Lent
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Things He Did
$13.99Add to cartOne extraordinary week. Jesus rides a colt into Jerusalem. He shows righteous rage in the temple. He eats with the wrong sort of people. He lets a woman anoint him with oil. He washes his disciples’ feet. He breaks bread and shares wine. He prays passionately in the garden. He allows himself to be arrested. Jesus stands in the prophetic tradition of those who embody what they teach. The things he did were carefully planned. And in this riveting book, Stephen Cottrell draws out their political and religious significance as Jesus moves towards his greatest and final act – his death and resurrection.
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For God So Loved
$12.99Add to cartFor God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 is a Bible verse that many of us are so familiar with it has almost become rote. Sometimes our Christian practices and observances can become a matter of routine too.
Written by Dan Boone, Samantha Chambo, Tara Beth Leach, and Jeren Rowell, this Lenten devotional aims to help you establish an intentional time of spiritual reflection. For God So Loved invites you to join Christ on his final earthly journey as you rediscover the very reason we remember and undertake this same pilgrimage year after year.
For God So Loved contains Lectionary-based reflections and prayers for each day of Lent, from Ash Wednesday through Easter, so that you remain connected and engaged with Christ from his very first step toward the cross.
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Resilient Disciple : A Lenten Journey Through Adversity To Maturity
$14.99Add to cartAlone on an 8-day retreat in the Egyptian desert, Justine Allain Chapman experienced first-hand the physical, spiritual and mental struggle many have endured before her. Our own desert experience may involve attending to challenges that come upon us suddenly–such as an illness or bereavement–or a difficult relationships or patterns of thinking that have long been draining us of life and joy. A Lenten pilgrimage is testing. We have to search within ourselves for answers which lie hidden, to draw on each other’s strengths, to reflect deeply and to trust that we will be enabled to integrate our many experiences. But there is a “bright flame before us, a guiding star above.” And the God, who always calls us to love beyond ourselves, offers tender healing for our brokenness, longing that we may be consoled and renewed. This vividly written book includes wide ranging prayers and scripture readings, along with guides to using the material with groups and in preaching and worship.
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Divine Friendship : Reflections For Lent
$14.99Add to cartMany of us spend our lives searching for something to satisfy our deepest longings. Yet we will never find complete satisfaction in human relationships, possessions, or personal power. As Saint Augustine wrote, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you [God].” Lent offers us the opportunity to deepen our friendship with God. The idea of being friends with God may intimidate some, but the authors of this book provide practical tips for developing a closer relationship with God. Set aside at least 15 to 20 minutes each day to spend with God, the introduction suggests. Read the scripture texts and reflections, and pay attention to what they evoke in you. Then talk to God about your thoughts and feelings just as you would to your best friend. During Lent Jesus invites us to spend time with him and to renew our friendship with him. This encouraging book reminds us that we are beloved children of a God who deeply desires friendship with us. The meditations help us realize that through friendship with God, we will satisfy our hearts’ yearnings.
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Walking The Journey Of Lent Cycle C
$14.95Add to cartWhat could Bamboo possibly have to do with Lent? There aren’t any mentions of bamboo in any of the Gospel stories, is there?
Richard Gribble, CSC uses this unlikely image and many others to help the reader and Bible student discern more about what it means to follow Christ throughout Lent in preparation for the glorious celebration of Easter.The story of Bamboo in the Garden is a good illustration ofwhat the call of the Master, Jesus Christ, may entail and howmuch might be asked of us.Though we face struggle and even death, the promise of the Lenten season is new life and a return to the home where we truly belong.
Each lesson in Walking the Journey of Lent: Reflections on the Scriptures for Cycle C is bolstered by opening and closing prayers, contextual scripture and discussion questions.
