Lent begins this week. It starts with Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 and then moves through 5 Sundays that lead to Palm Sunday on March 29. Click the link above to get an introduction to Lent in general. In this post I want to look specifically at the texts and possible themes for the Gospel readings from the Revised Common Lectionary.
This is Year A in the RCL, which means we are focused on the Gospel of Matthew. However, we abandon Matthew for Lent (I guess we’re giving it up for Lent?) and look at a series of stories in the Gospel of John in which various people have encounters with Jesus.
This led us, at Luther Seminary, to create the theme “Encounter Christ” for our Lenten journey this year. I invite you to watch the video below to see how we hope to encounter Christ in the text and in each other through a weekly rhythm of community activities.
Here is an archive of all my posts related to Lent. Reach out with any questions about this important liturgical season. Enjoy!
- The Art Pastor’s Guide to Lent 2026
- Drawing Through Lent Journey is Complete
- Redeem | Lent 4 | Visual Resources for Both Lectionaries on March 10, 2024
- Promise | Lent 3 | Visual Resources for Both Lectionaries on March 3, 2024
- Trust | Lent 2 | Visual Resources for Both Lectionaries on February 25, 2024
- Lent and the Travel Narratives of Matthew, Mark, and Luke
- Ash Wednesday, Burned Forests, and New Life
- Ash Wednesday and Lent 1 | Visual Resources for February 14 and 18, 2024
- By What Authority…? | Visual Resources for Both Lectionaries for March 12, 2023
- Ash Wednesday and The Beginning of Lent | Visual Resources for Both Lectionaries
Every week I compile all the visual resources on cartoonistbible.com for the lectionary readings on both the Revised Common Lectionary and the Narrative Lectionary. Get them in your inbox every Monday morning.
