Lenten Prayer
Philippians 4:6-7
“My heart I o�fer to you, Oh Lord, promptly and sincerely”
John Calvin
As followers of Christ, we know that unity does not require uniformity. Our differences do not diminish our fellowship; they enrich it. The diversity of Christ’s Church stands as a living testimony that the One who took on flesh came for all people—every race, gender, culture, and condition of life. In the incarnation, God’s boundless love gathers us without exception. Thanks be to God!
Yet, we cannot ignore the brokenness around us. Headlines and conversations alike bear witness to division, distrust, and deepening schism. Genuine dialogue can feel out of reach. But Jesus has given us a path back to one another. In teaching us to pray—“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name”—Christ reminds us that prayer draws us into a shared posture before the Holy One. When we lift our voices together, our differences find their place within God’s greater harmony.
This Lenten season, we invite the Austin Seminary community to join in a shared discipline of daily prayer and reflection using scripture selections from the Revised Common Lectionary. In your hands is a collection of prayers crafted by faculty, staff, trustees, and alumni, accompanied by art and music chosen to echo the themes of the season and to guide our contemplation. May these offerings help us walk more closely with Christ in these forty days. And may we, through prayer, become united—together, as one—as we make our way toward the hope and promise of the Resurrected One.
Table of Contents
Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Matthew 6:1–6
Rev. Dr. Sarah Allen (MDiv’07, DMin’19)
Associate Dean of Ministerial Formation and Advanced Studies
God of Love, who knows the desires of our hearts, forgive us for the times we stand with the hypocrites—loudly sounding our trumpets and making a scene of our piety.
Forgive us when our prayers are reduced to empty words, spoken for the ears of others rather than lived faithfulness offered out of love for You and the needs of our neighbors.
Grant us the grace to seek You with humble hearts and to live lives that seek Your glory rather than the acclaim of others.
May every facet of our lives, both in our private moments and in our public actions, reflect the gentle humility and love of our gracious Savior. Amen.
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Matthew 18:1–5
Cyril Hollingsworth (CIM’16) Board of Trustees Member
Here we are, O Lord, in Lent. We feel we should be undertaking some type of practical self-denial. We are comfortable with something we believe will improve us, make us more acceptable and contrite, in order to follow the Way.
Yet, here You meet us in Jesus, who says we must change and become like a child. Humble like a child? One who is open and responsive to everything? One who implicitly trusts almost everything, especially parents? One who does not know she is a messed-up human being or is dust?
Open us, O God, to Your Spirit and let our hearts take courage. May whatever we undertake during this time of Lent lead us to yield, to trust, to become like a child as we continue our journey. We pray in the name of the One who yielded and trusted to the end, Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
Gracious God,
Friday, February 20, 2026
Psalm 51
Rick E. Carlson (MDiv’15)
Sta�f Accountant
You created us in your image, as an inescapable outcome of your ubiquitous love. In our fallible nature, we seldom recognize this action of Your love. During this season of reflection and renewal, give us the strength to let the portal of our soul welcome the acknowledgement of Your love.
Create in us the will to put aside the desires that separates us from You, from others, and from the lives You intend for us to live.
Give us the courage to choose the lives You created for us in a world motivated to separate us from Your intentions.
We thank You for Your grace, given to us by Your compassionate love through Your Son, who reconciles all creation to You.
We thank You for the assurance that we can trust the presence of Your love and grace in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Romans 1:14–17
Rev. Dr. Crystal Silva-McCormick (MDiv’10)
Assistant Professor of Missions and Evangelism and Director of Latinx Studies
Christ of the Cross and of Crucified Peoples,
In this Lenten season, we turn our hearts toward You, seeking to understand what it means to live by faith. Teach us that faith is not an idea we hold, but a path we walk—one that leads us to You.
Remind us, Christ our sibling, that the suffering of crucified peoples throughout history reveals to us the crucified God.[1] We need only to open our eyes to see the wounds buried beneath the rubble in Gaza, and the lives of immigrant families separated by our nation’s lack of compassion. Wherever Your created beings are crushed by violence, wherever they are stripped of dignity: There You are—still suffering, still present, still pleading not to be ignored.
Lead us, Holy One, to find You in those who suffer now. Give us the courage to not look away, and the solidarity to share the agonizing weight of the cross. Help us to live by faith—a faith that sees and a faith that acts. Amen.
[1] Jon Sobrino, Jesus the Liberator: A Historical-Theological Reading of Jesus of Nazareth (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1991), 50.
Holy One,
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Psalm 32
Rev. Dr. Michael Waschevski (DMin’03) Board of Trustees Member
Your faithful love is eternal, and Your grace and mercy know no end. When I am weighed down by shame or guilt, lift me up by Your mercy. When I am filled with worry and anxiety, let Your grace fill me instead. When I am stubborn and slow to listen, let Your love turn me back to You.
Holy One, Your faithful love is eternal, and Your grace and mercy know no end. When we meet those burdened by their past and unable to contemplate forgiveness, may we proclaim Your mercy.
When we come face to face with human suffering and need, may we be a tangible extension of Your grace.
When we encounter injustice and oppression, may we proclaim Your compassionate love in word and deed.
Holy One, Your faithful love is eternal, and Your grace and mercy know no end. Amen.
