A Lenten invitation to pray with art | Presbyterians Today
About the devotional
To see Jesus with the heart is know that in the long run his kind of life is the only life worth living. To see Jesus with the heart is not only to believe in him but little by little become bearers of each other of his healing life until we become finally healed and whole and alive within ourselves. — Frederick Buechner
Frederick Buechner, a Presbyterian author and pastor, once wrote about the need to see with “the eyes of the heart” — that is, to see the beauty and promises of God that lie beyond hopelessness, despair and decay.
This Lenten devotional is an opportunity to do just that. Each Sunday you will be invited to practice the spiritual discipline of visio divina, which means “divine seeing.” Similar to that of the Benedictine practice lectio divina — “divine reading” — where a word or phrase of Scripture is pondered, visio divina uses an image instead as the focus for meditation. Accompanying each Sunday’s art is a guided meditation to help you slow down and see with your heart. During the week, the journey to Easter continues with reflections on God’s handiwork and beauty as told in the Psalms.
Many thanks to Krin Van Tatenhove, who not only wrote this devotional, but who also provided the photography featured inside. It is our hope that during this Lent you will awaken to a new awareness of God’s beauty and presence.
— Donna Frischknecht Jackson, Presbyterians Today editor
About the Author and Photographer
Krin Van Tatenhove has been an ordained Presbyterian pastor for more than 30 years, with experience as a hospice chaplain, substance abuse counselor in both Nevada and Texas, and writer for newspapers and magazines. He is the co-author of Neighborhood Church: Transforming Your Congregation into a Powerhouse for Mission.
Biblical quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version.
