The National Association of Directors of Christian Education (NADCE) is pleased to offer this Lent podcast devotion for your encouragement during Lent and Easter. We are thankful for DCE Paul Nelson and his willingness to contribute by recording today’s devotion. Paul serves as Director of Youth Ministries at St. John's Lutheran in Buffalo, Minnesota.

Our devotions this Lent season center around the theme of Songs of Lament. This theme will consider who Scripture is filled with cries. The cries of the enslaved for freedom. The cries of mothers for their children. The cries of soldiers under attack. The cries of the sinner at their fallen humanity. In the darkness of Lent, we too cry "Lord, have mercy!" Our Lord Jesus comes to us in the midst of our tears and welcomes our laments. With mercy and compassion, He hears our prayers and transforms them into a melody of praise through His great sacrifice. The Psalmists declares how the story will end: "Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:15). An Easter morning in Jerusalem and the great day when the Morning Star returns.

NADCE regularly offers podcasts that focus on topics in ministry as practical resources for those serving in the Lutheran church as DCEs. Our hope is that our podcasts will encourage those listening in their calling and equip and strengthen them in their ministry area.

To learn more about NADCE we invite you to go to nadce.com to see the benefits of membership which include joining us at the Tent of Meeting and Emmanus Table online community groups, receiving our Quarterly publication, and getting a discount to our Conference that just finished in Houston, Texas.