Lent—a time of spiritual preparation at Trinity

All 1,189 chapters of the Bible will be read out loud during the week before Easter, which is expected to take about 80 hours. It is just one of several ways that students and groups at Trinity are spiritually preparing during the time of Lent.

The reading will take place at the Molenhouse Student Center from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning on March 26. The final verses will be read on April 4 right before chapel. Individual students, groups and clubs, faculty, and staff will sign up for specific verses to be read in 30-minute time slots beginning on March 16.

“My hope for the reading is that people from the entire Trinity community will be involved through scripture,” said Caroline Klingbeil ’13 of Chesterton, Indiana, who is organizing the event. “My church back home did it a few years ago, and it was an amazing experience.”

The event is part of the Lenten practice of reading a book all the way through called “take up and read.” To coincide with this, the chaplain’s office is encouraging students to read Voices of Redemption, a book written by Trinity alumnae that tells the stories of people helped through Roseland Christian Ministries.

Members of the Trinity community can also celebrate the season of Lent by utilizing the prayer tabernacle, a large indoor tent set up in the chapel and designed as a place for individual prayer, meditation, or group prayer. The tabernacle features a space to write prayer requests or prayer prompts for those who would like inspiration.

“Praying for each other’s prayer requests is one of the best ways that God-centered community can be built,” said Antonio Alicea, ’15 of Chicago, leader of the prayer ministry at Trinity.

Trinity will also be celebrating Lent during chapel services.  The Lenten chapel series theme is “Beauty and Brokenness,” focusing on Jesus as the suffering servant described in Isaiah 53.