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Because Of This I Rejoice (Student/Study Guide)
$13.99Add to cartFor too long Lent has been thought of as a season of self-sacrifice and discipline that sounds to many Christians like a list of spiritual chores. Lenten disciplines become the spiritual equivalent of New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, be healthier, or practice better money management. These promises are easily made and often quickly broken, leaving us feeling like we do not measure up to what we should be. In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul joyfully turns to spiritual practices that draw him closer to God amid persecution and imprisonment. These practices keep Paul connected to a sense of God’s power and presence. Joy flows from Paul and becomes a vital part of his relationship with the Philippians. Because of This I Rejoice is a 6-week study of Philippians that explores what Paul teaches about joyfully practicing spiritual disciplines. The intent of these disciplines is to help us focus less on ourselves and more on God. This Lenten study invites us to engage in the same spiritual practices as a way to grow closer to God and allow joy to flow through our lives.
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Shouting Joy To The Storm Cycle C
$15.95Add to cartHow are we to respond when the violent storm of change rolls into our lives?
Should we hide from the storm? Hide in the status quo?
As this volume of sermons reminds us, that is not the way of the Christ.Followers of Jesus are called to believe that our greatest treasure ought not be found in the comfort of worldly life as we make it. The Lord calls us instead to step outside and face the coming storm, as he did.
When we do, we face all manner of fears in a world that does not like its order challenged. Mockery when we follow God; poverty when we stop worshipping money; grief when we are vulnerable enough to love the oppressed.
Shouting Joy to the Storm reminds us that, just as the Father partnered with the Son to bring him through the storm of Calvary, so he will bring us through our storms. We are not in this for a mere lifetime. We are in it for the long haul.
“They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid (Ezekiel 34:28, ESV).”
Sermons include:
*Long View – The Long Haul(Luke 13:31-35)
*What Is Truth? (John 18:1-19, 42)
