Every year, Lent reminds us that life is but a pilgrimage across a vast wilderness and into the light of God’s encircling love. The desert sun seems merciless as it penetrates the skin and exposes the soul. And yet, this fiery baptism is but another expression of love’s unending flow.

As we begin this Lenten journey, we begin facing our own weakness, our own unfaithfulness, our own desperate need for grace. We do not travel alone, but walk in the way our Lord has led. We heed the call of Christ to “take up your cross and follow me.”

As we pray and fast and give, we journey in the company of God’s people across time. By turning and listening and reflecting alongside God’s people, we might discover together the wonder of God’s love afresh.

Here are a few Lenten resources that may help your in your Lenten pilgrimage. If you would like to add resources to our list, please leave a comment below.

Apostles Lenten Blog 2015

Art

Fritz Eichenberg’s wood cuts open our eyes to the humanity of Christ in the midst of a broken world. You can see his woodcuts here or in the book Works of Mercy.

Georges Roualt spent 20 years putting together this profoundly touching exhibition: The Miserere Series.

Books

There are many wonderful books that can help your time in prayer and meditation during the Lenten season. Here is a small sampling of excellent texts.

Fiction

The Brothers Karamazov and The Idiot are two of many excellent works by Fyodor Dostoevsky that bring us face to face with human sinfulness and the desperate need for redemption.

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis meditates upon good and evil, grace and judgement in an allegorical tale about a bus ride from hell to heaven.

Gilead is a gentle novel by Marilynne Robinson, exploring the call of an elderly minister writing to his young son.

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene invites us into the struggle of drunken priest in the midst of Marxist Mexico while revealing the true call of Christ.

Silence by Shusaku Endo is a heart-wrenching reflection upon suffering in the midst of God’s silence through the struggle of Portugese missionary to Japan in the 1600s.

Non-Fiction

David Adam is a retired Anglican priest writing within the Celtic tradition. He has written several excellent books for the Lenten pilgrimage: Forward to Freedom, The Great “I AM” Lent Group Meditations, A Desert in the Ocean

Hans Urs Von Balthasar offers a rich, theological portrait in his challenging Mysterium Paschale

Romano Guardini offers a rich reflection on the life of Christ in his book The Lord.

Richard John Neuhaus calls us to an extended meditation upon the last words of Christ in Death on a Friday Afternoon.

Henri Nouwen wrote a series of daily meditations that speak right to the heart of our broken heart’s longing for intimacy with God – Show Me the Way

Alexander Schmemann wrote a classic Eastern Orthodox reflection on the Lenten journey: The Great Lent

N.T. Wright guides us into the spirit of Lent through his reflections on the Gospel of Mark in Lent for Everyone: Mark, year B

Various writers from past and present help us to reflect in Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter.

Film

10 Films For Lent – Brett McCracken recommends a variety of excellent films to view and reflect upon during the Lenten pilgrimage (10 Films for Lent).

Music

At the Foot of the Cross is a collection of songs by various Christian singers reflecting upon the cross and the last words of Jesus.

Lent at Ephesus is a prayerful choral collection from the Benedictines of Mary.

Lent by Brilliance is a contemporary, prayerful journey into the heart of Lent.

The Stabat Mater is a medieval prayer about Mary facing Jesus on the cross. There are multiple classical musical interpretations of this great prayer.

Poetry

The Forty for 40 provides a series of poems, essays, short stories and reflections for the Lenten journey.

Websites

Scripture Readings for Lent – The best place to start focusing your Lenten pray and meditation is upon the Daily Office Lectionary Scripture passages. Here is a nice compact chart of all the Daily Office Lectionary readings for Lent – https://www.crivoice.com/lent1.html

Fisheaters – Questions about Lent? Check Fisheaters for a great overview of the history, the food, the symbols and more.

Anglican Pastor – Explore Lent through history, liturgy, poetry and more. Anglican Pastor include blog posts from a variety of ACNA Priests including Apostles’ own Rev. Jack King.

Praying Lent – For a range of resources on celebrating Lent, take a look at Praying Lent.

 

Image by harold.lloyd (used by permission via Creative Commons).