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Righteous God,
Monday, February 23, 2026
Hebrews 2:14–18
Dr. Rodney Caruthers
Assistant Professor of New Testament
We praise You for Your unmerited, gracious love and mercy toward us. Thank You that, in spite of our weaknesses, You do not leave us comfortless.
When our piety and planning fail, Your foreknowledge provides assistance in times of dismay. We appreciate the divine assurance that when we falter, You not only understand, You care. Help us in our contrition to remember that Jesus, our High Priest, is acquainted with our struggles.
We acknowledge His saving grace and are humbled by it.
Grant us contentment in our spiritual and physical condition. Cleanse our minds of negative thoughts in moments of self-reflection.
As You have forgiven and uplifted us, may we support and encourage others in their moments of need, and thereby bring glory to Your name.
Please continue to guide us in Your holy way so that we may be reinvigorated by Your presence. You are eternally worthy of our adoration. May we rest in Your forgiveness and peace. Amen.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Genesis 4:1–16
Beth Judd
Interim Dean of Shelton Chapel
“When Peace Like a River/It is Well with My Soul,” Glory to God Hymnal #840
Text: Horatio G. Spatford
Music: Philip P. Bliss
In this Genesis passage, we hear the familiar story of Cain and Abel. Perhaps, in our own lives, we have not physically taken a life; however, through our actions, we have all felt separated from the love and grace of God. This hymn was written at a time of tremendous loss and pain in the author’s life. In it, he affirms that, through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we no longer bear the weight of our grief and sin. Like the author, we too may sing: “It is well with my soul.”
Musician: Dr. Jill Nennmann,
Interim Organist
Music Selection 1
It is Well with My Soul
Scan QR code for music.
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Exodus 34:1–9
Rev. Scott Simpson (MDiv’94)
Associate Pastor of Congregational Care, First Presbyterian Church, San Antonio, TX God of grace,
We give You thanks for this Lenten season. Thank You for knowing our hearts and the need we have for rhythms in our lives that shape us into faithful disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord God, as You called Moses to Mount Sinai, teach us to ascend toward You with repentant and trusting hearts in Your sovereign grace. Write Your word anew on the tablets of our lives, molding and shaping us through the power of Your Holy Spirit.
Holy God, You are merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Blot out our transgressions, wash us thoroughly from our iniquities, and cleanse us from our sin.
As we journey with You during this Lenten season, draw us into the covenant love we know in our Lord Jesus Christ, and lead us toward the hope and resurrection of Easter. Amen.
Thursday, February 26, 2026
2 Timothy 1: 3–7
Rev. Laureen Suba (MDiv’14) Board of Trustees Member
I cannot help but smile when I read 2 Timothy 1:3–7; a touching exchange between Paul, the aged disciple, reflecting on his life and offering a testament—some say his last words—to Timothy, his trusted colleague. Scholars, like Lewis Donelson, agree that Paul probably did not author the letter, but this does not diminish the grace and emotional bond I witness as Paul remembers Timothy’s tears. If I were writing the letter, my own tears of joy would fall on the page.
Let us pray.
Dear Lord,
At many a memorial service—too many in the Covid years—I have proclaimed that a church community is a place where tears are understood. Lord, thank You for the gift of remembering tears, a blessed act of love and the sharing of pain and grief.
May we remember those who instructed us in the way of Christ. May we remind others of the faith that dwells within them and encourage all to rekindle this gift from God.
And may the inner peace we gain in worship move us to live each day with courage and wisdom. Amen
Friday, February 27, 2026
Psalm 121:1–4
Rev. Dr. Britta Dukes (MDiv’04, DMin’24)
Board of Trustees Member
Holy, Holy, Holy One—The world can be a weighty whirlwind of cares and concerns, worries and fears, trials and tears.
Burdens so heavy that it is easy to feel helpless or hopeless beneath the strain. But morning, noon, and night, You remind me that You are not only near, You are here. You are with me.
Assurances of Your power greet me from every direction—from celestial expanses far beyond the hallowed horizon to all the small wonders in my midst.
Your Presence permeates all, astonishing and inspiring me, safeguarding and shielding me, surrounding and sustaining me.
Signs and symbols of Your ever-present nature and Your ever-present love are all around. Thank You for always watching over me, Creator-Redeemer-Sustainer, my eternal Guardian. I feel safe in Your care.
In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Psalm 121:5–8
Rev. Dr. Philip Helsel
Associate Professor of Pastoral Care
In this Psalm of Ascent, a worship leader reminds the pilgrims—traveling as a household unit to Jerusalem for the festivals—of God’s preservation from evil, not deliverance from all hardship. The reference to the moon in verse six may speak the ancient belief in “lunacy,” where mental illness was thought to be caused by the moon. If life is hemmed in with difficulty, the attitude of trust this Psalm conveys is profoundly transformative.
Let us pray.
Trusting God, remind us that trusting You is more than simply ‘making do.’ Instead, it is a similar kind of ongoing confidence, akin to the Heidelberg Catechism that: whatever happens to us in body and soul, we belong to our faithful savior, Jesus Christ.
Continue in us this attitude of repeatedly entrusting ourselves to You in the face of hardship. Remind us that this trust is what shapes the human person into a disciple of Jesus. Help us to not place our trust in lesser substitutes, but to turn to You. This is the act of confidence that shapes the spirit.