*Death Shall Be No More (John 13:31-35, Revelation 21:1-6) -
Passion Of The King Of Glory
$20.99Add to cartPart I: Jesus’ Life And Ministry
1. Life For The Dying
2. Wild With The Hope
3. Behold The Lamb Of God
4. One Hundred And Fifty Gallons
5. Destroy This Temple
6. Zeus And The Pharisees
7. Herod’s Half Brother’s Wife
8. Famous
9. Lord Of The Sabbath
10. Only Say The Word
11. The Death Of John
12. The Storm Treader
13. Bread Of Life
14. You Are The Christ
15. Before Abraham Was Born
16. Born Blind
17. The Good Samaritan
18. The Leaven Of The Pharisees
19. Lost Things Found
20. Lazarus Of Bethany
21. A World Upside Down
22. The Living LegendPart II: Holy Week, Death, Resurrection
23. The King’s Coronation
24. Hosanna
25. The Vinedresser’s Tree
26. Indignation
27. John’s Baptism
28. The Scent Of Opulence
29. Thirteen Men
30. The Last Cup
31. Trial At Night
32. The Reckoning
33. What Is Truth?
34. Crucifixion
35. The Forgotten Day
36. He Is Not Here
37. Flesh And Bone
38. Do You Love Me?
39. Behold The Man Of Sorrows
40. Behold The King Of Glory
Acknowledgments
NotesAdditional Info
“His was a ministry of incarnation-touching the infected, dining with sinners, defending the defenseless. The sick needed a physician, and the Physician had come.”Enter into the greatest story ever told. In this carefully researched retelling of the story of Jesus, pastor Russ Ramsey invites us to rediscover our wonder at Jesus’ sinless life, brutal death, and glorious resurrection. Featuring forty short chapters recounting key episodes from Jesus’ time on earth, this book expands on the biblical narrative in a fresh and creative way-giving us a taste of what it would have been like to walk next to Jesus and experience his earthly ministry firsthand.Also including The Advent of the Lamb of God and The Mission of the Body of Christ, the Retelling the Story series explores the narrative arc of the Bible from Genesis through Revelation in compelling language that is faithful to the text of Scripture. The stories are told afresh to help readers hide God’s word in their hearts by way of their imaginations. -
Lent Talks : Seasonal Selections From Radio 4
$13.99Add to cartA selection of the best from BBC Radio 4’s Lent Talks over the last ten years. With a dynamic introduction from BBC Head of Radio for Religion and Ethics, Christine Morgan, six well-known personalities invite readers to reflect on a range of thoughts and themes from a number of different perspectives. From writer James Runcie’s reflection on the passion through the prism of mystery drama to Ann Widdecombe MP’s exploration of the “greater good’, this blissfully brief and entertaining book will provide something for everyone in the busy lead up to Easter. WEEK ONE – JAMES RUNCIE – MYSTERY First broadcast as part of the BBC Lent Talks 2015, director, literary curator and writer of The Grantchester Mysteries, James Runcie looks at the passion through the prism of mystery drama. WEEK TWO – BONNIE GREER – NAMES A gem of BBC Lent Talks 2014 archive, this talk sees playwright, novelist and critic Bonnie Greer reflect on the power of names. WEEK THREE – ANN WIDDECOMBE – GOODNESS Taken from the 2008 Lent Talks series, former MP, TV personality and author Ann Widdecombe reflects on the examples set by Jesus in his decision to go to the cross. WEEK FOUR – GILES FRASER – SACRIFICE First broadcast as part of the BBC Lent Talks 2010, Rev Dr Giles Fraser, Church of England priest, journalist and broadcaster, invites readers to reflect on the nature of sacrifice. WEEK FIVE – ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH – ABANDONMENT Taken from the Lent Talks 2013, author Alexander McCall Smith explores the sense of being abandoned as you grow older. WEEK SIX – NICK BAINES – VISION Marking the beginning of the Lent Talks 2012, author, broadcaster and Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines reflects on the challenges of finding a new narrative for the individual and community.
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Surrounded By Grace (Student/Study Guide)
$14.95Add to cartPastors love to preach about grace. The essence of the Good News, grace is unmerited favor from the all-powerful Creator of the world. There is perhaps no more satisfying message to deliver.
But does the average churchgoer really understand what grace means for them? Is it just another “Christianese” term that fails to resonate?
Bill Thomas’ Surrounded by Grace: A Bible Study for Lent is a tool based on the Gospel of John to help pastors, small groups and congregations answer the question of what grace is in a modern context. From the story of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana to his conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, Thomas uses John’s words to affirm that the Lord’s favor extends to all no matter how insignificant we see ourselves or our problems.
Written to be utilized for individual or group study, or for worship services during the Lenten season, Surrounded by Grace encourages the imagination to ponder that there is no storm so great the Lord cannot overcome it; no pain so deep he will not sustain us through it; no death so final he will fail to resurrect us from it.
Lessons Include:
“Grace for Those Awkward Moments” (John 2:1-11)
“Grace for the Broken Heart” (John 11:17-44)
“Grace When Things Are Chaotic” (John 16:17-33) -
Holy Solitude : Lenten Reflections With Saints Hermits Prophets And Rebels
$17.00Add to cartOur faith is full of heroes who experienced God powerfully in solitude. From Hagar and the Hebrew prophets to Jesus in the wilderness to St. Francis and Catherine of Siena, we see how escape from the toil and temptations of daily life can open our eyes, ears, minds, and hearts to the still, small voice of God. In the vast desert or a tiny room, solitude-frightening for some and a welcome reprieve for others-is far from an antisocial self-indulgence but rather is an opportunity for transformation and empowerment to serve God’s people ever more deeply.
While most of us can’t take weeks-;or even a few days-for private retreat, Holy Solitude offers readers thoughtful inspiration and practical ideas for quiet reflection and deep devotion to experience God more powerfully this Lent. Daily reflections introduce readers to figures in both Scripture and Christian history whose stories of discernment and discipline are a guide for our own spiritual practices as we seek to know God more fully and follow Christ more faithfully.
