Lenten resources for 2015

Planning ahead for lent in 2015?  Here's an idea or two...

The Archbishop of Canterbury's lent book for 2015 is In God's Hands by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  Here's what the publishers say...

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.

Archbishop Tutu has produced a meditation on the infinite love of God and the infinite value of the human individual. Not only are we in God`s hands, he says, our names are engraved on his palms. Throughout an often turbulent life, Archbishop Tutu has fought for justice and against oppression and prejudice. As we learn in this book, what has driven him forward is an unshakeable belief that human beings are created in the image of God and are infinitely valuable. Each one of us is a God-carrier, a tabernacle, a sanctuary of the Divine Trinity. God loves us not because we are loveable but because he first loved us. And this turns our values upside down. In this sense the Gospel is the most radical thing imaginable.

It is extremely moving that in this book Archbishop Tutu returns to something so simple and so profound after a life in which he has been involved in political, social and ethical issues that have seemed to be so very complex.

Or there's this one...

Sacred Space for Lent 2015 by the Jesuits in Ireland.  A budget choice at $3.95 here's the blurb...

Now in its ninth year of publication, Sacred Space for Lent 2015 continues to attract and retain a devoted readership for whom it serves as a complement to the hugely popular website sacredspace.ie, and as a daily Lenten resource of unmatched quality. Sacred Space for Lent 2015 is a convenient, pocket-size book that makes it easy to enter into prayer during Lent—the most important season of the year.

Using the simple six-step method first developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, this booklet provides the same daily readings and prayer starters, accompanied by the weekly Lenten themes found in the larger book. Inexpensive and portable, Sacred Space for Lent 2015 is the perfect gift for your parish, campus ministry program, small group, friend, a family member, or for yourself.

And finally, Tom Wright's Reflecting the Glory

'You can't love an abstraction. You can't even love the idea of love. You can only truly love a person. The deepest, richest meaning of love must be personal love. The relevance of knowing God in Jesus is that when we love God in Jesus we discover how that love, that personal love, is given to us in order that it may be given through us.' This book of Bible readings and reflections, for every day from Ash Wednesday to the first Sunday of Easter, explores how we reveal Jesus even at the lowest and weakest points of our lives. Drawing on New Testament passages, with a particular focus on Paul's letters to the church in Corinth, Tom Wright shows that through God's Holy Spirit, the suffering but also the glory of Christ can be incarnate in our lives, enabling us to be the people of God."

The Jesus Dojo

What if spiritual formation looked more like a karate studio than a lecture hall? Mark Scandrette uses playful experiments to connect Jesus' teachings with real life.

Imagine a world where we shifted our mindsets about worship: from worship services to service worship?

What if we gathered together to encourage each other towards love and good deeds by actually doing love and good deeds together in the name of Christ?

Jon Humphries shares:

"What if our worship was spiritual and faith practice joined as one? Where we listened for the Word of God who is Jesus as we reflected on Scripture by living out the teaching,  by actually feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, setting the captives free, helping the blind to see and proclaiming the time of the Lord's favour?

I love Mark Scandrette's concept of the 'Jesus dojo'. The idea of making faith an actual practice, where we practice our faith by exercising our faith in loving service to God and others at the same time in real and practical ways, is pretty inspiring.

The problem is that it requires me to step out of a perfectly safe boat (even one which seems to be slowly sinking) and step out with Jesus onto the water. What if I don't have enough faith and sink?
We all know what the right answer. I just would love some people to step out with me."

Pilgrim Launch and Orientation

Mark the 25th of October in diaries now. That afternoon will be the date of the launch of the Pilgrim course in the diocese. Bishop Cameron Venables will do the launching as we embark on a great journey together. Noted in the Archbishop’s address to Synod this year, the Pilgrim course is a great resource for new or experienced Christians in small groups. The course, created by The Church of England, has flexibility and is easy to run; there are leader’s and participant books, weekly video clips and liturgical resources for every session. It’s middle of the road theologically; any parish could use it!

 Come along to find out more about the program, check out the books and other resources and receive some initial training for the small group work. UK theologian, Paula Gooder, one of the authors of the program will stop by via some specially shot videos!

The Details

1-4 pm 25th of October

Lecturer Room 1

St Francis Theological College

Cost: nil

Who is it for? Anyone who wants to know more about Pilgrim: a Course for the Christian Journey.  You might be a prospective leader of the program in your parish, or just want to know more about how it works. You might be thinking about starting some new groups and looking for material, or maybe you've been running a group for a long time.  You're all welcome!