{"id":14021,"date":"2017-02-25T22:22:45","date_gmt":"2017-02-26T02:22:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=14021"},"modified":"2017-04-22T14:43:03","modified_gmt":"2017-04-22T18:43:03","slug":"lenten-devotional-for-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=14021","title":{"rendered":"Lenten Devotional for 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Members from four local churches have come together to produce a Daily Devotional for this year&#8217;s Lenten season. The booklets were <a href=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/DevotionLent17-Cover-_IMG_4036-400x651.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-14023\" src=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/DevotionLent17-Cover-_IMG_4036-400x651-184x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"184\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/DevotionLent17-Cover-_IMG_4036-400x651-184x300.jpg 184w, https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/DevotionLent17-Cover-_IMG_4036-400x651.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 184px) 100vw, 184px\" \/><\/a>published in hardcopy form and distributed within the participating churches, but electronic copies of the devotions are presented here.<\/p>\n<p>If you want a printed copy, visit or contact one of the participating churches:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/eumchurch.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Evangelical UMC (Clarksboro)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/zionccumc2.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zion Community Church (Clarksboro)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.trinitymullicahill.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trinity United Methodist Church (Mullica Hill)<\/a><\/li>\n<li>and <a href=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?page_id=619\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pitman United Methodist Church<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class='et-box et-info'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class='et-box-content'><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Additional contributions were also written by members of:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Delmar, NY)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">First United Methodist Church (Glassboro, NJ)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">New Hope United Methodist Church (Penns Grove NJ)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">North Raleigh UMC (North Raleigh, NC)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Providence Orthodox Presbyterian Church (Mantua NJ)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Daily Devotions for Lent 2017<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The devotional is presented in PDF format (use the free Adobe PDF viewer to read). Instead of presenting the entire booklet in one file (and forcing you to scroll through the whole thing to find the current date&#8217;s article), the booklet is broken up into separate week-by-week files.<\/p>\n<p>To read the article for any given date, scroll down to either March or April, click the weekly tab you want, then click on the button. Most of the files begin with Sunday and run through Saturday of the indicated week.<\/p>\n<p>Enjoy; and may God bless your devotional time!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000080;\">March&#8230;<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>The Lenten season (and first devotional) starts out with Ash Wednesday, on March 1. Here are weeks 1 through 5&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<div class='tabs-left et_sliderfx_fade et_sliderauto_false et_sliderauto_speed_5000 et_slidertype_left_tabs clearfix'>\n\t\t\t\t<div class='et_left_tabs_bg'><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<ul class='et-tabs-control'>\n\t\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\tMar. 1 &#8211; Mar. 4\n\t\t<\/a><\/li> \n\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\tMar. 5 &#8211; Mar. 11\n\t\t<\/a><\/li> \n\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\tMar. 12 &#8211; Mar. 18\n\t\t<\/a><\/li> \n\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\tMar. 19 &#8211; Mar. 25\n\t\t<\/a><\/li> \n\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\tMar. 26 &#8211; April 1\n\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t<\/ul> <!-- .et-tabs-control --> \n\t\t<div class='et-tabs-content'>\n\t\t\t<div class='et-tabs-content-main-wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t<div class='et-tabs-content-wrapper'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Lent17Devotional_01.pdf' class='icon-button paper-icon' target=\"_blank\">Week 1<span class='et-icon'><\/span><\/a> Ash Wed. through Saturday 3\/4\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Lent17Devotional_02.pdf' class='icon-button paper-icon' target=\"_blank\">Week 2<span class='et-icon'><\/span><\/a> Sunday 3\/5 through Saturday 3\/11\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Lent17Devotional_03.pdf' class='icon-button paper-icon' target=\"_blank\">Week 3<span class='et-icon'><\/span><\/a> Sunday 3\/12 through Saturday 3\/18\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Lent17Devotional_04.pdf' class='icon-button paper-icon' target=\"_blank\">Week 4<span class='et-icon'><\/span><\/a> Sunday 3\/19 through Saturday 3\/25\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Lent17Devotional_05.pdf' class='icon-button paper-icon' target=\"_blank\">Week 5<span class='et-icon'><\/span><\/a> Sunday 3\/26 through Saturday 4\/1\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> <!-- .tabs-left -->\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000080;\">April&#8230;<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>The season continues until we reach Easter Sunday, on April 16. Below are devotionals for weeks 6 through 8 (&#8220;week 8&#8221; is Easter Sunday)&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<div class='tabs-left et_sliderfx_fade et_sliderauto_false et_sliderauto_speed_5000 et_slidertype_left_tabs clearfix'>\n\t\t\t\t<div class='et_left_tabs_bg'><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<ul class='et-tabs-control'>\n\t\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\tApril 2 &#8211; April 8\n\t\t<\/a><\/li> \n\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\tApril 9 &#8211; April 15\n\t\t<\/a><\/li> \n\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\tEaster Sunday\n\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t<\/ul> <!