beginning of the journey. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to seek after him with all that we are, and by the grace of God, our lives we will be made to be more like Christ. Taking on the practices of the season of Lent—prayer, scripture reading, confession, giving alms (money) to the poor—doesn’t make us Christians. But those practices for us become a means of grace, places where God can be at work in our lives, where God’s grace is given to us that our lives would continue to be transformed and redeemed. As we enter into this season, I want to encourage you to allow it to be a reminder to you that you are a work in progress. Allow this season to be a reminder that God is still at work in you. As you spend time reading through this devotional (and other Lenten practices that you may choose), be open to what God wants to do in your life and the ways in which God wants to transform your life to look more like that of Jesus. Gracious God, we give you thanks for your work in our lives. Help us not be overwhelmed by this season, but instead to allow it to be a time in our lives where you are at work transforming and redeeming us. AMEN. HEATHER DAUGHERTY University Minister University Ministries