Devotionals at St. Luke's
Devotionals created by our parish are available in print and also, upon your registration, sent by email to you each day throughout Advent and Lent, making it easy to stay connected wherever you are.
Voices from Our Parish
At St. Luke’s, our devotionals offer a way to walk through liturgical seasons together. Each year, we publish Advent and Lenten devotional booklets with daily reflections written by members and friends of the parish. There is something uniquely meaningful about engaging Scripture and prayer through the voices of people you know—stories shaped by the same community, rhythms, and shared life.
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Preparing the Way
2026/27 Theme
Preparation is a central theme in our Scriptures. Noah built his ark to prepare for the flood, Joseph stored food to prepare for a famine, and the Israelites prepared for the first Passover in accordance with God’s instructions. Each of the four gospels highlights John the Baptist’s role as the voice Isaiah foresaw crying out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isa 40:3, NRSV) Matthew’s parable of the ten maidens (Matt. 25: 1-13) teaches that preparation sometimes entails waiting faithfully and patiently with sustained hope and readiness.
Narrative Description
Following a devotional year centered around the theme of Embracing the Wilderness, we are most fittingly asking you, for this upcoming year, to contemplate on preparing the way … for what is to come next. You might share your thoughts on how you or St. Luke’s has prepared (or can prepare) for the next leg of our parish’s glorious journey under the guidance of our new rector.
What might St. Luke’s do—or continue doing—to prepare our members, the surrounding community, or the larger society for the next phase of our efforts to create the Beloved Community? Can our parish play a role in inspiring Atlanta to make Phase 1 of The Stitch—soon to occur adjacent to our side yard—a “straight highway” uniting that Beloved Community?
Maybe you have had a personal experience in which you were called upon to ready yourself for God’s grace. Was an essential part of that preparation faith: the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not (yet) seen? (See Heb. 11) Do you have a daily spiritual practice that prepares and opens you to receive God’s guidance?
Maybe there was once a “John the Baptist” in your personal life experience, who prompted you to soften your heart or open your spirit to receive the Lord. Were you once somebody else’s John the Baptist?
Surely you have some thoughts or images about preparation and what follows (or is to follow) to help us “prepare” for this upcoming devotional year! If so, please consider submitting a devotional.
Make a Submission
Submit DevotionDeadlines for the Year:
Advent: October 31, 2026
Lent: January 9, 2027
Submission Criteria
Format
Devotions can take many forms, including prose, poetry, visual art, drawings, or photography.
Length
To fit on a single booklet page, a submission should not exceed 350 words for prose, roughly 30 lines for poetry, and 150 words for text accompanying graphics.
Theme
Submissions should reflect the seasonal theme (shared each year) and connect in some way to Scripture, prayer, or personal reflection.
Tone
Write in a way that speaks from your heart and soul, yet is clear, thoughtful, and accessible to a wide audience.”
Original Work
All submissions should be your original work.
Editors
Bill McCarty
Managing Editor
Debbie Newman
Managing Editor Emerita
Catherine McCarty
Editor
Sue Rohan
Editor