In sharing the struggle to be faithful with our family and close friends, we gain strength for the uphill climb. Amen.
Sunday, March 1, 2026
John 3:1–8
Rev. Dr. Cynthia Rigby
W.C. Brown Professor of Theology
O Lord, we come to You as frustrated students needing a clarifying and comforting word from our teacher. We want to see Your kingdom and wish You would tell us what we can do to make it happen. I know You have already told me I need to be “born again,” but I must confess my impatience with metaphorical language.
Like Nicodemus, I am skeptical about second births of any kind—even those by the work of the Spirit, whom Jesus insists we can hear and know is present. Yet Jesus also says we do not know where this Spirit is coming from or going next. Honestly, God— it is hard (and perhaps even foolish) to trust that the Spirit is active in a world so full of deceit. It seems to me that the Spirit is a clear target for identity theft!
Still, I know we need to have openness to Your kingdom if we are ever going to recognize it. So, God, please accept my skepticism as a form of wonder and open me—and all of us—to a new way of being. Amen.
Monday, March 2, 2026
Psalm 128
Questions for Guided Re�lection
Resting in the Quilt of God’s Love
Breathe deeply and observe this image of an aged, worn, yet deeply beautiful quilt. This quilt is a reminder of the soft, wellworn beauty found in Christian community—where hearts and histories meet, sometimes messy, always beloved. Let it remind you of a God who holds you exactly as you need to be held this Lenten season.
Allow the gentle presence of God to settle around you like this quilt.
Let your heart reflect on these questions:
1. What color in the quilt draws your eye first? What does that color stir in you today— what memory, emotion, or whisper of God?
2. How might this quilt be a metaphor for God’s family? How are we diverse pieces, different textures, all stitched together by God’s loving hands?
3. Even where the fabric is fraying, the quilt remains strong. How does its enduring strength speak to the resilience of God’s Kingdom today?
Where do you see fragile places upheld by grace?
What is your prayer today for Christ’s community—and for your sacred place within it?
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Isaiah 65:17–25
Dr. Suzie Park
Associate Professor of Old Testament
“For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating…”
Isaiah 65:17–18a
God of Light,
Give us the fortitude to await the advent of a new earth and a new heaven. Instill in us the courage to cultivate and nudge its arrival—a new world devoid of harm, suffering, and destruction; a world of peace and hope, peopled with those who recognize and acknowledge their blessedness.
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
John 3:17–21
Rev. Dr. Aaron Teter (MDiv’06)
Pastor, Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, PA
Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for coming into this world to save us, not to condemn us. Thank You for coming to be a Savior, not a destroyer—to build us up instead of tear us down, and to teach us that Your way is different than the way of destruction.
Destruction is too easy for You, Lord. To destroy something only requires a person who will brazenly use force, who will use strength to enter a space and knock apart the walls until it all
comes crashing down. But to build—and to save—until life, faith, and trust can come forth, this demands a person of skill, experience, integrity, patience, and love.
Thank You that You came to us with love—to save us, and to build us up into a life that is filled with Your Spirit. Amen
Thursday, March 5, 2026
Psalm 95
Questions for Guided Re�lection
Today’s lectionary scripture invites us to consider the hands of God.
“In God’s hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains.” (Psalm 95:4)
And again: “We are the people of God’s pasture, the sheep of his hand.” (Psalm 95:7)
Look closely at the image before you: a group of hands raised together. Hands of different ages, races, and walks of life. Look closely at each finger, each nail, each flexed tendon.
1. If we are shaped by God’s hands, what might it mean for us to use our own hands in God’s service? How might our work, our gestures, our prayers, and our touch become extensions of the Creator’s care?
2. If these are hands lifted in prayer, and your own hand were joined with theirs, what prayer would rise within you? What hope—or lament—would you add to their collective voice?
3. Rev. Dr. Cynthia Rigby, W.C. Brown Professor of Theology, once told her students at Austin Seminary: “Imagine not the church we grew up in but the church God wants.” How might these uplifted hands offer a glimpse of that church—a community shaped by God’s vision?
Friday, March 6, 2026
Psalm 95:8–11
Beth Judd
Interim Dean of Shelton Chapel
“If Thou but Trust in God to Guide Thee,” Glory to God Hymnal #816
Text: Georg Neumark, Catherine Winkworth
Music: Georg Neumark
The first seven verses of Psalm 95 are a call for all to come into God’s presence with thanksgiving and songs of praise. It lifts up God as the great King above all gods and reminds us that we are the sheep of God’s pasture. Quickly, however, the scripture turns in verse 8 to recounting how the people were not faithful and put God to the test.
Neumark, the hymn’s author, was tested as he was traveling to college. Robbers beat him and stole everything he owned except his prayer book and some money sewn into the lining of his clothing. After months of fruitless efforts to find work, a pastor Neumark encountered was finally able to secure a position for him.
According to the resource, Glory to God: A Companion (Westminster John Knox Press, 2016), Neumark wrote the hymn as a ‘hymn of consolation, acknowledging God’s providential care.’ Winkworth, the text’s translator, added verses to Neumark’s work, including the admonition to ‘leave to God to order all things.’