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Embracing The Uncertain
$9.99Add to cartJust turning on the news lets us know we are living in uncertain times. Economic instabilities, eruption of violence, and natural catastrophes can alter the lives and landscapes of entire communities. Our individual lives are often just as unsteady: relationships can break, plans can falter, and confidence can fail. Uncertainty can definitely be uncomfortable. Many of us prefer stability and a predictable future to an unknown fate. We are wired to want to control our destiny. The reality is that in our fast-changing, unpredictable world there are few guarantees in life. It’s those who are willing to embrace uncertainty and make the risky decision to follow Jesus despite the many “unknowns” who will reap the greatest rewards. Embracing the Uncertain invites readers this Lent to engage and wrestle with life’s uncertainties, not ignore them. This 40-day devotional journey is the perfect companion piece to the book and includes Scripture, reflections, and prayers for each day to help you renew your heart during Lent.
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Embracing The Uncertain
$12.99Add to cartJust turning on the news lets us know we are living in uncertain times. Economic instabilities, eruption of violence, and natural catastrophes can alter the lives and landscapes of entire communities. Our individual lives are often just as unsteady: relationships can break, plans can falter, and confidence can fail. Uncertainty can definitely be uncomfortable. Many of us prefer stability and a predictable future to an unknown fate. We are wired to want to control our destiny. The reality is that in our fast-changing, unpredictable world there are few guarantees in life. It’s those who are willing to embrace uncertainty and make the risky decision to follow Jesus despite the many “unknowns” who will reap the greatest rewards. Embracing the Uncertain invites readers this Lent to engage and wrestle with life’s uncertainties, not ignore them. The first six chapters focus on six post-Transfiguration, pre-Passion stories in the Gospels. Each of these stories are signposts in the gospel narrative, pointing down at a world filled with uncertainty, but pointing us forward to a cross that can show us how to follow Jesus with courage, hope, and obedience. Includes discussion questions that can be used in small-group Bible study session or for personal growth. A seventh chapter focuses on the resurrection of Jesus, affirming the certainty of our hope in Christ.
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Journey To Jerusalem (Student/Study Guide)
$18.00Add to cartIn this imaginative retelling, John Pritchard explores the Gospel of Luke by looking through the eyes of the disciple John. The Journey to Jerusalem follows Luke’s account from Luke 9:51, as Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” Perfect for individual or group study, The Journey to Jerusalem provides weekday readings for Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday, along with a poem for each Saturday. Questions for reflection and discussion are also included.
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Embracing The Uncertain (Large Type)
$13.99Add to cartJust turning on the news lets us know we are living in uncertain times. Economic instabilities, eruption of violence, and natural catastrophes can alter the lives and landscapes of entire communities. Our individual lives are often just as unsteady: relationships can break, plans can falter, and confidence can fail. Uncertainty can definitely be uncomfortable. Many of us prefer stability and a predictable future to an unknown fate. We are wired to want to control our destiny. The reality is that in our fast-changing, unpredictable world there are few guarantees in life. It’s those who are willing to embrace uncertainty and make the risky decision to follow Jesus despite the many “unknowns” who will reap the greatest rewards. Embracing the Uncertain invites readers this Lent to engage and wrestle with life’s uncertainties, not ignore them. The first six chapters focus on six post-Transfiguration, pre-Passion stories in the Gospels. Each of these stories are signposts in the gospel narrative, pointing down at a world filled with uncertainty, but pointing us forward to a cross that can show us how to follow Jesus with courage, hope, and obedience. Includes discussion questions that can be used in small-group Bible study session or for personal growth. A seventh chapter focuses on the resurrection of Jesus, affirming the certainty of our hope in Christ.
