The season of Lent, with its start in winter and passage toward spring, is a time of contemplation and wonder. This year's Lenten devotion from LHM, Silent Witnesses, gives the reader ample opportunity to pause and reflect on how God works through all aspects (even down to the material objects) in our lives.
In the Gospels of Mark and John, items like rope (nets), clay (pots), water (the pool of Bethesda), silver (drachma coins), oil (ointment), a donkey, a sponge, a placard (the inscription over Jesus' head), and embroidered cloth (temple curtain) figure into the public ministry of the Messiah. In the mute character of these mundane and inconsequential things, God adds significance, meaning, and subtle object lessons for us all.
Silent Witnesses will be available to read online and hear as a podcast. These devotions can also be received as an e-mail subscription throughout the Lenten season, beginning Ash Wednesday, February 14. The downloadable version, which includes a large-font text, bulletin inserts, bulletin shells, and PowerPoint slides, is available online. Audio also begins on February 14, with Mark Eischer, senior producer for The Lutheran Hour, reading the devotions. For all the details, visit lhm.org/lent.
For the Spanish version, Testigos silenciosos ("Silent Witnesses"), click here, and you can print out these devotions. They will go live on Ash Wednesday, February 14.