PROMISE FOR A NEW DAY From the very beginning of the Biblical narrative, God made promises to his people. God promised Noah that the world would never again be totally destroyed by a God-ordained catastrophe. God told Abraham that he would father many offspring, gain claim to precious land, and become a blessing to the nations. Later, God led the Israelites fleeing Egypt to the Promised Land. To good King David, God promised a dynasty, and to King David’s son Solomon, the promise was wisdom. Prophets and psalmists throughout the period of exile in Babylon spoke of God’s promise of relief from bondage, of God’s never-ending love, mercy, forgiveness, and protection. New Testament writers echoed these themes and added the promise of eternal life and a reunion between God’s people and their Lord. Lent is a season often associated with sadness and sorrow. Many Lutheran churches omit the "Alleluia" from worship during this time; we sing dark and somber hymns; we grieve for the suffering of Jesus, suffering caused by us and by all humankind. It’s appropriate for us to meditate and reflect on our lives, to repent and seek forgiveness. But, as one psalmist says, "Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning." Joy comes in the morning, the morning of the Resurrection, the morning when all God’s promises were fulfilled through Jesus’ triumph over death and all the dark forces of evil. This Lenten season, as we meditate on the life and death of Jesus, let us also remember that after the weeping, there is joy. Now we are forgiven and redeemed. Now we have God’s promise for a new day.

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ABOUT THIS BOOKLET Servants of God, guided by the Holy Spirit, to make Christ known. That is the vision of Reformation Lutheran Church and summarizes our view of what we are called to do as a community of faith. Our Lenten Devotional Ministry is just one step toward realization of the vision. Last year, 500 printed copies of this devotional were distributed to members and friends of Reformation Lutheran Church throughout our community, our neighboring Area V congregations, and the Synod. Devotionals are also available to on-line subscribers. More than 2,000 internet users were on-line with us in 2002. They came from all over the United States and several foreign countries. The feedback from our readers has been very positive. People have been touched by the meditations of our writers and we do believe that, through this ministry, we make Christ known in ways that are new and sometimes surprising. We appreciate suggestions to help us improve. Last year, one reader objected that some writings had references to God that were not gender-inclusive. We are aware of this concern. We use the NRSV translation of the Bible for our quotation of scripture. God is often referred to as "he" in this translation. Many of our writers refer to God with masculine pronouns. We encourage them to express their devotions in words that reflect their personal piety. This is not a professional publication written by professional writers. It is an act of love and faith on the part of a few who are willing to try to grapple with a scripture text and put their testimony into words that will be read by others. It is truly a ministry of love and of sharing. Our thanks to all our writers, many of whom move outside their comfort zones to contribute. Special thanks to our former interim pastor, Rev. Sally Fahrenthold, for selecting the texts for meditation; to Wil Johnson for the cover design and title page art; to Tom Cronk for coordinating the printing; to Lori East for her graphics expertise, to Pastor Tom Hallstrom for his support and encouragement. May these devotions inspire you during this Lenten season as we hear the promises of God and experience their fulfillment. Dallas Cronk, Editor Dr. Mark Yeskie, Webmaster