2017 Belmont University Lenten Devotional GuideSample

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces
perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
When you think about it, our lives are filled with a series of progressions. We learn to
crawl before we learn to walk. We graduate from the bottle to solid food. We learn our
multiplication tables before we attempt to tackle algebra. We spend time dating before we
even consider marriage. There are things that must come before others can. These steps
serve as a foundation for the next to be built upon.

I am reminded of the importance of progression by this passage in Romans. We would
never conceive of the notion that suffering alone leads to hope. When we find ourselves in
midst of suffering, the last thing we usually feel is hopeful! It is, however, the progression
of suffering-to perseverance-to character that leads to hope. Each of these experiences is
necessary to allow space for the next. They are intricately woven together—each dependent
on the former as a foundation for existence. But it is so easy to get lost in the progression.
When the process of suffering to hope takes longer than we want it to, we are often blinded
to the ways we are being transformed along the way. We become stuck at some point along
the way.

The Lenten season is also a progression. As we prepare for Holy Week, some foundations
must be in place. Our reflection and self-denial are important steps that allow space for
the full acknowledgement of the Cross. We cannot expect to simply be prepared any more
than we can journey directly from suffering to hope. Lent is filled with intricately woven
expressions that the celebration of Easter morning is built upon. We journey through them
with the understanding that they are necessary. An Easter without the Lenten progression
is simply an arranged marriage. It is a celebration without the crucial progression of
relationship and a commitment without full disclosure. We must embrace those things that
happen along the journey that give significance to the destination of sacrifice. As we find
ourselves in the midst of the Lenten season, may we fully embrace each step as a necessary
one in our own preparation.

Father, help us to persevere and allow space for fullness of the Cross. Help us to not get
lost in the progression of this season but to permit each step to serve as a foundation for
the next. Amen.

CHRISTY RIDINGS
Director of Spiritual Formation
University Ministriesg