2013 Lenten Devotional Focuses on Hunger, Healing
January 7, 2013
Episcopal Relief & Development’s tenth annual Lenten Meditations booklets are now available in English and Spanish. PDF booklets and other Lenten resources can be found on Episcopal Relief & Development’s website at www.episcopalrelief.org/lent, and daily email devotionals can be received by signing up online.
“We are very pleased to offer these Lenten materials and hope that they will provide meaningful enrichment for families, individuals and congregations this season,” said Pamela Penn, Program Officer for Church Engagement. “Co-authored by Episcopal Church leaders from a variety of backgrounds, this year’s devotional helps us focus on alleviating hunger worldwide while preparing ourselves for spiritual healing.”
The Lenten Meditations can be ordered from Episcopal Marketplace online or over the phone by calling 1.866.937.2772. Hope chests, prayer cards, bookmarks and offering envelopes are also available and can be used in accompaniment with the devotional booklets. Churches and individuals are encouraged to place their orders by Friday, February 1, to ensure that the materials will arrive by Ash Wednesday, February 13.
Congregations are also invited to commemorate Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday on the first Sunday in Lent, February 17, or another convenient Sunday during the season. At the 2009 General Convention, Lent was officially designated as a time to remember and support the organization’s life-saving work. On this special Sunday, congregations pray for those living in poverty and dedicate an offering in support of the Episcopal Relief & Development’s Global Needs Fund, which helps where most needed.
“The season of Lent offers us an opportunity for reflection on our lives and how we relate to others, both near and far away,” said Rob Radtke, the agency’s President. “This year, we especially focus on hunger and the work of Episcopal Relief & Development’s local partners to improve food supply and nutrition in their communities. When we experience physical hunger during a Lenten fast or acknowledge spiritual hunger in our lives this season, we open ourselves to seeing hunger in all forms. By remembering Episcopal Relief & Development and the work it carries out on behalf of all Episcopalians, we can reach out in spirit and in action to alleviate hunger in the world around us.”
Resources and guidelines for Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday and the whole Lenten season are available at www.episcopalrelief.org/lent. Please contact engagement@episcopalrelief.org or call 1.855.312.HEAL (4325) with any questions.
Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church and an independent 501(c)(3) organization. The agency takes its mandate from Jesus’ words found in Matthew 25. Its programs work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Episcopal Relief & Development works closely with the worldwide Church and ecumenical partners to help rebuild after disasters and to empower local communities to find lasting solutions that fight poverty, hunger and disease, including HIV/AIDS and malaria.
