Dear members and friends of Kitsilano Christian Community,

The season of Lent has been observed in Christianity from the early centuries as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter. Lent is the forty days prior to Easter (not counting the Sundays) and is intended to correspond to Jesus’ wilderness experience at the outset of his public ministry. As Jesus’ experience in the desert was a significant time of preparation for what lay ahead for him, we enter Lent as an ongoing preparation for our observance of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Lent is a time of stripping away, of self-examination, and intense reflection on what it means to, as Jesus invited, "take up our cross and follow."

This booklet is offered as a companion, just one way to spend time along the way. But, while Lent is often perceived as an individual journey, this guide is a reminder that Lent is our journey together, too, as a community. What is very evident in this guide is that Kits Church is a community of people committed to the journey. A people passionate for the experience and, more importantly, passionate for the one in whose steps we follow.

But what is also apparent is the breadth and depth of faith that exists in this unique community, expressed in the diversity of perspectives, and evident in the giftedness offered in both written and artistic expression. I am grateful for the generous gift of each contributor who, often with remarkable vulnerability, shares from her or his experience of the journey. I am also thankful for the contributions of art and photography that add greatly to the experience of the journey. I am indebted to Jackie Law for the way she has so generously offered her time and considerable gifts for writing, editing and managing a project of this scope. This project would not have happened without her and her team of dedicated editors, layout experts and labourers!

As you journey through the Season of Lent, my prayer is that your experience will be more vivid and rich for having journeyed with this guide.

— Tim Colborne
Senior Minister
Kitsilano Christian Community