Description
Lent is a time of contemplation.
During these 40 days, we contemplate Jesus’s life on earth. The precious three years of His active ministry in which He gave us His sacred words, His healing, as well as His beautiful example of love. He showed us how to live. We meditate on His life and His sacrifice, and we enter into self-reflection to discover what might be holding us back from living His way.
As with Advent, we already know what is coming. We enter this season, however, not anticipating a birth, but rather waiting for a death. As Jesus did so long ago, we know that this story includes overwhelming grief. And pain. And blood. And as with His birth, His death was unexpected. A shock to those who had followed Him. And our Hallelujahs are silenced. Christ has died.
But though the story includes a death, it doesn’t end there and that is the miracle of Easter. That is the beauty of the Resurrection. Our grief gives way to overwhelming relief. To joy. To thankfulness. The Messiah has come. Christ has risen. Death has been defeated. A new way of living and a new freedom from the slavery of sin is His gift to us.
And though He has ascended into heaven again, we know that He will once again come back to us. That His Resurrection wasn’t His final appearance here. Christ will come again.
Art can have a way of allowing us true contemplation. To notice details and immerse ourselves in a story. To let that example soak into our hearts and minds. If you so choose, from this guide and the accompanying prints, feel free to display an individual print during each week of Lent and present it with the readings provided. Or, feel at liberty to explore other ways to include the art in your Lent traditions.
May these Lenten art devotions allow you to contemplate the time of Jesus’s ministry here on earth and immerse yourself in the beauty of His love for us.
We really miss the artistist bios. Learning about them, and maybe even their spiritual walk is so helpful in connecting us to the art. Even maybe art prompt of trying to recreate the art, questions to ponder about the art, the hymn history (which several hymns I couldn’t access anyone actually signing it). I don’t think it takes away from the Christ focus, but would connect us more to the art and what the God was doing in the artist.
Thank you for your feedback, Jessica. I mentioned in the description that my intention for these Art Devotions really was to just allow a time for quiet contemplation and focusing on what is happening in the painting rather than adding any kind of additional art study during the season of Lent which is why they do not include artist biographies or discussion points about the art.
These prints are beautifully done—and at such a great price point! We are enjoying them as part of our Lenten conversations at dinner and otherwise. Thank you!
Using these Art Devotional and prints are a wonderful way to focus on the Lenten Season. We’ve enjoyed these special Sunday devotions as a family. It’s a picture study, bible reading, poetry reading, and hymn in one short devotional. The picture study is engaging and is perfect with the scripture reading and allows for some good discussion. I recommend getting the already printed version. So easy and convenient. I’d like to get the next volume next year.