Tag Archives: lent meditations

Resources for Your Lenten Journey

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Lent has begun, but it’s not too late to make good use of this holy journey toward Easter. The Book of Common Prayer, in the invitation to a holy Lent, suggests some ways to observe Lent, “by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.”

You can do all these things with a prayer book and a Bible, and if you don’t have copies of both, we encourage you to get them! But if you’re looking for some resources to take with you on the journey, Forward Movement offers some digital resources–no need to head out to the bookstore or wait for something to ship.

We offer several different little books of daily meditations for your Lenten time. New this year, Ashes and the Phoenix brings together daily meditations, powerful poetry by Len Freeman, and Jason Sierra’s inspiring woodcut art on your Kindle, Nook, or iBook device. If you are looking for a resource focused on mission outreach and social justice, check out Meeting Jesus on the Margins (Kindle, Nook, or iBook), featuring meditations from Becca Stevens, Richelle Thompson, and Hugo Olaiz, among other excellent writers.

At this time in our national life, when there has been much conversation about refugees, even as the number of displaced persons continues to rise around the globe, we invite you to engage this season in A Season of Prayer: 40 Days in the Desert. Each day will offer a prayer or scripture reading focused on themes of hospitality, migration, and refugee welcome.

You can download free Season of Prayer resources in English or Spanish, or follow along on social media on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

If you want to focus on self-examination and prayer, you might find the Saint Augustine’s Prayer Book especially helpful. If you want to think about repentance and reconciliation, Living Reconciliation is just right.

For fun and inspiration, there’s always Lent Madness, in which you can learn how God works through ordinary women and men in extraordinary ways. Throughout Lent, you’ll vote for your favorite saints until one saint wins the coveted Golden Halo.

We offer a number of resources to help you read and meditate on God’s holy word. Of course, there’s Forward Day by Day, which you can get via email subscription, ebook, podcast, Facebook, Twitter, or app, in addition to print options. If you’ve never sat down and read the Bible before, you’ll receive a stunning gift as you read The Path: A Journey Through the Bible, which takes you on a magnificent journey from Genesis to Revelation, with helpful signposts along the way. Read to take on the challenge of reading every page of the Bible? Then you want the The Bible Challenge.

Last, but not least, you can read and study every word in the Bible that is spoken by a woman with Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter. In addition to women’s voices, you’ll learn their back stories and discover reflection questions.

Whatever you do, please find a way to savor this great gift of forty days to return to God, and recommit to following Jesus.

ICYMI: Week of 2/12/17

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Welcome back to the latest In Case You Missed It, a.k.a. ICYMI, our weekly blog roundup of the latest stories around the @fwd_mvt and #Episcopal world.

Here at Forward Movement we’re in full-on Lent prep mode. And that can only mean one thing: They’re baaack:

 

That’s right: it’s just over 2 weeks until Ash Wednesday, and that means a certain annual early-spring tournament is about to sweep office coolers around the nation. We speak of Lent Madness, of course. Not familiar? Check out the video above from the SEC (Supreme Executive Committee), a.k.a. Scott Gunn and Tim Schenck.

The next step in joining the Madness is to pick up a Saintly Scorecard (also available in poster size, great for parish halls). Then make your selections, vote online during Lent, and enjoy learning more about these saints.

Lent Madness is silly by design, of course, but a funny thing happens during the March mayhem—we learn some pretty powerful stuff. Scott writes about that in this week’s Forward Today, titled “Inspiration from the Saints.” A key quote:

“Every saint we remember is known for their advocacy of the vulnerable or for calling people to transformed lives or for prophetically calling the church to return to its Gospel life. To celebrate the saints is to celebrate rocking the boat. To celebrate the saints is to discover that God works for justice through people like you and me.”

Amen!

Speaking of advocacy of the vulnerable: One powerful Lenten practice we’re recommending this year is Meeting Jesus on the Margins. We produced this book in 2016, but just reprinted it for yearly use. It focuses on Jesus’ message in the Gospel of Matthew, in which Jesus urges us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, and visit the prisoners. That message is certainly timeless.

Also: Have you been following along with Minda Cox’s Forward Day by Day meditations this month? It’s not too late to join in this daily practice for February—and to weigh in with the new Moving Forward feature, using #ForwardDaybyDay.

On Feb 6, readers responded to the following action: Take or draw a picture of your favorite real-life servant-leader in action. On the hashtag, we saw a wide variety of answers:

“One of my favorite servant leaders, @elizabethforma #ForwardDayByDay”

“Servant leader ”

“Father Bill Wright @eecsanangelo informs & inspires my own servanthood. He’s a blessing to our parish … & beyond. #ForwardDayByDay”

Really cool to see such a range of answers! And there are more great Moving Forward questions and actions coming up. Wishing you all a peaceful week.

Four eBooks for Lent

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If you miss out on any of our print books for Lent (the deadline is this Wednesday for Ash Wednesday delivery), not to worry! Our resources are also available as ebooks via Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, or iTunes. Here are four great Lent resources you can still order as ebooks for the season.

Meeting-JesusblogMeeting Jesus on the Margins

Where do you meet Jesus? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus urges us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, and visit the prisoners. And in doing so, we meet Jesus. These daily reflections for Lent, offered by well-known faith leaders, provide boots-on-the-ground stories of serving and being served by “the least of these.” The meditations also explore our own hunger, our vulnerabilities, and the times we are imprisoned, either self-imposed or by circumstance. Come and meet Jesus each day this blessed Lenten season. Contributors include Mike Kinman, Becca Stevens, Allison Duvall, Bo Cox, Hugo Olaiz, Lee Anne Reat, and Richelle Thompson. Read sample.

Available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and iTunes.

 

A-Grown-up-Lent-When-Giving-Up-Chocolate-Isnt-Enough

A Grown-Up Lent

It’s a popular question: What did you give up for Lent? Chocolate? Red meat? Facebook? Watching TV? Making a decision to cut out these non-essentials is admirable, but alone, giving up chocolate doesn’t get to the heart of Lent. The lessons offered by Jesus in the parables offer a way forward. In these daily Lenten reflections, Episcopal priest Joanna Leiserson puts these parables into a modern context and develops new models of spiritual practices and engagement to bring us into a deeper relationship with God – and with our friends, neighbors, and communities.

Available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and iTunes.

 

 

Lent-Is-Not-Rocket-Science

Lent Is Not Rocket Science

An Exploration of God, Creation, and the Cosmos. 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. Read sample.

 

Available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and iTunes.

 

 

2410 Saintly ScorecardSaintly Scorecard 2016

Saintly Scorecard 2016 features the biographies of the 32 saints in contention for the Golden Halo, tips on how congregations and individuals can use Lent Madness as a devotional tool, a saintly bracket so you can keep track of the winners, and new this year — Pocket Lent Cards of previous Golden Halo winners with key vital stats. Throughout Lent, you can consult your digital Saintly Scorecard and cast your vote online each day at www.lentmadness.org. Many parishes and families also like to keep track of the Lent Madness action using the Lent Madness poster-sized bracket and we have limited quantities of those still available here.

Available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and iTunes.