Wondrous God,
Musician: Dr. Jill Nennmann, Interim Organist
Music Selection 2
If Thou but Trust in God to Guide Thee
Saturday, March 7, 2026
Ephesians 2:11–22
Rev. Ted V. Foote, Jr. (MDiv’79)
Professor in the Louis H. and Katherine S. Zbinden
Distinguished Chair of Pastoral Ministry and Leadership
When we walk in a public place, look at an electronic screen, or gaze at a billboard, we see Your world: ethnically diverse. It has been this way since the beginning, as You scripted and developed all that is.
Yet, we humans still retreat into the untruth of the tribal stories, telling ourselves that our differences are greater than the blessed common ground from which You have created one and all.
But the Apostle writes that in Jesus, You reconcile each and all. Through Him, we are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens reconciled to You and to one another in the widest of households—Your household, with heaven as its ceiling!
Help us witness to Your peace by living Your peace with all people. Ever be the cornerstone in Jesus Christ; ever be the capstone and keystone of the arch through whom we all come and go, continually, forever. Amen.
Sunday, March 8, 2026
John 4:5–15
Rev. Alan Constant (MDiv’22) Learning
Specialist
Merciful God, too often our faith feels half-hearted—unsatisfying and uneven. We come to You thirsty yet insecure, longing for something more.
Yet at the well, Jesus meets a nameless Samaritan woman and crosses every boundary of culture, gender, and religion to speak truth and offer grace. He promises her—and us—the living water of Your Spirit, renewing and restoring all who receive it.
Teach us, O Lord, to come again to the well and drink deeply of Your living water. Let Your Spirit secure us, steady us, and sustain us. Free us from faith that fades when life becomes difficult and fill us with the abundance of Your grace. Like the woman at the well, may we run to tell others what we have found: a love that sees us, knows us, and offers us life renewed. In this Lenten season, satisfy our deepest longings and fill us with life that overflows—life rooted in Your abiding love and presence. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Monday, March 9, 2026
Psalm 81:6–10
Rev. Dr. John D. Williams (MDiv’87) Board of Trustees Member
Gracious, Merciful, Patient and Abundantly Loving God, We forget.
We forget that You love us—not because of what we believe, say, or do—but because of who You are.
We forget that nothing will ever cause You to stop loving us.
We forget that forgiveness is real.
We forget that death is not the last word.
We forget that the scope of Your love is beyond our imagining.
Remind us—gently and strongly, quietly and loudly, subtly and dramatically, again and again— that the truest thing about us is that we are and will always be beloved, gifted, capable, and safe.
When we cry out for peace, and hunger for clarity and courage, fill our open mouths with Good News and strong words. Feed us with Your Truth and use us to nourish others. Amen.
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Psalm 81:11–16
Beth Judd
Interim Dean of Shelton Chapel
“Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah,” Glory to God Hymnal #65
Author: William Williams
Music: John Hughes
The people of ancient Israel were reluctant to trust God who had delivered them out of Egypt, and they sought their own ways rather than trusting in God’s providence. God tells the wanderers they will receive the finest wheat and honey if they merely listen to and follow God’s laws.
This famous Welsh text was originally entitled “A prayer for Strength to Go Through the Wilderness of the World.” In it, the author affirms his own weakness and his need to be upheld by God’s powerful hand. If we rely on God in this same way, we will receive the Bread of Heaven in abundance.
Musician: Dr. Jill Nennmann, Interim Organist
Music Selection 3
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
Scan QR code for music.
Dear God,
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
I Corinthians 10:9–13
Rev. Dr. Carolyn Helsel
Associate Professor in the Blair Monie Distinguished Chair in Homiletics and Project Director of the Sharing Faith Initiative
I struggle with this text. I know Paul is speaking to a particular context in the Corinthian church. Biblical scholars suggest this passage is part of his larger argument against eating food sacrificed to idols—yet it has been used so harmfully, often as an added burden to those battling addiction or those unable to bear the weight of their current suffering. This text seems to say: it is all a test. (And by the way, you failed.) I do not want to add insult to injury when people are barely keeping it together at times. Where is the “way out” for parents who have lost a child, or for those struggling with a new diagnosis? How can humans endure the suffering of this age?
Oh God, in your mystery, You are faithful, providing for us in countless ways. Jesus endured suffering unto death. You did not take away his cross. Yet Jesus’ faithfulness, and Your faithfulness in raising Him from the dead, demonstrates that not even death can separate us from Your love.
We cannot always understand these ancient texts, but they continue to point us to You as our way through suffering and into new life. And for this, we give you thanks and praise. Amen.
Merciful God,
Thursday, March 12, 2026
John 8:52–59
Rev. Lisa Juica Perkins (MDiv’11) Board of Trustees Member
We pause before the mystery of Jesus’ words: “Before Abraham was, I Am.” In a world of shifting truths and fragile identities, Christ stands before us as the Eternal One—steady, unchanging, and full of grace, truth, and love.
As the crowd questioned Jesus and reached for stones, He remained unwavering. He revealed a love older than time and a presence strong enough to hold every doubt we carry. Lord, we bring you our weariness, our searching, our fears that cause us to pick up stones ready to throw. Meet us in these Lenten days. Strip away what distracts us, soften what has grown rigid, and open our hearts to the One who has always been and always will be. Teach us to trust the great I Am—the One who sees us, knows us, loves us, and will lead us through death into life—so that we, too, may rejoice like Abraham because we have seen the great I Am. Amen.
