Sharing Love, Seeking Justice: The second week in Lent
March 17, 2025
Welcome to our 2025 series of weekly Lenten devotionals, a gift from New Brunswick Theological seminary. At the beginning of each week, the Theological Writing Center will post a devotion or a story of a local congregational ministry, along with a prayer and a few psalms on which to meditate during the week. During Holy Week, there will be eight days of devotions from NBTS faculty members.
The second week in Lent
Love Kits Help People Coming in from the Cold
Unhoused people coming into a shelter for the first time often lack basic supplies for health and hygiene. Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless (IPH), a non-profit short- and long-term housing program in Albany, New York, works with local churches each year, usually in February, to create “Love Kits.” Each kit is a sealed bag including toiletries, usually in travel-sized amounts—just enough to get started—along with a facecloth, a note of encouragement, and a couple of Hershey’s kisses, because everybody can use a little love. (IPH receives and stores all the bags, to have a supply for guests who arrive during the year.)
Prayer:
God who had no place to stay,
who went from a borrowed manger to a borrowed grave:
keep us ever aware of those around us with no safe and warm bed
and help us to welcome them into both safety both grace,
that we may also welcome you in.
Amen.
Reflection for the rest of the week: The next three Ascent Psalms: 123, 124, 125
The Ascent Psalms were sung by pilgrims heading for Jerusalem.
Prayer:
Gracious and loving Parent, refuge and support of all who are afflicted;
you see the rage all those who would destroy us any way they could;
you know the proud and mighty of our world want us gone;
and so, needing you, we lift our eyes to you,
praying for you to have compassion on us,
for the sake of your Son, Jesus.
Amen. Adapted from the prayer for Psalm 124 in the Scottish Psalter of 1595