February 15, 2026
When you hear the term Lent what images come to mind? Perhaps it elicits feelings of disappointment, even shame, because every year you “give up chocolate or alcohol for Lent” and every year you cheat and break your Lenten promise. Or maybe you are like me, and honestly thought lent was just the past-tense of lend and an excuse to eat and do whatever you wanted the week prior! I didn’t grow up in a Christian faith tradition where Lent was given any attention. So the crazy Mardi Gras parties that take place all over the world this week and culminate on Fat Tuesday, ashes on people’s foreheads as they walk around town on Ash Wednesday, and people “giving up things” for Lent, were much of a mystery to me until about ten years ago when I became interested in finding out more about this season that leads to our most holy of celebrations as Christians - Easter.
For those of you who were raised as I was, with just enough knowledge of Lenten traditions and symbols to be dangerous, I pray this crash course on some of the many Lenten symbols and 40-day devotional #LentenDaily will pique your interest and cause you to hunger for more. For those of you who have known of and observed these traditions all of your life, perhaps the instruction and daily devotions will serve to renew your mind and restore a fresh understanding of this season. Regardless of your prior Lenten experiences, I am excited that we have the opportunity to learn and share in this season together as a gospel family.
Today through Easter Sunday, daily devotions will drop into your email inbox each morning. These devotions will include readings from the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John, whose creative and poetic writing style paints the story of Jesus’ time here on earth in living color, rich and vibrant. For those of you who have joined me for previous #LentenDaily devotions, you may have begun to notice a theme. For the past three years I have studied The Kingdom of God Drawn Near from the perspective of different gospel writers. #LentenDaily2023 followed Matthew’s gospel; #LentenDaily 2024 followed Mark’s; #LentenDaily2025 followed Luke’s. This year we’ll conclude this Lenten journey by soaking in John’s gospel. I’ve included some thoughts and questions for us to ponder each day as we move from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. The daily devotions have been written for easy access, whether on our own, together as couples and families or with our faith communities.
There are specific hymns, old and new, included for us to sing each Sunday, our feast days, but I’ve also selected What a Wonderful Name It is for us to sing together throughout this Lenten season. Including lyrics from John’s first chapter, I pray it will be a daily reminder of this most beautiful Name we are observing during Lent.
What A Beautiful Name - Hillsong Worship | LYRIC VIDEO
What A Beautiful Name, by Ben Fielding and Brooke Ligertwood
Hillsong Worship 2016
Verse 1
You were the Word at the beginning
One with God the Lord Most High
Your hidden glory in creation
Now revealed in You our Christ
Chorus 1
What a beautiful Name it is
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a beautiful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
Verse 2
You didn’t want heaven without us
So Jesus You brought heaven down
My sin was great Your love was greater
What could separate us now
Chorus 2
What a wonderful Name it is
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a wonderful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
Bridge
Death could not hold You
The veil tore before You
The heavens are roaring
The praise of Your glory
For You are raised to life again
You have no rival You have no equal
Now and forever God You reign
Yours is the kingdom
Yours is the glory
Yours is the Name above all names
Chorus 3
What a powerful Name it is
What a powerful Name it is T
he Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a powerful Name it is
Nothing can stand against
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
You will discover that the devotions begin tomorrow, the Monday prior to Ash Wednesday, which is the official start to the Lenten season. Starting tomorrow allows time for a couple of history lessons before we officially begin.
Finally, friend, Lent is a long, slow season where we can pause to remember who we are, who God is, and what Jesus has done for us:
We are made from dust with love and intention, in the image of our Creator. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7)
We have sinned and we are sinners, incapable of saving ourselves, but God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Jesus Christ is the perfect expression of God’s eternal love and faithfulness, given to reconcile us to Himself, (Colossians 1:15-30) complete with all of the emotions and physical limitations that we come standard with. Jesus understands us because He was made like us. (Hebrews 4:15-16)
We are invited to repent of our sin, return to our merciful and compassionate God, and rest in the freedom of His grace and forgiveness, not in place of suffering, but in the midst of it.
My prayer is that we enter into this Lenten season expectant:
That we will grow together as family members of Christ’s body and bride, the Church.
That we will grow in our knowledge and understanding of Jesus’ great sacrifice on our behalf.
That God through His Spirit will speak to our spirits, as we focus our minds and hearts on Him each day.
I can’t wait to get started! Join me, won’t you? I’m confident you won’t regret this commitment!!
Blessings,
Gay
PS. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
