2016 Lenten Devotional

 Shalom!

We are continually pleased and amazed at the diverse and excellent talents of the Midshipmen community at the Naval Academy. We are blessed with beautiful worship experiences every Sunday. Thoughtful and faithful sermons from inspired and inspiring Chaplains and soaring music from organ, piano and choir; indeed His presence and light is so real!

In my humble opinion, the best expression of faith from our Midshipmen is collected here. Our Midshipmen usually don’t wear their piety for others to see but when it comes to writing these Lenten devotionals they absolutely shine!

I hope you will enjoy and be blessed with these daily devotionals. In these pages you will find stories, insights, hopes and dreams shared by the authors. Read their words, pray their prayers and allow yourself to walk a little further down the path God has set before you. This year’s booklet will be available online.

Remain blessed!

Chaplain Johnson

Lent is first and foremost about the gospel making its way deeper into our lives. These

devotionals were written with the intention to inspire your walk with Christ. Each day consists of Scripture readings, meditations and prayers—all aimed toward directing your heart to God and deepening your understanding of the events that led to Easter.

To put it simply: Lent is about Jesus.

On the Christian calendar, Lent (from an Old English word meaning “Spring”) is the forty days beginning on Ash Wednesday and leading up to Easter Sunday. Sundays themselves are not counted in these forty days, as they are generally set aside as days of renewal and celebration (“mini Easters” of sorts). When Sunday comes each week, feast on these great truths with much joy and celebration in your heart. Lent 2016 begins on Ash Wednesday, February 10 and ends on Thursday, March 24. Lent is only 40 days. However, you will find here devotionals to inspire you until Easter!

Did you ever wonder why the number forty carries great biblical significance? Think back to the Old Testament. Noah and company in the ark watched rain fall for forty days and forty nights. Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness. Moses was up on Mount Sinai for forty days before receiving the Ten Commandments. The Israelites wandered around the desert for forty years. A woman carries her developing child for roughly 40 weeks before new life comes forth from her womb. Forty days, weeks or years have been used by God to represent a period of trial, testing, and preparation.

Likewise, Lent is a forty day season of preparation and repentance during which we anticipate the death (Good Friday) and resurrection (Easter Sunday) of Jesus. It is this very preparation coupled with repentance that helps us grasp the significance of the crucifixion and gives us a deep and powerful longing for the resurrection and the joy of Easter.

As the title of this devotional suggests, Lent is a journey into His Presence and Light.

We hope and pray these devotionals will be God’s tool to allow each of us to meditate on our sin and weakness while looking to Jesus as our perfect Savior. The journey of Lent helps us immerse ourselves in His Holy Presence that it might increase our appreciation of Easter and deepen our love for Jesus.

May we mourn the darkness in our hearts and rejoice in the light of God who came into the world to save us!

May the grace, love, and peace of Christ be with you, my brothers and sisters, as we take this journey together with our eyes fixed on Jesus. May we emerge from this journey into His Presence and Light!

• First Week of Lent 

  (February 10-14, 2016)

• Second Week of Lent

  (February 15-21)

• Third Week of Lent

  (February 22-28)

• Fourth Week of Lent

  (February 29-March 6)

• Fifth Week of Lent

  (March 7-13)

• Sixth Week of Lent

  (March 13-20)

• Holy Week

  (March 21-27)

MIDN 2/C David Sicher, Baptist Collegiate Ministries
MIDN 1/C Laura Stromback, Navigators
MIDN 2/C Christian Forbush, Roman Catholic Community
MIDN 4/C Grace Miller, CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ)
MIDN 1/C Daniel Rose, CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ)
MIDN 1/C Marco Alejos, Officers’ Christian Fellowship
MIDN 2/C Jess Laney, Baptist Collegiate Ministries
MIDN 2/C Rixon Fletcher, Navigators
MIDN 4/C Anna Lawrence, Roman Catholic Community
MIDN 3/C Zach Tyra, Officers’ Christian Fellowship
MIDN 3/C Caleb Ingram, Baptist Collegiate Ministries
MIDN 1/C Daniel T. Gartrell, Navigators, Gospel & Protestant Choirs
MIDN 2/C Joel Davis, CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ)
MIDN 2/C Phillip Metcalfe, Baptist Collegiate Ministries
MIDN 2/C Joshua Cohen, Navigators
MIDN 4/C Kennedy Bingham
MIDN 3/C Abigail Dickson, Officers’ Christian Fellowship
MIDN 4/C Michael Wegner, Navigators
MIDN 3/C Carson Taff, CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ)
MIDN 2/C Cade Warlick, Officers’ Christian Fellowship
MIDN 1/C Austin Tortorici, Baptist Collegiate Ministries
MIDN 4/C Alexandra Brunell, Officers’ Christian Fellowship
MIDN 1/C William Parker, Officers’ Christian Fellowship
MIDN 2/C Maxwell Bevill, Baptist Collegiate Ministries
MIDN 3/C Noah Pehrson, Navigators
MIDN 4/C Andrew Harding, Roman Catholic Community
MIDN 1/C Moira Kimmell
MIDN 2/C Taylor Adams, Officers’ Christian Fellowship
MIDN 1/C Derek Moore, Baptist Collegiate Ministries
MIDN 2/C Seth Adams, Navigators
MIDN 2/C Christopher Goodale, Protestant Chapel Choir
John & Jeannette Chambers, Protestant Chapel Chorale
Jose Medina, a fellow Christian
Diogo Port, Contractor & Friend of the Naval Academy
Richard N. Lenham, Friend of the Naval Academy & Sponsor Parent
Joan K. Townshend, Naval Academy Choir
Libya Ba’aqar, Friend of the Naval Academy
Eric Johnson, Protestant Chapel Congregant

Throughout the process of writing this Lenten Booklet, many individuals from the community have taken time out to help. However, we would like to give a special thanks to Richard Lenham for helping us with editing.