Tag Archives: Forward Movement Lent

Forward Today: Getting ready for the gift of Lent

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Dear friends in Christ,

The season of Lent begins just three weeks from today. I don’t know about you, but it’s early February and I’m already exhausted from 2020. Lent can’t come soon enough. I can’t wait to answer the invitation of this season to repent and return to the Lord, to focus on what matters.

Lent isn’t about making ourselves better. It is about remembering God’s love for us. In fact, Lent is a good time to remind ourselves of the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, who offers salvation for us, despite the fact that we’re all pretty messed up. So this season isn’t about self-improvement so much as remembering the gift of God’s grace.

I’m planning to spend some time over the next few weeks to ponder how I might use this Lenten season. What habits do I want to cultivate? What habits do I want to shed? What am I called to embrace? What am I called to reject?

The good news is that Lent isn’t something to add to your to-do list. In fact, Lent might be inviting you to take some things off your to-do list. You don’t have to spend any money or sign up for any programs to make good use of Lent. But you might find yourself looking for books or resources to help you along the way. Your church or your priest or a wise spiritual friend can help you think and pray about how to use Lent.

Of course, we at Forward Movement have lots of resources. This year’s new Lenten devotional is a set of daily meditations by Frank and Victoria Logue. You can buy A Spring in the Desert as a paper book or an ebook. If you want something a bit more fun for your church and your family, a set of 25 Join the Journey colorable Lenten calendars is just a few dollars. And we have lots of other Lenten resources on our website. So do other publishers.

But however you approach Lent, I hope you’ll see this season as a gift. Each year, the church offers us this precious time to return to Jesus Christ, to focus on what matters. How will you accept this gift?

Yours faithfully,

 

 

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

Image: By Rev. Neil Willard, Palmer Memorial Church, Houston, TX via Wikimedia

Today’s Flash Sale: Lent is Not Rocket Science

The season of Lent prompts us to ask questions, big and small, about the nature of our being and about our role in the world. In these daily Lenten reflections, astronomer, physicist, and Episcopal Bishop W. Nicholas Knisely explores the intersection of faith and science, creation and the cosmos.

Regular: $5
Today: $3.75

*Discount is valid until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Welcome to A Season of Prayer: 40 Days in the Desert

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We’re excited to launch A Season of Prayer: 40 Days in the Desert—a special daily prayer practice for Lent. The new Season of Prayer will encourage people to pray and reflect on our response to the global refugee crisis and the Christian obligation of hospitality and welcome. 

Each day during Lent, we’ll be posting shareable prayer images on Forward Movement’s Facebook and Twitter feeds, and we’ll be posting the prayers in Spanish on Adelante Dia a Dia’s Facebook page.

In addition to the daily images, we’re offering the downloadable bulletin inserts below—in English and Spanish—for churches and small groups to print and utilize throughout the season. And starting today, you’ll be able to browse many additional offerings, including videos, on the official Season of Prayer resources page. 

Hugo Olaiz, assistant editor for Latino/Hispanic resources at Forward Movement, has led the effort. Here’s Hugo with more on this project:

 

And here are the downloadable bulletin inserts in full and for each week in Lent:

Season of Prayer: Full / Todas

  1. Week 1 / Semana 1
  2. Week 2 / Semana 2
  3. Week 3 / Semana 3
  4. Week 4 / Semana 4
  5. Week 5 / Semana 5
  6. Week 6  / Semana 6
  7. Week 7 / Semana 7

 
Don’t forget to follow Forward Movement on Facebook and Twitter to see each day’s prayer image on social media, starting on Ash Wednesday. We look forward to sharing this prayerful season with you.