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Way Of The Carmelites
$13.99Add to cartCarmelite spirituality is based on a deep relationship with God in prayer, focusing on the presence of God within us, and leading to a life permeated by closeness with God and concern for our neighbour. This book, rich in reflection on the Bible, is a spiritual companion and guide for Lent, and indeed the rest of the year, that will introduce readers to the riches of Carmel. Prayer, in the Carmelite tradition, is friendship with God. It is being alone with God in a silent communion of love open to the Spirit. With our eyes fixed on the vulnerability of Jesus and on his unrequited love for us, we are transformed, and strengthened to give ourselves as he did. Our contemplation is the source of our practical action. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter facilitate this practical approach. ‘To take up the treasures of Carmelite spirituality, and embark with Jesus on the Lenten experience of forty days in the desert, is a journey that can be enormously enriching and even life-changing.’ From the Prologue
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Walking The Journey Of Lent Cycle B
$14.95Add to cartWhat does the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial have to do with Lent?
Richard Gribble, CSC offers the image of this loveable alien stranded on a world that does not accept him to remind us that we, too, are separated from our true home. E.T.’s urge to “phone home” is one to which we can all relate.
The Lenten season is a time to “retune our communication system” in an earnest effort to seek God, holding on to hope no matter the trials that come our way. Though we face struggle and even death, the promise of the Lenten season is new life and a return to the home where we truly belong.
Each lesson in Walking the Journey of Lent: Reflections on the Scriptures for Cycle B is bolstered by opening and closing prayers, contextual scripture and discussion questions.
Lessons Include:
“Coming Home” for Ash Wednesday
“The Paradox of Death” for Palm Sunday
“Filling Ourselves with Christ” for Easter“What I find most valuable is Fr. Gribble’s ability to find contemporary books or figures or situations that make his reflections quite concrete and easy to understand. It is an enviable gift for a homilist.” – Fr. Bill Williams, Pastor of St. Peter Parish, Plymouth, MA
“Through his use of real-life stories, engaging reflections, thought-provoking discussion questions, and opening and concluding prayers for each week, Fr. Gribble leads us to the conclusion of Lent where Jesus unchains us from the bondage of sin and we find theglory to which suffering leads us. Fr. Gribble’s booklet will enhance the Lenten spiritual journeyof anyone seeking healing and new life in the risen Christ.” – Fr. Jim Fenstermaker, C.S.C., Pastor of Holy Cross Parish, Easton, MA
“If you are looking to deepen your relationship with the Lord this Lent, look no further. Walking the Journey of Lent is a perfect tool to use. Fr. Rick’s questions will helpyou to move towards action, change of self, or ministry to others. You cannot help but grow spiritually by reading thisbook. I can’t wait for Lent!” – Fr. Joseph K. Raeke, Pastor of Christ the King, Our Lady of Lourdes &Saint Edith Stein Parishes, Brockton, MA
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Getting To Know Jesus Again
$18.95Add to cart* Fresh, accessible, and thought-provoking look at the life and ministry of Jesus * Each day’s entry includes a Scripture text, meditation, and questions for journaling and spiritual growth Lent is a journey of the mind, heart, and spirit from the ashes of humanity to the cross and beyond-to the empty tomb. The central figure in that journey is Jesus. But who was he really? Why did he come and minister among us? How can his teachings enhance our lives? Why did he die? What does his resurrection really mean? These are questions that spur believers of all ages to seek a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Son of Man in their lives. In this collection of fifty-two meditations and additional resources for spiritual growth, Peter Wallace guides readers through the life and ministry, the words and works of Jesus, with the goal of getting to know him in fresh new ways that encourage a stronger faith and a spirited engagement with the world around us.
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Easter Earthquake : How Resurrection Shakes Our World
$14.99Add to cartLike a news reporter announcing breaking news, Matthew reports that on the first Easter morning, a great earthquake shook the earth. An angel descended from heaven, rolled back the stone from the entrance to Jesus’ tomb, and sat on the stone. This is the second earthquake recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. The first one took place on Friday, when the noonday sky turned black and Jesus died. Matthew says, “The earth shook, and the rocks were split.” In Easter Earthquake, James Harnish invites us to place Easter at the center of our Lenten journey. This study explores how Christ’s resurrection shakes some of our most basic assumptions about ourselves and God. Harnish reverses the usual focus of Lenten studies by starting at the empty tomb and seeing the entire journey in light of the resurrection. This different perspective on the passion can bring fresh energy into our lives as followers of Christ.
