The Challenge of the Cross - Lent 2015
Lent is upon us, so here are a few brief thoughts as we begin this season of
preparation for Easter and the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord.
Lent is the ideal time to review our pattern of worship, prayer and service to
others. Below are some of the ways in which we can do this individually and as
a community.
preparation for Easter and the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord.
Lent is the ideal time to review our pattern of worship, prayer and service to
others. Below are some of the ways in which we can do this individually and as
a community.
Worship and Prayer throughout Lent
Prayer is at the heart of our life together; without it we can do nothing. There
are many ways we can be part of the prayer life of All Saints:
are many ways we can be part of the prayer life of All Saints:
- By making Sunday worship a priority
- By joining in the regular pattern of daily worship this is a good time to consider attending a weekday Eucharist or Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer. Please see News for times of services as they vary from day to day
- Not everyone is able to be at church, but everyone can be part of the rhythm of the prayer of the wider Church by downloading a free app foryour phone or by using an online version
- By coming to a Lent Lunch Group for people of all ages on Saturday afternoons during Lent from 1-2pm to explore further each week’s Lent challenge. Bread is provided – bring and share something to put on it!
- By attending worship as often as possible during Holy Week, walking with Jesus to the cross and beyond, including daily worship for children and families. We'll share further details nearer the time.
- By taking up the Lent challenges ....
Wednesday Evenings in Lent at All Saints
This year we will again be hosting the town centre churches for talks and
discussion. The theme is The Challenge of the Cross. Beginning on 25
February each week from 7.30-9pm, a different church will provide a speaker.
These will challenge us in a variety of ways as each presenter approaches the subject from
his or her perspective. Details of the speakers can be found on our homepage
discussion. The theme is The Challenge of the Cross. Beginning on 25
February each week from 7.30-9pm, a different church will provide a speaker.
These will challenge us in a variety of ways as each presenter approaches the subject from
his or her perspective. Details of the speakers can be found on our homepage
Some suggestions for Lent reading
Whether you prefer to reflect on a passage of Scripture or a poem each day or to explore a topic more deeply, these suggestions are offered as a small selection of what is easily available from bookshops or online:
Christopher Cocksworth - Seeing Jesus and Being Seen by Him
This book explores three dimensions of seeing: seeing Jesus, being seen by him
and seeing things the way Jesus sees them.
Maggi Dawn - Giving it Up: Daily Bible Readings from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day
The idea of 'giving something up for Lent' is widely known and discussed today.
This book shows how Lent can be a time for exploring a different kind of 'giving
up', one that can transform our lives.
Malcolm Guite - Word in the Wilderness A Poem a Day for Lent and Easter
For every day from Shrove Tuesday to Easter Day, the bestselling poet
Malcolm Guite chooses a favourite poem from across the Christian spiritual
and English literary traditions and offers incisive seasonal reflections on it.
Graham James - Lent Factor
Human character is best described by telling stories about people. The Lent
Factor describes forty very different people - one for each day of Lent.
Janet Morley The Heart's Time - A Poem a Day for Lent and Easter
A day by day Lent book aimed at the individual reader, in which a poem
appropriate to the themes of the season is read, along with a short reflection
from the editor and a couple of questions to ponder. The purpose is to use a poetic
text as the basis for 'slow reflection' during Lent and Eastertide.
Timothy Radcliffe - Stations of the Cross
During Lent we are surrounded by visual reminders of Jesus' last hours. In
Stations of the Cross, renowned author and spiritual master Timothy Radcliffe,
OP, offers readers a thoughtful meditation on this powerful devotion. Through
word and image Radcliffe offers a profound experience of reflecting on the
Stations of the Cross that is both visually and spiritually inspiring.
Archbishop Desmond - Tutu In God's Hands
In God's Hands is the 2015 Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book. In this little
gem of a book, Archbishop Desmond Tutu distils the wisdom forged through a
childhood of poverty and apartheid, an adulthood lived in the glare of the
world's media, and the long and agonising struggle for truth and reconciliation in
South Africa, into the childlike simplicity which Jesus tells us characterises the
Kingdom of God.
Rowan Williams - Meeting God in Mark
Not written specifically as a Lent book, it explores the essential meaning and
purpose of St Marks Gospel for complete beginners as well as for those who
have read the Gospel many times before and want to see it in a fresh light.
Christopher Cocksworth - Seeing Jesus and Being Seen by Him
This book explores three dimensions of seeing: seeing Jesus, being seen by him
and seeing things the way Jesus sees them.
Maggi Dawn - Giving it Up: Daily Bible Readings from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day
The idea of 'giving something up for Lent' is widely known and discussed today.
This book shows how Lent can be a time for exploring a different kind of 'giving
up', one that can transform our lives.
Malcolm Guite - Word in the Wilderness A Poem a Day for Lent and Easter
For every day from Shrove Tuesday to Easter Day, the bestselling poet
Malcolm Guite chooses a favourite poem from across the Christian spiritual
and English literary traditions and offers incisive seasonal reflections on it.
Graham James - Lent Factor
Human character is best described by telling stories about people. The Lent
Factor describes forty very different people - one for each day of Lent.
Janet Morley The Heart's Time - A Poem a Day for Lent and Easter
A day by day Lent book aimed at the individual reader, in which a poem
appropriate to the themes of the season is read, along with a short reflection
from the editor and a couple of questions to ponder. The purpose is to use a poetic
text as the basis for 'slow reflection' during Lent and Eastertide.
Timothy Radcliffe - Stations of the Cross
During Lent we are surrounded by visual reminders of Jesus' last hours. In
Stations of the Cross, renowned author and spiritual master Timothy Radcliffe,
OP, offers readers a thoughtful meditation on this powerful devotion. Through
word and image Radcliffe offers a profound experience of reflecting on the
Stations of the Cross that is both visually and spiritually inspiring.
Archbishop Desmond - Tutu In God's Hands
In God's Hands is the 2015 Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book. In this little
gem of a book, Archbishop Desmond Tutu distils the wisdom forged through a
childhood of poverty and apartheid, an adulthood lived in the glare of the
world's media, and the long and agonising struggle for truth and reconciliation in
South Africa, into the childlike simplicity which Jesus tells us characterises the
Kingdom of God.
Rowan Williams - Meeting God in Mark
Not written specifically as a Lent book, it explores the essential meaning and
purpose of St Marks Gospel for complete beginners as well as for those who
have read the Gospel many times before and want to see it in a fresh light.
And finally ...
for those who find it helpful, it’s worth considering online material. A number
of organisations offer online course to use daily or weekly. Here are two suggestions:
Do Lent generously - www.40acts.org.uk
40 days of giving back, doing good and living generously.
Diocese of Winchester Lent Course - https://winchesterlent.wordpress.com
An online Lent Course based on the rule of St Benedict which can be used by
individuals or groups. You can use the screen version or print the material.
of organisations offer online course to use daily or weekly. Here are two suggestions:
Do Lent generously - www.40acts.org.uk
40 days of giving back, doing good and living generously.
Diocese of Winchester Lent Course - https://winchesterlent.wordpress.com
An online Lent Course based on the rule of St Benedict which can be used by
individuals or groups. You can use the screen version or print the material.
