[[Hi Sister Laurel, Good Lent to you! I'm getting a kind of late start on asking you about resources for Lent, but I did want to do that. What are you reading for Lent? Do you have any suggestions for readers here? If there's something I could bring to my parish, I would love to do that. There are a few of us who are going to meet as a group, so we need something to use as a focus. Any ideas? Thanks!]]
You are not getting started too late, though; if you are going to buy books, you will miss a few more days. I have three books to recommend. The first two are daily readings with accompanying reflection and discussion questions. The third is a new book by NT Wright that is a sequel of sorts to his wonderful, Surprised by Hope. So, here they are:
1) Morley, Janet, The Heart's Time, a Poem a Day for Lent and Easter. Morley has another similar volume for Advent through Epiphany which I used last Advent. It is wonderful! You don't need to read the entry for every day, and can stay with any poem that really speaks to you for as long as it nourishes. This book seems the same to me. Morley begins with a poem by a known poet, follows that with an analysis of the poem and finishes each offering with a reflection question for the day. (I notice she uses two of e.e. cummings' poems including i am a little church, and i thank you god, both personal favorites of mine.) I've used this book for the last several days and it really is one of those books that screams FEAST!! --- even in a season of fasting. It could certainly work for some parish groups, as well as for priests and religious looking for personal Lenten resources.
2) Wright, N.T., From Wilderness to Glory, Lent and Easter for Everyone. Wright takes a Scripture lection for each day (Monday through Saturday), and supplies a commentary on it. This is followed by several questions for reflection or discussion. One problem here is that Wright does not have the Sunday readings in this volume. (I'm sure you can find a similar volume by Wright for Lent/Easter, and this year, (Year A) which will be similarly formatted and focus on the Sunday readings.) I would recommend this for parishes, for small groups during Lent, for Bible study groups, etc.
3) Wright, N.T., God's Homecoming, the Forgotten Promise of Future Renewal, This is a new book (2025) about the New Testament story of God coming to recreate heaven and earth and dwell with us here. It stands contrary to the idea that the NT is all about how it is we are saved and go to heaven. It also deals with the idea of an immortal soul in what will be a very surprising way to most folks. As Wright begins, [[Most people imagine that the point of Christianity is "to go to heaven when you die." . . . They are all wrong. The point of Christianity is not that we should go to heaven. The point of Christianity is that Heaven [God's own life and dimension] should come to us." and again, "When (the early Christians) spoke of salvation, they were not talking about people being saved from the present world. They were talking about the creator God's plan of salvation for the present world -- with themselves, as rescued and repurposed human beings, playing an important role in that project." (GH, pp 3-4)
I recommend this especially for study groups already familiar with Surprised by Hope, or for anyone wanting a fresh and more Biblically accurate approach to the Cross of Christ and what was achieved there, as well as what the mission of every Christian is now. It is probably not workable with groups with little background in Scripture, or who want something more basic and clearly "Lenten". On the other hand, it would make a great personal read for Lent. (Just FYI, I led a group last Summer and we read through Surprised by Hope. We read and discussed it for more than three months and folks found it both rewarding and challenging. I suspect this delayed sequel will be equally so and several members of the group have enthusiastically picked up a copy already. We could read it when we finish Galatians.)
Finally, since you asked, I've also just begun a new book by a Benedictine priest, Fr Francis Bethel, OSB, From Silence to Silence, A Benedictine Pilgrimage to God's Sanctuary. It looks intriguing to me because of something I am already working on regarding the silence of solitude and c 603, but I haven't read it and can't yet recommend it. I would suggest you check it out on Amazon and see if it is of interest to you.
Have a terrific, fruitful, and surprising Lent!! (I find God always surprises me during Lent!!)
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