New resources available for Lent

By Megan K. Mertz

Concordia Publishing House, Lutheran Hour Ministries and the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League are offering new Lenten resources for 2014.

“The Crucified King,” written by the Rev. Ralph G. Tausz, is from CPH. The theme, taken from the book of Matthew, is described by CPH as proclaiming “a King whose glory is shown not in His impressive power or strength, but chiefly in showing mercy to sinners.”

A CD-ROM features 10 sermons, 10 children’s messages, seven Bible studies and both traditional and contemporary worship resources. According to CPH, these resources are “fully customizable” and provide “pastors and musicians with the preaching and worship resources they need to lead their congregations through Lent in preparation for Easter.”

To order the “The Crucified King” CD-ROM ($39.99, item no. 155195), contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit cph.org/lent. Price does not include shipping charges.

A bulletin insert ($8.25 per package, item no. 840943) and a booklet of daily devotions ($2.29, item no. 124417) also are available along the same theme. When 25 or more daily-devotion booklets are ordered, an additional one for $1 may be ordered with promo code “YRO.”

The 2014 resource from Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) — “My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?” by the Rev. Wayne Palmer — details the challenges Jesus encountered as He suffered on the cross to save His people.

“I wanted to base the devotions on Psalm 22, which fleshes out Jesus’ fourth saying from the cross,” Palmer said. “From there I thought it would be best to include each of the seven sayings of Jesus from the cross in the devotions, then to put it in the context of the Roman trial, condemnation, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection.”

The free devotions are available beginning March 5:

to read online at lhm.org/lent/dailydevotions.asp.

to hear as a podcast at lhm.org/podcasts or as an audio file at lhm.org/lent/audio.asp.

to receive via email. Register at lhm.org/email/register.asp.

In addition, the devotions are available now for congregations to download, personalize and print for distribution to members and nonmembers (click here).

Also available online — at paraelcamino.com/cuaresma — is LHM’s Spanish Lenten resource “El camino de Cuaresma” (“The Lenten Journey”), written by the Rev. Vernon D. Gundermann. It employs the theme of journeying to communicate the message of God’s long-delivered promise of salvation, a promise which found fulfillment in the mission and ministry of His only begotten Son.

For more information, contact Lutheran Hour Ministries at 800-876-9880 or lhmin@lhm.org.

This year, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League is offering “Love’s Priceless Gift,” a new four-part Bible study based on John 3:16. According to the LWML, this resource, written by Donna Pyle, “offers incredible insight and fresh clarity into one of the most well-loved passages in all of Scripture.”

Download the study or order a printed copy here. The cost is $5.