Dear Gentle Folks,
As our Lenten season begins, we are reminded that these next 6 weeks we are called to reflect on our faith, celebrate our blessings and spend time renewing and rededicating our lives to God. I have included daily readings from the “Revised Common Lectionary” put together by Vanderbilt Divinity Library.
Lenten Daily Readings
• Wednesday, February 18, 2026: Ash Wednesday: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 and Isaiah 58:1-12; Psalm 51:1-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
• Thursday, February 19, 2026: Psalm 51; Jonah 3:1-10; Romans 1:1-7;
• Friday, February 20, 2026: Psalm 51; Jonah 4:1-11; Romans 1:8-17;
• Saturday, February 21, 2026: Psalm 51; Isaiah 58:1-12; Matthew 18:1-7;
Sunday, February 22, 2026:
• Monday, February 23, 2026: Psalm 32; 1 Kings 19:1-8; Hebrews 2:10-18;
• Tuesday, February 24, 2026: Psalm 32; Genesis 4:1-16; Hebrews 4:14-5:10;
• Wednesday, February 25, 2026: Psalm 32; Exodus 34:1-9, 27-28; Matthew 18:10-14;
• Thursday, February 26, 2026: Psalm 121; Isaiah 51:1-3; 2 Timothy 1:3-7;
• Friday, February 27, 2026: Psalm 121; Micah 7:18-20; Romans 3:21-31;
• Saturday, February 28, 2026: Psalm 121; Isaiah 51:4-8; Luke 7:1-10;
Sunday, March 01, 2026:
• Monday, March 02, 2026: Psalm 128; Numbers 21:4-9; Hebrews 3:1-6;
• Tuesday, March 03, 2026: Psalm 128; Isaiah 65:17-25; Romans 4:6-13;
• Wednesday, March 04, 2026: Psalm 128; Ezekiel 36:22-32; John 7:53-8:11;
• Thursday, March 05, 2026: Psalm 95; Exodus 16:1-8; Colossians 1:15-23;
• Friday, March 06, 2026: Psalm 95; Exodus 16:9-21; Ephesians 2:11-22;
• Saturday, March 07, 2026: Psalm 95; Exodus 16:27-35; John 4:1-6;
Sunday, March 08, 2026:
• Monday, March 09, 2026: Psalm 81; Genesis 24:1-27; 2 John 1:1-13;
• Tuesday, March 10, 2026: Psalm 81; Genesis 29:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4;
• Wednesday, March 11, 2026: Psalm 81; Jeremiah 2:4-13; John 7:14-31, 37-39;
• Thursday, March 12, 2026: Psalm 23; 1 Samuel 15:10-21; Ephesians 4:25-32;
• Friday, March 13, 2026: Psalm 23; 1 Samuel 15:22-31; Ephesians 5:1-9;
• Saturday, March 14, 2026: Psalm 23; 1 Samuel 15:32-34; John 1:1-9;
Sunday, March 15, 2026:
• Monday, March 16, 2026: Psalm 146; Isaiah 59:9-19; Acts 9:1-20;
• Tuesday, March 17, 2026: Psalm 146; Isaiah 42:14-21; Colossians 1:9-14;
• Wednesday, March 18, 2026: Psalm 146; Isaiah 60:17-22; Matthew 9:27-34;
• Thursday, March 19, 2026: Psalm 130; Ezekiel 1:1-3, 2:8-3:3; Revelation 10:1-11;
• Friday, March 20, 2026: Psalm 130; Ezekiel 33:10-16; Revelation 11:15-19;
• Saturday, March 21, 2026: Psalm 130; Ezekiel 36:8-15; Luke 24:44-53;
Sunday, March 22, 2026:
• Monday, March 23, 2026: Psalm 143; 1 Kings 17:17-24; Acts 20:7-12;
• Tuesday, March 24, 2026: Psalm 143; 2 Kings 4:18-37; Ephesians 2:1-10;
• Wednesday, March 25, 2026: Psalm 143; Jeremiah 32:1-9, 36-41; Matthew 22:23-33;
• Wednesday, March 25, 2026: Annunciation of the Lord
• Thursday, March 26, 2026: Psalm 31:9-16; 1 Samuel 16:11-13; Philippians 1:1-11;
• Friday, March 27, 2026: Psalm 31:9-16; Job 13:13-19; Philippians 1:21-30;
• Saturday, March 28, 2026: Psalm 31:9-16; Lamentations 3:55-66; Mark 10:32-34;
• Sunday, March 29, 2026: Liturgy of the Palms
Holy Week
• Monday, March 30, 2026: Monday of Holy Week Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 36:5-11; Hebrews 9:11-15; John 12:1-11
• Tuesday, March 31, 2026: Tuesday of Holy Week Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 71:1-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; John 12:20-36
• Wednesday, April 01, 2026: Wednesday of Holy Week Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 70; Hebrews 12:1-3
• Thursday, April 02, 2026: Maundy Thursday Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14; Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31b-35
• Friday, April 03, 2026: Good Friday Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 22; Hebrews 10:16-25 and Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42
• Saturday, April 04, 2026: Holy Saturday Job 14:1-14 and Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24; Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16; 1 Peter 4:1-8; Matthew 27:57-66 or John 19:38-42
As we travel in our Lenten journey and move to Good Friday, I encourage folks to join us in our annual fast with the church. Our first took place 27 years ago. And for at least the last eighteen years we have attempted to make our fast more focused on the work God would have us do as a ministry and fellowship.
