Facing the rising sun of a new day begun, let us march on ‘til victory is won.”
These words were penned as a poem by NAACP president, James Weldon. The words were set to music by his brother, James Rosamond Johnson, and became known as the Black National Anthem. These words evoke the determination to march toward a world of equality and peace. The words remind us that there is a yearning embedded in us all to overcome barriers. One of the greatest gifts to humanity is the ability to imagine, to see beyond what appears to the senses. We can imagine a world where peace and joy and love are not exceptions but are foundational to the fabric of our society.
As we enter the season of Lent, we bring with us the scars of the past, resisting complacency and empire, and embracing solidarity with all of God’s creation. The Lenten season invites us to move outside the “busyness” of daily life, and to walk through struggle, conflict, and danger, placing all at the foot of the cross. As we journey through these 40 days, we call upon the ancestors for wisdom and guidance. We reach out to the voices that have been silenced, and we seek counsel from those who have taught us by their own lives what resistance looks like. We heed the voices of the marginalized, the oppressed, the forgotten.
We are assured that whatever obstacles we face on our journey to the cross, Jesus meets us in our weakness, and empowers us to live victoriously. We can experience Lent not so much as giving up, but rather giving for.
For our Lenten journey in 2026, we are pleased to introduce a variety of materials and activities designed for congregations who are seeking to be transformed during this Holy season. The Work of Imagination offers a suite of materials and activities including a daily devotional, activities for families, coloring pages, and a Lenten spiral. The authors note that a spiral is “a naturally occurring pattern which often appears when things are in a state of growth and expansion.” Families are encouraged to display the spiral in your home where everyone can see it every day. Links to these materials can be found below, and we encourage you to use them individually, and also with family and friends.
– Rev. Dot Killian
Note: Please do not share any of these resources on social media or outside of our church community. This is at the request of the people at Illustrated Ministry, a small, progressive company that has lovingly crafted all of these materials.
Lenten Spiral – This is a daily devotion that involves both short devotions and invites you to color in the art.
Lenten Spiral – This version is a daily devotion that is fully colored in.