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Holy Cross Life Giving Tree
$24.95Add to cart* Historical perspective of the image of the cross as one of life instead of death * Resource for Lent, gaining a new understanding of Holy Cross Day and/or Hildegaard of Bingen What would Christianity be like if the principle of a new creation were its guiding idea, and the Cross as Life-Giving Tree its central image? After exploring this principle’s deep roots in tradition, worship, and art, this book proposes Hildegard of Bingen’s concept of virditas-“green-ness”-as a way to know it in daily life. It claims the Cross as healer of division, both among followers of Jesus and among the nations. Holy Cross, Life-Giving Tree is illustrated with Cross images from throughout the Christian world and compares eastern Christian liturgies of the Cross with those of the west. It recounts the origins of the early Jerusalem cult of the Cross, and invites readers to meditate on Scripture passages used by ancient artists. Each of its six chapters ends with reflection questions for going deeper. Holy Cross, Life-Giving Tree is designed for use by study groups or by individuals.
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Crucified Is My Love
$18.00Add to cartStirring morning and evening reflections for every day of the Lenten season.
Handed down for generations, these stirring readings for every day of the Lenten season spring from a pastor’s heart. Expanding on the Gospel accounts, they draw the reader into deep contemplation of Christ’s suffering, accompanying him in vivid detail on his last journey from Bethany to Golgotha. At every step, from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his last supper with his disciples to his betrayal and crucifixion, they reveal the depth of Christ’s love for those he came to save – and the hope this holds for each of us and for the world. -
Great Lent For Teens Large Print (Large Type)
$14.00Add to cartThe Great Lent is divided into seven weeks, each commencing with a significant event on Sunday. Each week holds a significant event in the life of Christ from which we can extract meaning and apply a practical message to our own lives.
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Coloring Lent
$12.99Add to cartExperience the stories of Lent in a vibrant, new way this spring as you Color Lent!
The journey of Lent-from Ash Wednesday to Easter-is traditionally one of prayer, repentance, spiritual discipline, and meditation. But coloring?
Now you’re invited to add the spiritual practice of “coloring the Bible” on your Lenten journey. Engage both sides of your brain as you read the scripture and color your way through each day of Lent with evocative illustrations of God’s Resurrection story, from the Old Testament prophecies of Emmanuel to Jesus’ victorious appearances after his crucifixion to the loyal Disciples. Dozens of drawings will draw you deeper into the story and your own place in it.
From the Introduction: “This moment of Easter is Good News for this Jesus, who is fully human and fully God, yet it is even better news for the world: God has not only moved into the world with humans but the fullness of God has taken on flesh. As you color these pages, then, consider how your fingertips, your palms, your body have now become the house of God, and following the stories of the Hebrew and New Testaments, consider how we might also walk the same journey of Jesus.”
Grab your crayons, colored pencils and pens, and prepare to deepen your journey to Easter this year with Coloring Lent.
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Walking The Journey Of Lent Cycle A
$15.95Add to cartYet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning; mend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.
-Joel 2:12-13
This famous passage of scripture proclaimed each Ash Wednesday provides the themes and sets the environment for the holy season of Lent. In its wisdom the Christian church provides its members a forty day period of preparation, emphasizing prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, for the great celebration of the Paschal Mystery, the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We who are privileged to bear the name Christian must use this annual time of renewal to reconnect ourselves to our God, the source of all that is good. Through a process of study, reflection, and discussion on the scripture passages that the church uses in its Sunday celebrations during this special time, an environment can be provided for us to discover and foster the renewal we all need. It is hoped that Walking the Journey of Lent: Reflections on the Scriptures for Cycle A provides this specific opportunity.
