Lent 2026 Guide-DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 3
Introduction
Welcome!
I’m so glad you chose Action in Contemplation: A Lenten Devotional to
accompany you on this year’s journey through the season of Lent. In the
pages that follow, you will find short devotions designed by members of the
Board of Christian Social Action (BCSA) and its many active committees.
As you read and reflect upon devotions written by fellow Plymouth friends,
we hope you find additional inspiration for your Lenten path.
Lent is traditionally associated with the act of ‘giving up’ certain luxuries
as we prepare ourselves for Holy Week. In this spirit, Lent tends to be a
solemn season of ‘stripped-down’ faith as we commemorate the 40 days
that Jesus spent dwelling in the sparce desert wilderness. While removing
excess from our hurried lives is wildly attractive these days, the BCSA also
found inspiration in the idea that we may benefit by adding practices that
encourage social action.
As we know at Plymouth Church, sustaining the difficult work of social
action requires the practice of spiritual contemplation. You’ll notice that
each devotion is structured in three successive parts: inspiration, reflection,
and action in contemplation. This structure is purposefully meant to build
and sustain the vital connection between spirituality and social action.
While some Lenten guides may offer a daily entry, this one provides three
devotions for each week guiding us through this season of Lent. We want
there to be plenty of space for you to dwell on these devotions. Go at your
own pace. Reflect and act and then repeat. Perhaps you will discover in these
pages a new practice of social action that you’d like to take with you beyond
this season.
As you explore the connection between spirituality and social this Lenten
season, may you find yourself restored and renewed by the spirit of God.
— Pastor John Tyson
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