Lent offers the church a time each year to consider the wondrous love of Jesus Christ and what it means to follow in his way. These resources (some specifically for Lent, others not) may prove useful for individuals and groups who read, pray, plan worship, and study during this season.
The Beatitudes for Today, by James C. Howell. WJKP, 2006. ISBN 0-664-22932-8. Pb., 124 pp. $14.95.
In 14 chapters, Howell reflects on what it means to be blessed in the way of Jesus Christ. His work considers not only what Jesus says, but also what he does not say, ever with an eye to the shape of God’s blessing in real human lives. Includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter.
A Clearing Season: Reflections for Lent, by Sarah Parsons. Upper Room, 2005. ISBN 0-8358-9817-2. Pb., 111 pp. $12.
In Parsons’ able hands, clearing is a Lenten discipline in which readers don’t simply give up something, but rather give prayerful attention to those barriers that stand between God and us. Includes exercises for individuals and groups.
The Last Days of Jesus, by François Bovon. WJKP, 2006. ISBN 0-664-23007-5. Pb., 01 pp. $17.95.
Bovon offers a careful historical accounting of the passion narratives of the New Testament, reading across gospels and epistles to retell the events of Jesus’ last days. Drawing on literature that tells of first century Jewish and Roman practices, and listening in on centuries of interpretation, Bovon’s work will challenge readers to consider again the significance of the events of Good Friday and Easter.
Living the Sermon on the Mount: A Practical Hope for Grace and Deliverance, by Glen H. Stassen. Jossey-Bass, 2006. ISBN 0-7879-7736-5. Hb., 222 pp. $21.95.
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount offers a seemingly insurmountable challenge to those who would seek to live in accordance with his teaching amidst the complexities of modern life. Stassen is a gifted guide, leading readers through the Sermon, ever with an eye toward living it faithfully and practically in this world.
The Lord’s Prayer for Today, by William J. Carl III. WJKP, 2006. ISBN 0-664-22957-3. Pb., 101 pp. $14.95.
In this helpful volume, Carl leads readers through a careful consideration of how the Lord’s Prayer would have been understood by Jesus’ disciples, and what it might mean for those who pray it, and seek to live it, today. Each of the 12 chapters is followed by questions for discussion.
The Luminous Dusk: Finding God in the Deep, Still Places, by Dale C. Allison Jr. Eerdmans, 2006. ISBN 0-8028-3218-0. Pb., 178 pp. $14.
In this collection of essays, Allison draws on resources of Scripture and philosophy, simultaneously critiquing our noisy culture and affirming an alternate way of awe and wonder as we consider deeply the ways of God in the world.
Palm Sunday and Holy Week Services, by Robin Knowles Wallace. Abingdon, 2006. ISBN 0-687-49778-7. Pb., 84 pp. $9.50.
For those congregations that choose not to jump from Palm Sunday to Easter, Robin Knowles Wallace gathers resources for Holy Week, including readings and drama for Passion/Palm Sunday, a Taizé-style Maundy Thursday service, Good Friday prayers and litanies, and more.
The Passionate Journey, by Marty A. Bullis. Ventura, Ca.: Regal, 2007. ISBN 0-8307-4392-8. Hb., 207 pp. $17.99.
Bullis offers daily readings for Lent, encouraging readers in disciplines of reflection, prayer, and journaling (space for writing is provided at the end of each day’s reading). Recognizing that Lenten disciplines ought to draw us into community, not into isolation, Bullis offers his work as a resource for small group reflection and prayer (a model for group meeting is provided in the appendix).
The Scandalous God: The Use and Abuse of the Cross, by VÃtor Westhelle. Fortress, 2006. ISBN 0-8006-3895-6. Pb., 180 pp. $22.
In a world where crosses are worn as jewelry and adorned with gold, Westhelle provocatively reminds his readers of the scandal and shame of the cross–then, and now. This is not easy reading, but will serve as a helpful challenge to our tendency to hide our eyes from the reality of the suffering of the Son of God–and the suffering of others around us.
Sinning Like a Christian: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins, by William H. Willimon. Abingdon, 2005. ISBN 0-687-49280-7. Pb., 159 pp. $11.
Countering a trend in churches to downplay the reality of sin, Willimon takes sin seriously, bluntly exposing the bitter reality of the problem we have between us and God (p. 9). That he can do so in a way that makes us both chuckle and nod in assent at our own sinfulness is a great gift for the church.
The Ten Commandments for Today, by Walter J. Harrelson. WJKP, 2006. ISBN 0-664-22931-X. Pb., 103 pp. $14.95.
Harrelson’s exposition of the meaning of the commandments encourages readers to find in them a guide for faithful living. His reflections include considerations on the place of the commandments in public life, and the impossible possibility of our keeping them today. Each of the seven chapters includes questions for discussion.
Thank God It’s Friday: Encountering the Seven Last Words from the Cross, by William H. Willimon. Abingdon, 2006. ISBN 0-687-46490-0. Pb., 104 pp. $12.
Willimon draws together forceful sermons and hard-hitting prayers that offer a challenging perspective on Jesus’ crucifixion, and on the human sin that crucified him. One cannot read these pieces without a sense that we were there when they crucified our Lord … and that in many ways, we still are.