Friday, March 13, 2026
John 1:1–9
Michelle Ruiz (MDiv’13) Interim Director of Admissions
Light of the World, How often am I at a loss for words?
I do not know how to comfort someone grieving. I struggle to praise someone else for their accomplishments. I resist finding common ground with someone with whom I disagree.
In this Lenten season, help me to remember that through God, all things were made, including me. Help me to remember even when I cannot find words, The Word is with me. Help me to reflect on You and Your Word, so that I may find comfort and spread comfort to others.
Help me to celebrate the rest of creation as I witness its triumphs.
Help me to remember that love is abundant and we can all love one another despite our differences.
In your name I pray, Amen.
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Ephesians 5:6–9
Rev. Jim DeMent, Jr. (MDiv’17) Board of Trustees Member
Gracious and loving God, who brought light out of darkness in creation and once more in Your Son, Jesus Christ,
In this Lenten season, as we walk with Jesus to Golgotha to face the darkness of His death and to anticipate the glory of His rising into the light of heaven, be with us as we travel our own paths of darkness and light.
Help us, in our sin and temptation, to avoid those who would deceive us with empty words and lie to us with promises of material wealth and creature comforts.
O merciful God, throughout the turmoil of our lives, help us to live as children of the light, seeking all that is good, right, and true. Forgive us when we fail, and do not cast us into the outer darkness.
In faith, may we strive to reflect the light that, in Your grace and mercy, shines upon us through Your gift of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Sunday, March 15, 2026
I Samuel 16:1–13
Dr. David H. Jensen
Professor in the Clarence N. and Betty B. Frierson
Distinguished Chair of Reformed Theology
Generous and Holy God,
We read in Your Word that You do not see as mortals see: we look at appearances, but You consider the heart. We confess that we are often lured by appearances. We cling to leaders who promise quick fixes to complex problems. We seek approval from others instead of trusting in You. We pursue false gods of material success. We build walls that blind us from our neighbors and close our hearts to the vulnerable. We mistake the trappings of religion for the Gospel.
Teach us to see as You see. Open our eyes to the beauty of those whom our fast-paced society ignores. Open our ears to the cries of the afflicted. Melt our hearts of stone and mold them into hearts of flesh.
As You opened Samuel’s eyes to David, the one who was overlooked, open our eyes anew each day. Open our hearts to You and to each other. Amen.
Wondrous Lord,
Monday, March 16, 2026
Psalm 146: 1–4
Kenneth Snodgrass (MATS’16) Board of Trustees Member
When I rise in the morning, I fix my eyes on the light that pierces the darkness and praise Your presence that leads me.
When I lace up my shoes and tread by the ocean waves, I delight in Your dawning sunrise and praise Your wondrous, unrivaled creation.
When I read the morning news and despair over fallen humanity, I praise Your infinite grace that cascades down on my undeserving soul, cleansing me with Your love.
When I break bread during repast, I praise Your verdant creation that enlivens me to follow Your commandments.
When I serve in community and wrestle with complex problems, I praise Your Spirit that guides me to Your shalom.
When I am tempted and feel weak, I praise Your covenants that sustain me with the peace that is beyond understanding.
“I will sing praises to my God all my life long.” Amen.
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Psalm 146:5–7
Questions for Re�lection
John August Johnson’s “Entry Into the City”
Lent carries a tragic, holy irony: We know where the story is headed. Year after year, even with hearts that long for faithfulness, we find ourselves woven into the same frail human tapestry that once cried “Hosanna!” and later demanded a cross.
Today, spend time with John August Johnson’s Entry Into the City.
We are more than halfway through Lent; we know the road ahead.
Consider these questions as you gaze upon the scene:
1. Why so much red? The garments, the banners, even the sky hint at a crimson storm approaching. How does this flood of color shape your understanding—knowing that Jesus is walking toward suffering and costly love?
2. Notice how many faces resemble one another. What might this uniformity suggest about what they had been taught their Messiah would do?
3. Now choose one face in the crowd. Let that face become your own. From our modern perspective, how do you inhabit this moment of joyful welcome, knowing what follows?
The question Lent keeps whispering is this: How will we be di�ferent this year when we arrive again at the empty tomb?
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Psalm 146: 7–10
John Kenney (CIM’20) Board of Trustees Member
Gracious and Loving God,
Thank you for all the wonder of the world and the life You have given us. We confess that we are, at times, prisoners of our own thoughts and actions. We bow and ask Your forgiveness, knowing that, by Your grace, we will be raised up and set free from the consequences of those thoughts and actions that bind us.
We can be blind to the world of wonder You have given us. Give each of us the courage to slow down and, through our faith, experience the feelings of warmth and the comfort of that wonder.
Watch over those in need. Guide us toward the light of righteousness so that we may know their need and share Your love with them.
