Reflections for Lent – 16 April 2022

Author Rowan Williams, Philip North and others
Publisher CHP £4.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9781781402764

This slim book will prove a fine companion for the discipline and rhythm of daily Morning Prayer during Lent 2022. Its value is principally in the sustained high quality of the individual thoughts of the experienced, wise church leaders who have contributed. Their writing is uniformly superb. There is an outstanding introduction from Mark Oakley who has provided a written sermon – ideal for Ash Wednesday – entitled: ‘Lent – justifying within the self’. He uses the Renaissance painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, ‘The fight between carnival and Lent’ to illustrate how many Christians experience the tension and paradox of impulses during Lent – a constant battle between holy desire and worldly influences.

The core content of the book comprises (Monday-Saturday) daily reflections from Bishops Philip North, Rachel Treweeke, Christopher Herbert, and Canon Angela Tilby. Most of their reflections relate to the Old Testament daily lessons, which this year are dominated by the later chapters of Genesis and the early chapters of Exodus. And so, we journey through Lent with Joseph and his brothers, and later Moses and Aaron and their people. Collectively these reflections provide a helpful theological guide to that long transitional period when the chosen people of God sojourned in Egypt. The climax of the book, however, comes from the contributions by Rowan Williams, who takes us through the spiritual perplexities of Holy Week. He has given succinct but powerful original thoughts which show that the spiritual wisdom of our former Archbishop is undiminished in retirement.

Finally, the book also contains helpful advice on how to build daily prayer into our lives from Rachel Treweeke; and a guide to Lectio Divina from Archbishop Stephen Cottrell. This book is warmly recommended. Although slightly expensive for its size, it is full of gems from a series of fine authors.

Reviewed by ELIZABETH HOGG

Lenten devotion

Sharing the Easter Story

Author Sally Welch
Publisher BRF £8.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9781800390980

Sally Welch leads us through Lent from reading, to living the gospel. In her introduction, she explains how we might share the Easter story as individuals, or as a group. She also offers a study structure that might be used by a group from opening prayer, discussion, forum, reflection, plenary and through to a closing prayer. Her seven weeks take us through repenting, forgiving, hoping, trusting, sacrificing, loving and changing. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, each daily bible reading is followed by the author’s reflection, then she offers some questions for discussion or for self-examination: questions such as ‘Learning to trust is one of life’s most difficult tasks. Who do you trust and why? Do you find it easy or difficult to trust God?’ Each session ends with a closing prayer appropriate to that day’s subject.

Reading and praying my way through this beautiful Lent book has helped me to focus more deeply on my personal faith as well as understanding more about how God has been, and still is, at work in me and the world around me. I have been made to examine my own human frailties and sharing together in a group would help me understand more about myself and those with whom I share. In her epilogue the author gives us some final reflections such as: ‘What have I learned about myself during this Lenten period?’ and ‘How might I share all that God means to me – and all that he could mean to others?’ Are you brave enough to take on this loving Lenten challenge?

Reviewed by SUE PIPER

Lenten devotion

The Mystery of Everything

Author Hilary Brand
Publisher DLT £5.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9780232532081

Subtitled, ‘A Lent course based around the film The Theory of Everything’, this book enables groups and individuals to explore big issues from excerpts from the life of Professor Stephen Hawking. The movie featured Eddie Redmayne in the main role and Felicity Jones as his first wife, from whose point of view the story was told. Hilary Brand explores the story by focussing on a number of key themes: the experience of wonder, the enigma of weakness, the complexity of relationships, the encounter with frailty and the hope of brokenness. The author has previously used other films, such as Chocolat, as well as the writings of C.S. Lewis to create previous Lent books very successfully. Given Hawking’s known atheism, or perhaps agnosticism, it is amazing that the Christian course model fits, but in fact it works very well, due to Brand’s skill as a writer. She produces some very profound passages. Personally, I was both challenged and inspired, especially by her discussion on human dignity. First class!

Reviewed by CAVAN WOOD

Lenten devotion

The Wind, The Fountain and The Fire

Author Mark Barrett
Publisher Bloomsbury £9.89
Format To follow
ISBN To follow

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Lenten devotion

Women of Holy Week

Author Paula Gooder
Publisher CHP £9.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9781781402894

This little Lenten treasure is a joy to read and handle, with beautiful illustrations of the nine stories of these women by Ally Barrett. The author leads us through Lent with a collection of the women’s stories – women whose names are lesser known from the bible and whose lives have not been explored in detail – until now! Each woman’s story is given to us in simple everyday language using the Bible’s information but written in an imaginative, modern way. And each story is imaginatively illustrated with particular insight and understanding; the collection then forming a triptych. Every story has a section of notes and resources, giving us appropriate Bible references, additional information entitled ‘it might help you to know…’, and questions for us to ponder during our Lenten study. For instance the three Marys’ lives are explored and if you have ever wondered about the popularity of this name, then the answer may be found within.

This book, as well as accompanying us through Holy Week, would be ideal for a group to study together and reflect on the questions posed by the author. Readers will finish this book knowing more detail about the lives of these nine women as well as feeling enriched spiritually. So who are they? Under the heading of Palm Sunday we read about Miriam, Sarah, Anna and Susannah. Then for Maundy Thursday we learn about Joanna; for Good Friday we hear about Salome; for Easter Eve we understand more about Mary Magdalene. Then on Easter Day we meet Mary, wife of Clopas (John 19.25); and finally on Ascension Day we meet dear Mary, mother of Jesus. Enjoy and give respect to these women…you will not regret treating yourself or a dear one to this book!

Reviewed by SUE PIPER

Lenten devotion