This years theme and point of focus is on the theology of forgiveness. Here are my thoughts as we begin our journey:
The Radical Act of Forgiveness: A Lenten Reflection
Lent invites us into a period of deep reflection. It is time to look inward, to examine the landscape of our own hearts, and to consider the paths of repentance and renewal. As we walk this journey, the concept of forgiveness looms large, often feeling like a monumental task. We are told to forgive, but what does that truly mean, especially when the wounds are deep and the pain is real? Where do we find it in today’s world?
Consider the scene. A man, brutalized and nailed to a cross, hangs between life and death. In his final moments, surrounded by the very people who condemned him, he offers not a curse, but a prayer: “God, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.” These words from Luke’s Gospel are staggering. They are a profound display of compassion and mercy in the face of unimaginable suffering. This isn’t just a passive acceptance of fate; it is an active, radical act of grace. Was this the key moment to the resurrection?
Who was Jesus speaking to in that moment? Was it only the soldiers carrying out their orders? The crowd that jeered? The powers that orchestrated his execution?
I have come to believe he was speaking to a much wider audience. He was speaking to us. We are “them.” We are the ones who, in our ignorance, our fear, our prejudice, and our apathy, cause harm.
We are the ones who participate in systems that marginalize and oppress. We are the ones who sometimes fail to see the divine in our neighbor.
Forgiveness, in this context, is not about excusing harmful actions. It is not a simple “get out of jail free” card that nullifies accountability. Instead, it is a recognition of shared humanity and a commitment to breaking the cycle of retribution.
Jesus’s call is not an erasure of the wrong committed against him; it is an appeal to a higher love, a love that refuses to be conquered by hate. He models a way of being that liberates both the forgiver and the forgiven from the prison of bitterness. Oh my God, from the cross…, from the cross he does this!
Why is this so essential for a full life, both here and in whatever comes next? Holding onto unforgiveness is like carrying a heavy stone. It weighs us down, tethers us to past hurts, and prevents us from moving forward. It drains our spiritual and emotional energy, leaving little room for joy, peace, or connection.
When we refuse to forgive, we allow the person who harmed us to continue occupying space in our minds and hearts, long after the initial offense. Is that the life we want to live?
This Lenten season, we are called to confront the stones we carry. The journey toward forgiveness is a pilgrimage of its own. It requires us to acknowledge our pain, to sit with our anger, and to honestly face the injustice we have experienced.
It doesn’t stop there. It calls us to the courageous work of release. This process fosters a profound healing, not just within ourselves, but within our communities.
When we choose forgiveness, we open the door to reconciliation. We create space for dialogue, understanding, and the rebuilding of trust. We declare that brokenness will not have the final word. Of course it doesn’t always work, but it is the effort that makes the difference.
This is the essence of renewal. By embracing the challenging, transformative power of forgiveness, we participate in the very compassion Jesus embodied on the cross.
We step out of the shadows of resentment and into the light of spiritual growth. We learn to see others—and ourselves—not through the lens of our worst moments, but through the boundless grace of a love that seeks to heal and restore.
These next 6 weeks, may we have the courage to lay down our stones and walk freely into a future defined not by what has been done to us, but by the radical, life-giving forgiveness that has been given to us and we choose to extend.
Church Fast: With all this in mind we are setting aside Easter weekend to put ourselves aside and concentrate on God, to allow God to speak with each of us and to all of us as a church. How is forgiveness dealing with us this Lenten season. Our church will start (as mentioned) our period of fasting and prayer at Good Friday services April 3rd at 7pm with First Christian Church of Decatur and end it at our Easter (Resurrection Sunday) Sunrise Service at on April 5th at 7:20 AM in Candler Park, picnic Pavilion 2.
On Holy Saturday April 4th we will be in Candler Park 10AM-12PM to support, discuss, pray and learn more about this powerful tool of forgiveness.
If this is your first fast or have concerns or questions about how to do a fast, you can find that information in the website. If you have questions, feel free to call me at the office and we can chat.