-- .et-tabs-control --> \n\t\t<div class='et-tabs-content'>\n\t\t\t<div class='et-tabs-content-main-wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t<div class='et-tabs-content-wrapper'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Lent17Devotional_06.pdf' class='icon-button paper-icon' target=\"_blank\">Week 6<span class='et-icon'><\/span><\/a> Sunday 4\/2 through Saturday 4\/8\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Lent17Devotional_07.pdf' class='icon-button paper-icon' target=\"_blank\">Week 7<span class='et-icon'><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Holy Week:\u00a0 Palm Sunday 4\/9 through Saturday 4\/15\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Lent17Devotional_08.pdf' class='icon-button paper-icon' target=\"_blank\">Week 8<span class='et-icon'><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Easter Sunday 4\/16 (and closing items)\n\t\t<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> <!-- .tabs-left -->\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Why Read these Devotionals???<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Lent is a time to re-evaluate our relation to God; to consider things that might be getting in the way. It is a time of preparation that climaxes with the celebration of our Lord on Easter Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s the forward to the devotional booklet (written by Linda Turk)&#8230;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">This booklet is such a source of encouragement in ministry for the Lord, perhaps because it is personal. It tells the personal stories of the faith of several congregations\u2019 members and the faith of friends and neighbors. It is a telling of God\u2019s Word to them, a telling of God\u2019s Word in them, a telling <\/span><span style=\"color: #800080;\">of God\u2019s Word working through them, and a telling of God\u2019s Word lived out by them. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Through this telling, we are brought near to God with sincere hearts and with the full assurance that faith brings. We are encouraged to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for we see that He who promised is faithful, and we are able to spur one another on toward love and good deeds. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">This Lenten devotional book allows us to share together the message of Christ that is dwelling within us. We are able to observe a glimpse of Him at work in the lives of ordinary people we know. As a result, we are encouraged and built up in the faith so that we too will be messengers of the gospel. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">As you read these devotionals, our prayer is that you will be encouraged in your walk with the Lord. And that you will be reminded of His love for you, His forgiveness given to you, and the hope of the resurrection that we celebrate.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Searching for a Particular Article?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Click here to view the Table of Contents: \u00a0 <a href='https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Lent17Devotional_Contents-1.pdf' class='icon-button download-icon' target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Table of Contents<\/span><span class='et-icon'><\/span><\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Easter Symbols&#8230;<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000080;\">During the Lent and Easter season, you&#8217;ll see many symbols- many of which are secular in origin. Just as you use this devotional to open yourself up to God&#8217;s Spirit, use these symbols as reminders of Christ&#8217;s gift of life to us&#8230;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Easter Eggs<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-6238\" src=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/easter-egg-575698__180.png\" alt=\"easter-egg-575698__180\" width=\"171\" height=\"136\" \/><\/p>\n<p>An ancient Egyptian story of creation relates how the earth was hatched from an egg. Every spring the ancient Egyptians celebrated the world\u2019s birthday by exchanging eggs. The Jews also use eggs in their celebration of the Passover. But to the early Christians, the egg reminded them of the resurrection of Christ, and Easter eggs were colored red to remind them of his blood shed on the cross. Russian Christians give beautifully decorated eggs as gifts to their friends with the joyous greeting, \u201cHe is risen!\u201d to which the friends reply, \u201cHe is risen indeed!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #800080;\">The Empty Cross<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-4457\" src=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Seaville-Outdoor-Chapel-Cross-_0906041024-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"Seaville Outdoor Chapel Cross _0906041024\" width=\"136\" height=\"191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Seaville-Outdoor-Chapel-Cross-_0906041024-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Seaville-Outdoor-Chapel-Cross-_0906041024.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 136px) 100vw, 136px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>One of the most cherished symbols of the Protestant church is the Easter cross \u2014 an EMPTY cross, for we worship the risen Christ who has conquered death and the evil of the world.<\/p>\n<p>For many, the center beam of the cross stands for man\u2019s reach upward toward God, while the crossarms remind them of the outreaching concern the Christian feels for all men.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Devotion&#8230;<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>As we pass through this season of Lent and Easter, remember the words of Paul (in his letter to the Philippians)&#8230;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable \u2014 if anything is excellent or praiseworthy \u2014 think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me \u2014 put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The devotional presented in this post shares how God has touched each of the writers in a special way. As we read through these articles, &#8220;think on these praiseworthy things&#8221; and allow God to draw you closer to Him during this special season.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Members from four local churches have come together to produce a Daily Devotional for this year&#8217;s Lenten season. The booklets were published in hardcopy form and distributed within the participating churches, but electronic copies of the devotions are presented here. If you want a printed copy, visit or contact one of the participating churches: Evangelical [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-godprints"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14021"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14784,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14021\/revisions\/14784"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}