This Lenten Bible study can be a helpful and effective way for groups and individuals to reflect upon the scriptures and through this process prepare ourselves better for the greatest of all celebrations, Easter, when Jesus rises from the dead and brings all Christians the possibility of salvation. Like any effort in life that is meritorious, this Bible study will require some effort, but it need not and should not be a burden. Rather, in sharing with others, and allowing the Spirit of God to flow through us, we can come to greater insights as to what the scriptures might mean for us and how, most importantly, we can apply them to our lives.
Chapters Included:
Negotiating The Hurdles Of Life
Allowing God To Change Us
Christ Gives Us Hope
Seeking The Light Of Christ
Jesus Unchains Us
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Restored Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$12.99Add to cartOften we make a mess of our lives and wonder if there is any redemption. In this six-week study, pastor and author Tom Berlin helps us see our mess through the eyes of Christ to find redemption and restoration. Using Scripture, devotional tools, and the writings of Ignatius of Loyola, John of the Cross, St. Augustine, John Wesley, Evelyn Underhill, and others, Berlin encourages reflection and meditation through our own brokenness. Only then can we focus on the cross as the place where we truly surrender control, leave our mess, and find redemption. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the 6-week study for Lent, including session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
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Restored : Finding Redemption In Our Mess
$15.99Add to cartOften we make a mess of our lives and wonder if there is any redemption. In this book, pastor and author Tom Berlin helps us see our mess through the eyes of Christ to find redemption and restoration. Using Scripture, devotional tools, and the writings of Ignatius of Loyola, John of the Cross, St. Augustine, John Wesley, Evelyn Underhill, and others, Berlin encourages reflection and meditation through our own brokenness. Only then can we focus on the cross as the place where we truly surrender control, leave our mess, and find redemption.
Chapters include:
This Is a Real Mess
Who Left This Mess?
Bless This Mess
No Messing Around
Address This Mess
The Message in the Mess -
Way Other Than Our Own
$16.00Add to cartLent recalls times of wilderness and wandering, from newly freed Hebrew slaves in exile to Jesus’ temptation in the desert. God has always called people out of their safe, walled cities into uncomfortable places, revealing paths they would never have chosen. Despite our culture of self-indulgence, we too are called to walk an alternative path-one of humility, justice, and peace. Walter Brueggemann’s thought-provoking reflections for the season of Lent invite us to consider the challenging, beautiful life that comes with walking the way of grace.
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Surprise Surprise Surprise Cycle A
$12.95Add to cartBut What Of Lazarus? (John 11:1-45)
For The Glow Of It (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21)
Friday (John 18:1-19:42)
Learning To Walk In The Dark And Remembering The Dark Is As Day To God (Matthew 26:14– 27:66)
Nicodemus Came By Night (John 3:1-17)Additional Info
Two voices, fourteen sermons…The lives of David and Marian Plant have been intertwined for 46 years, their mutual ministries, for even longer. Their voices were shaped by their ministry experiences that began together in shared, co-pastorate positions, and then matured into individual settled ministry positions and then again, moved into their own specialties of the last 20 years: Marian, in the teaching ministry and David in the interim and church revitalization ministry. Marian’s voice is one practiced well from a traditional setting of pulpit with written text in hand. David’s voice is one practiced in a relational style of informal conversation, often done without notes, and in back and forth dialogue with the gathered worshipers.
Their latest work, Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! provides fourteen cycle A gospel sermons for Lent/Easter. In these sermons you will see the mix of the lives of the Plants, committed to social justice, the important context of the role of the church as that which speaks for Christ, and the importance of the need for individuals to take up the challenge of living their faith more fully. There is no doubt that their mutual passions for addressing the ills befalling our culture and our world were foremost on their minds, and they could not but help influence one another’s work by virtue of their lives lived in the practice of ministry and marriage. They offer these words to you, as colleagues in ministry, even if only a sentence is valuable to you.