Oh Lord, for us and all generations, we trust in You and know Your love is eternal. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
Thursday, March 19, 2026
Ezekiel 2:8–3:3
Rev. Dr. Ryan Arnold
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Holy God, when we chew on ancient wisdom and holy Word, let us taste its sweetness, like fruit ripened on the vine. Far from the comforts of material satisfaction, fill our bellies with sacred messages of faith, hope, and love. Like ants to sugar, draw us back again and again, hungry for the food that never perishes. As the text became a feast for the prophet, nourishing his resolve, so may your inscribed Word become our daily bread. Alive on this caloric-rich diet of communicated grace, let us, like our brother Jesus Christ, become what we consume: Word made flesh, drippings of honeycomb, sustaining self and neighbor through wilderness treks.
Animate our being, O God, and grant us courage for this Lenten journey, that we might follow Christ from hunger to wholeness, from dust to resurrection. Amen.
Friday, March 20, 2026
Psalm 130: 1–5
Today, read Psalm 130:1–5, focusing on the following verses. Use the space provided to write a brief prayer of confession, knowing that you are heard, understood, and forgiven.
“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.”
Psalm 130: 3-4
Gracious God,
Saturday, March 21, 2026
Psalm 130:1–8
Rev. Dr. Sallie Watson (MDiv’87) Board of Trustees Member
Waiting is not my strong suit. I want justice now, I want relief now, I want an answer now. I marvel that the Source of All hears my voice. I confess that a once-a-week confession is but a drop in the bucket to cover my iniquities, and I admit that the plans I have made without You have not always come out best.
But when I realize how much you forgive, how you constantly wipe my slate clean, then perhaps I can truly practice the art of waiting.
It is that “waiting” part that reminds me You are God, and I am not. When I remember that, I can indeed wait and hope for Your perfect will to be done.
You are yesterday, today and forever, Loving One. It is Your word, not mine, in which I hope. And so, with Your help, I will wait. Amen.
Sunday, March 22, 2026
John 11
Beth Judd
Interim Dean of Shelton Chapel
“Ah, Holy Jesus,” Glory to God Hymnal #218
Text: Johann Heermann Music: Johann Cruger
John 11 begins with the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and concludes with Caiaphas, the high priest, conversing with the chief priests and the Pharisees about the need to do something about this man, Jesus.
Jesus had recently left Bethany and was no longer among the people. Caiaphas and the priests decided to issue orders that anyone who knew Jesus’ location should notify the authorities so Jesus could be arrested. “Ah, Holy Jesus” speaks of our complicity in Christ’s arrest, trial and crucifixion, conveyed most starkly in the line: “I crucified thee.”
Loving God,
Musician: Dr. Jill Nennmann, Interim Organist
Music Selection 4
Ah, Holy Jesus
Monday, March 23, 2026
Acts 20:7–12
Gary Mathews Director of Alumni Relations
Scan QR code for music.
Instill within us, always, the urgent need to recognize young people not as the church of tomorrow, but as an essential part of the body of Christ today. Guide us to engage authentically with them in ministry by fostering true relationships at their level, rather than merely intruding into their world with pre-packaged answers. May our presence and proclamation of Your word keep them from falling asleep and assure them that Jesus meets them where they are, loves them as they are, and is active in their lives right now. Help us to remember, always, how fortunate we are to have them in community. Compel us to gather with them at the table to break bread, listen to their stories, and honor their experiences. And help us, always, to discover and receive the powerful alleluia youth have to offer a church that, at times, seems all but entombed. Absolutely.
Lord,
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Psalm 143:1–6
Rev. Dr. Jill Du�field (DMin’13)
Board of Trustees Member
We are so thirsty: thirsty for compassion, thirsty for justice, thirsty for goodness, thirsty for Your transformative love. The land around us appears parched of Your mercy and grace. We are weary, longing for hope, grasping for Your promised presence, desperate to know we have not been abandoned or left alone.
We believe in Your faithfulness; help our unbelief and bring forth springs of living water from our hearts. Hear the cries of Your people and respond with abundant righteousness that spills out into the streets.
We affirm that You will not let us languish in the wilderness forever, and even there You guide us and provide for us. Send Your sustaining Spirit and grant us the faith to see and be sources of Christ’s light and life.
Remind us not only of Your deeds in days of old but reveal to us the new thing You are doing even now. Amen.
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Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Psalm 40:5–10
Dr. Peg Falls-Corbitt (CIM’20)
Board of Trustees Member
Holy and merciful God,
Help me as I seek to answer Your call, and help me to trust in what You have in store for me as I make my Lenten pilgrimage toward both the cross and the empty tomb.
May I not flee from seeing my own sin in the events that put Your Son on the cross, so that I might grasp to the fullest measure, with all my heart and mind, the great glad news of Your deliverance for all humankind.
Give me voice, Lord, for sharing the news of Your love. Give me wisdom and the will to live in the midst of Your people in ways that bear witness to Your mercy, justice, and peace. Amen.
Thursday, March 26, 2026
Matthew 6: 19–23
Today, read and reflect upon these verses in Matthew, paying special attention to this verse. Use the space provided to write your personal prayer of thanks for the light that overcomes darkness.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.”
Matthew 6:22
Oh God,
Friday, March 27, 2026
Philippians 1:12–29
Maryelle Fiorello Associate Director of Student Success
I must confess. I know You heard my inner monologue after I was asked to contribute my voice to the Lenten prayer devotional. “I’ll write something eloquent and spiritually nourishing,” I thought. “Something readers will treasure. The best one in the whole booklet!”
