Union Gospel Mission has again published a Lent Devotional, “featuring reflections on gratitude from UGM’s staff and community.” It is widely available in print (check the back shelf in your local church) and online.
UGM’s Church Relations Team coordinated the devotional, saying:
You’re invited to join us on this 40-day journey through Lent. This is a season where we prepare our hearts and minds to accept the significance of Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the grave at Easter.
This year, we will be walking through the Revised Common Lectionary, a collection of readings from the Bible that follow the liturgical calendar year, including the lenten season.
Each day of the lectionary outlines three or four scriptural passages. We invite you to read each of these passages for yourself, in the order they are written, allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself to you through your devotion.
We have also asked trusted friends and leaders in our community to expound and reflect on one of each day’s passages, and to lead us in a prayer each day to deepen our understanding and reliance on God.
The UGM Lent Devotional has drawn from all quarters of the local church. Here are the contributors:
Day 1 | Wednesday, March 5: David Koop is Senior Pastor of Coastal Church in Vancouver;- Day 2 | Thursday, March 6: Simon Gau is Executive Director of the CityReach Care Society and Associate Pastor at Broadway Church in Vancouver;
- Day 3 | Friday, March 7: Lindsay Hills is Rector of the [Anglican] Parish of St. Mary’s Kerrisdale in Vancouver;
- Day 4 | Saturday, March 8: Johannes Schouten is Pastor of Nelson Ave Community Church in Burnaby;
- Day 5 | Monday, March 10: Deborah Ariyan is Coordinator of Men’s Recovery at UGM;
- Day 6 | Tuesday, March 11: Stephen Leung is Area Bishop for Asian and Multicultural Ministries in the Anglican Network in Canada. He is also Rector of Anglican Network Church of the Good Shepherd in Vancouver;
- Day 7 | Wednesday, March 12: Billy Chiew is English Pastor at Basal Hakka Lutheran Church in Vancouver;
- Day 8 | Thursday, March 13: Debbie Hawker is Director of Missional Engagement at Tenth Church in Vancouver;
- Day 9 | Friday, March 14: Tim Stewart is Pastor of Parkdale Evangelical Free Church in Victoria;
- Day 10 | Saturday, March 15: Sharon Dhavale is Associate Pastor at Tenth Mount Pleasant in Vancouver;
- Day 11 | Monday, March 17: Ron Donkersloot is retired Principal of Valley Christian School in Mission;
- Day 12 | Tuesday, March 18: Jacquie McGee is Community Reach Pastor at Relate Church in Surrey;
- Day 13 | Wednesday, March 19: Fari Maghami is Pastor at Coastal Church, leading Coastal Eden Ministries in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver;
- Day 14 | Thursday, March 20: Ralph Ruhs is a Community Chaplain at UGM;
- Day 15 | Friday, March 21: Karla Rudram is Manager of Victoria at UGM;
- Day 16 | Saturday, March 22: Bill Mok is Founding Pastor of 360 Community in Richmond;
- Day 17 | Monday, March 24: Andrew Shields is Associate Pastor at Village Church in Surrey;
- Day 18 | Tuesday, March 25: J. Michael Miller, CSB, is Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver;
- Day 19 | Wednesday, March 26: Bill Wong is Senior Advisor of Church Relations at UGM;
- Day 20 | Thursday, March 27: Dan Eagle is Lead Pastor at Connaught Heights Pentecostal Assembly in New Westminster;
- Day 21 | Friday, March 28: Rebekah Corbin is Apprenticing Pastor and Partnerships Coordinator at The Way Church in Vancouver;
- Day 22 | Saturday, March 29: Leslie Rosenau-Lai is a Church Relations Advisor at UGM;
- Day 23 | Monday, March 31: Tim Dickau is Director of CityGate and a team member of Centre for Missional Leadership in Vancouver;
- Day 24 | Tuesday, April 1: Joyce Chan is Principal of Chinese Canadian School of Theology in Richmond;
- Day 25 | Wednesday, April 2: Matthew Bender is Young Adults Pastor at Christian Life Assembly in Langley;
- Day 26 | Thursday, April 3: Ryan Johnson is one of the Lead Pastors of church: untitled in downtown Vancouver;
- Day 27 | Friday, April 4: Xavier Law is Cantonese Ministry Pastor at Fraser Lands Church and Chairperson of the Alliance Global Serve Canada board in Vancouver;
- Day 28 | Saturday, April 5: Paul Thiessen is a Church Relations Advisor at UGM;
- Day 29 | Monday, April 7: Mike Knott is Lead Pastor at Surrey Alliance Church;
- Day 30 | Tuesday, April 8: Sandra Nixon is Pastor of Trinity-Grace United Church in Vancouver;
- Day 31 | Wednesday, April 9: Ben Hall is Lead Pastor at Saanich Baptist Church;
- Day 32 | Thursday, April 10: Paul Teel is Co-Pastor at The Place Community Church in Victoria;
- Day 33 | Friday, April 11: Francisco Lee is Senior Pastor at Korean Mok Yang Church in Surrey;
- Day 34 | Saturday, April 12: Travis Hutchinson is a Victim Services Worker and Spiritual Director in Victoria;
- Day 35 | Monday, April 14: Brad Bruneski is Pastor at The Garden Church in Vancouver;
- Day 36 | Tuesday, April 15: Tellison Glover is Director of Mission and Ministry Development for the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster;
- Day 37 | Wednesday, April 16: Joey Umali is a Case Manager at UGM;
- Day 38 | Thursday, April 17: Chad Block is Rector at Emmaus Road Anglican Church in Langley;
- Day 39 | Friday, April 18: Samuel Lee is Manager of Church Relations at UGM;
- Day 40 | Saturday, April 19: John Stephens is Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster.
Ray Aldred, Director of Indigenous Studies Program and Associate Professor of Indigenous Theology at Vancouver School of Theology, introduces the Lent Devotional:
We are journeying the circle of the earth. Indigenous wisdom of the Northern plains often talks about life as a journey, as does the New Testament. We are “walking by faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
The blind beggar, Bartimaeus, sitting by the road, cries out to Jesus, comes to meet him on the road, then after being healed he follows Jesus on the road (Mark 10:46-52). Early Church faith is called “the way.”
As an Indigenous person, walking in a good way is all about how we live in harmony with all our relatives. Our Elders’ stories heard on the land, remind us of how we are connected to the earth and to all who journey upon the earth. We take in their stories, and the stories take us in and remind us of who we are.
The Church calendar year is about embracing the story of Jesus in the land. As part of the Church calendar, Lent is about joining Jesus on the journey. Taking in His story of His journey on the earth, and as we are taken into the story, we are changed. . . .
The devotional concludes with a brief comment by Elder Joanne Anderson, of Metis Nation, BC, who serves as Matriarch and Elder at UGM.
Taanishi (Hello),
The UGM Church Relations Team and I have been praying for you on your journey through Lent. May your ears be open to hear the guidance of Creator as you travel through the rest of 2025. It is a joy to be together on this good road.
Maarsii (Thank-you),
Go here to download the 2025 Lent Devotional.