Then Your Word poured into my highfalutin heart: “Some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, out of selfish ambition, not sincerely.”
Thank You, God, for this rebuke. For making me conscious of the chains of self-aggrandizement. And for the comfort of Your Word that went on to say, “whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached, and I rejoice.”
Bring forth fruits from my flaws, imperatives from my imperfections. Unshackle me from the chains of my egoism. Deliver me into the liberated dignity that comes not from being impressive, but from God-centered Christ consciousness—from humility, sincerity, and love. Amen.
Saturday, March 28, 2026
Philippians 1:21–30
Today, read this passage found in Philippians paying close attention to the verse below. Use the space provided to write your personal reflection on what it means to live a life “worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
“Only live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel.”
Philippians 1: 27
Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026
Matthew 21:1–11
Rev. Dr. Margaret Aymer
Vice President for Academic A�fairs and Academic Dean and The First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport, D. Thomason Professor of New Testament Studies
Hosanna! Save us, son of David, son of Mary.
Fame dazzles us; might silences us. The powerful demand our subservience, our devotion— yes, even our very worship.
Help us turn to You. Show us again that heavenly power comes in humility—not on a war horse, but on a donkey, even on its colt.
Teach us once more that our hearts and worship belong not to the clamorous voices that claim our attention, nor to the machines that enslave us with a flood of images, words, and sounds— an excess of stimulation that leaves us paralyzed and hopeless.
Save us, holy Jesus, not for a momentary parade, for trumpets and choirs and waving palm branches. Save us instead for discipleship.
Call us, teach us, and prepare us to follow Your way, even the way of the cross. Hosanna! Save us, son of Mary, son of David, for we cannot save ourselves.
Precious Jesus,
Monday, March 30, 2026
John 12:1–11
Rev. Dr. Donghyun Jeong
Assistant Professor of New Testament
We hear how Your friends at Bethany prepared a supper for You as You were heading toward Jerusalem. We see Mary pouring perfume on Your feet and wiping them with her hair. We can almost smell that fragrance lingering on Your feet throughout that holy week: as You rode a donkey through the dust; as You touched and washed the feet of Your disciples on the dark night You were betrayed; and as You walked, beaten and covered in blood and sweat.
Jesus, we remember Your friends who lovingly welcomed You and washed Your feet before
You walked that weary road. You said that no one has greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Thank You for calling us Your friends. Help us to wash and anoint one another, to give our lives in love, and to trust that, as Lazarus was raised and You were raised, we too will be raised with You. Amen.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
John 12:20–36
Questions for Re�lection
John August Johnson’s “Crucifixion”
In John 12:33, the Scripture says: “Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.” Jesus understands what lies ahead, while His closest disciples still struggle to grasp it. Again He speaks plainly and patiently, inviting them to see what He sees, to understand what He must endure. Today, consider John August Johnson’s painting Crucifixion. Let its colors, its composition, its solemn stillness open your heart to the depth of what Jesus knew.
Consider the following as you reflect on this painting and on John 12:20–36:
1. Johnson paints angels hovering close to Christ. Why might he have chosen to include these heavenly figures? What does their presence say about what is unfolding on this hill outside Jerusalem?
2. Johnson paints a painting within a painting. Why would he do this? What might this layered image with an internal frame suggest about the mystery of this moment—fully human, fully divine, suspended between earth and heaven?
3. On the distant horizon, Johnson gives us bright light. Yet above, clouds gather—vivid blue, heavy, lowering, starting to press down onto the scene. Why?
Christ embraced this kind of death for us. May our reflections draw us nearer to the cross and prepare us to meet the rising light that waits beyond it.
Gracious God,
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
John 13:21-32
Rev. Sharon Risher (MDiv’07) Board of Directors Member
As we enter this sacred Lenten season, we reflect on the somber moment when betrayal touched the heart of Jesus. Just as Judas turned away, help us to examine our own lives for ways we stumble in faith and love.
Lord, we gather with heavy hearts, acknowledging our own moments of betrayal, whether toward You or others. Help us to embrace the struggles in our lives, remembering that even in our darkest moments, Your grace abounds. Just as Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, teach us to serve one another with love, compassion, and dignity, embracing our call to lift each other up in unity.
Let us draw strength from our ancestors’ resilience, knowing that we, too, can rise above
challenges and become vessels of Your grace. May we stand firm against injustice, proclaiming love over hate and unity over division.
Help us to share our bread with the hungry and our hearts with the lonely, remembering that true communion comes from service. As we journey toward the cross, may we embrace our shared humanity and walk together, transforming our pain into purpose. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2026
John 13:1–17, 31–35
Rev. Denise Nance Pierce (MATS’11) Board of Trustees President
Dearest and Gracious God,
We come before You today humbled by the commandment that Your Son, Jesus the Christ, gave to us: that we love one another exactly as You have loved us. We thank You, O God, for the unconditional, sacrificial, and relentless love You demonstrated to us through the life of Jesus and through His death on the cross. This love is both the standard for and the power behind Your command.
Help us, O God, to love others as You have loved us. Teach us to seek the needs of others above our own. Give us patience to serve difficult people and compassion for hurting souls. Open the eyes of our hearts to see our neighbors, family, friends, and enemies. May our loving words and actions be a clear witness to the world that we are Your disciples. In the matchless name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
Good Friday, April 3, 2026
John 18:1–19:42
Beth Judd
Interim Dean of Shelton Chapel
“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” Glory to God Hymnal #223
Text: Isaac Watts Music: Lowell Mason
This intensely personal hymn serves as a lament as we visualize and internalize the death of Jesus on the cross. Verse three likens the flowing of the blood of Christ to His profound sorrow and deep love for God’s people. The final verse reflects that if we were to offer the whole world in response to Christ’s sacrifice, it would not be enough. We must give “our soul, our life, and our all.”
Musician: Dr. Jill Nennmann, Interim Organist
Music Selection 5
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Scan QR code for music.
Blessed Christ,
Saturday, April 4, 2026
John 19:38–42
Rev. J.D. Herrera (MDiv’15)
Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success
In this season of shadow and trepidation, hold close the fearful followers who hide their gifts. Draw near to the hesitant soul who wonders whether they belong among Your people, hungry for a love they can feel but cannot yet claim.
Teach us to see the quiet power in those who seem least likely to do good, the grace that rises from the overlooked and the underestimated. Remind us that it is often not the Peters of faith, but the Nicodemuses of the night, who prepare the body or tend to the holy work of care. Sometimes it is the fearful servant whose devotion runs deep and unseen. Bless all who inch toward You in worry, in trembling courage, in fragile hope. Shape us to do the hard work of life faithfully, even when the world’s permission is unclear, and only Your mercy lights the path.
Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026
John 20:1–18
Rev. Dr. José R. Irizarry
President and Professor of Practical Theology
God of the Heavens,
As the sun rises on this glorious day, we praise and glorify You for illuminating our lives and guiding us to follow the path of the Resurrected One.
The stone that hid Your presence from us has been rolled away. Now we can look in and live with the confidence that death has been defeated and that this is not the end of Your story. Make us faithful bearers of this story of redemption and transformation that the world so desperately needs. And in doing so, bless us with the gifts of grace, compassion, and purpose, so we may realize that with You, we are also alive. We are alive to be servants of Your will and messengers of Your Grace.
Let Your people rise again, O Lord of every Easter, in the strength of Your Spirit, to serve those who fear and suffer when the earth shakes and heaven roars.
As instruments of Your peace, we bear witness to Your resurrection. Amen to our joyful Alleluias! Amen to our boisterous Easter proclamation: Christ is Risen, He is Risen indeed!
Seminary Prayer This prayer, spoken by the seminary community, is offered by each new student when signing the seminary book, the record of all of the names of the many Christian leaders who have come before them to be educated and equipped at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Eternal God, the creator and preserver of all things,
We beseech you to bestow upon this seminary your manifold gifts of grace; your truth to those who teach; your joy to those who learn; your wisdom to those who administer; your laws to those who hold its mission and its work in trust. By these gracious influences of your Spirit, bind all who hear the name of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary into the company of those who know your steadfast love. Amen.
Board of Trustees
www.austinseminary.edu/lentgive
Chair: Denise Nance Pierce (MATS’11), Austin, Texas
Wick Alexander, Austin, Texas
Lee Ardell, Houston, Texas
Thomas Christian Currie, New Orleans, Louisiana
James A. DeMent (MDiv’17), Missouri City, Texas
Jill Duffield (DMin’13), Greensboro, North Carolina
Britta Martin Dukes (MDiv’05), Austin, Texas
Peg Falls-Corbitt (CIM’20), Conway, Arkansas
G. Archer Frierson, Shreveport, Louisiana
Jasiel Hernandez (MDiv’18), Kerrville, Texas
Cyril Hollingsworth (CIM’16), Little Rock, Arkansas
Ora Houston, Austin, Texas
David H. Jensen (faculty member)
Shawn Kang, Houston, Texas
John A. Kenney (CIM’20), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Steve LeBlanc, Austin, Texas
Steve Miller (MDiv’15), Mount Enterprise, Texas
Lisa Juica Perkins (MDiv’11), McKinney, Texas
Stephen J. Rhoades, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Sharon Risher (MDiv’07), Charlotte, North Carolina
Pamela Rivera, Austin, Texas
Conrad Rocha, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Kenneth Snodgrass (MATS’16), Austin, Texas
Laureen Suba (MDiv’14), Bellaire, Texas
Michael Waschevski (DMin’03), Fort Worth, Texas
Sallie Sampsell Watson (MDiv’87), San Antonio, Texas
Elizabeth Currie Williams, Dallas, Texas
John Williams (MDiv’87), Sherman, Texas
Rachel Wright, Austin, Texas
Shirley Zsohar, Dallas, Texas
Trustees Emeriti
Cassandra Carr, San Antonio, Texas
Lyndon Olson, Waco, Texas
B.W. “Sonny” Payne, Kerrville, Texas
Max Sherman, Austin, Texas
Artist Credits: THE CRUCIFIXION
Copyright 2012 John August Swanson Trust
Giclee, 15.5” x 12.5”
https://JohnAugustSwanson.com
ENTRY INTO THE CITY
Copyright 2012 John August Swanson Trust
Giclee, 36” x 48”
https://JohnAugustSwanson.com