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Worship In Light Of The Cross
$14.99Add to cartJohn Indermark urges us to focus on the cross, its imprint on how we worship as a community, and how it transforms our discipleship. This 6-week study inspires us to connect corporate worship with our daily lives. He organizes the daily readings according to the components of corporate worship: gathering, invocation, confession, proclamation, creed, response, and sacrament.
Key Features:
Leaders’ Guide helps you share this worship experience with your community of faith
Daily readings are key in preparing you for worship experiences
Each daily reading includes a reflection question or action
Includes ideas for creating a weekly worship center to emphasize each week’s theme -
Grace And Hope
$17.99Add to cartPrepare yourself to remember the meaning of Lent and celebrate Easter this season: grace for our past and present, hope for our future!
Beginning with Ash Wednesday, Grace & Hope: A 40-Day Devotional for Lent and Easter will guide you through this holy season of self-reflection, prayer, fasting, and remembrance-all to prepare you for the hopeful words “It is finished!” and even more wondrous words, “He is risen!”
Each short, engaging devotional will focus your heart and prepare your soul to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, using a faithful and relevant new translation of the Bible, The Passion Translation. It is an ideal devotional for your own personal, family, or small-group use. And daily Bible readings from The Passion Translation will deepen your understanding of God’s Word as you journey toward the cross.
We trust this devotional and version of Scripture will kindle in you a burning, passionate desire for the One who bore our pain and shame, and give you a greater measure of grace and hope!
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Make Room : A Child’s Guide To Lent And Easter
$16.99Add to cartEncourage your children to learn the importance of Lent and Easter with Make Room: A Child’s Guide to Lent and Easter by Laura Alary, and illustrated by Ann Boyajian. Make Room presents Lent as a special time for creating a welcoming space for God. Episodes from the life of Jesus are woven together with a child’s wondering and reflections on how these stories might shape our own choices and actions throughout the season. Lent can be a difficult for season for children, unlike advent, which is filled with delightful anticipation and growing light, Lent is a journey through dark and frightening places. This book offers suggestions on simple and practical activities like cleaning a room, making bread and soup, turning off the television, clearing clutter, or inviting a neighbor for supper, that encourage kids to learn how to live like Jesus.
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40 Days Of Decrease
$18.99Add to cart“What are you giving up for Lent?” we are asked. Our minds begin to whirl: Chocolate? Designer coffee? Social media? Forty days later, some feel disappointed in their efforts (it was a limited-time blend . . . ), some feel surprised by their success (didn’t even miss it . . . ), but perhaps precious few feel spiritually renewed.
Can such fasts alone truly prepare us to celebrate Easter? Or any other chosen time of reflection during the year?
Or could it be that before we can be duly awed by resurrection, we need to daily honor crucifixion?
40 Days of Decrease emphasizes a different type of fast. What if you or your church fasted comparison? What if your family fasted accumulation? What if your office fasted gossip?
40 Days of Decrease guides readers through a study of Jesus’ uncommon and uncomfortable call to abandon the world’s illusions, embrace His kingdom’s reality, and journey cross-ward and beyond.
Each daily, 1000-word entry will include:
*a devotional based on Jesus’ cross-ward life;
*a reflection question to guide journaling or group discussion;
*a fast to inspire a tangible response;
*a thought-provoking Lenten quote;
*a sidebar into the historical development of Lent. -
God For Us Readers Edition
$21.99Add to cartGod For Us explores the meaning of Lent, its importance in spiritual formation, its significance in preparation for Easter, and the holy season of Easter itself.
God For Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Lent and Easter features reflections by Scott Cairns, Kathleen Norris, Richard Rohr, Ronald Rolheiser, OMI, James Schaap, Luci Shaw, Beth Bevis, and Lauren F. Winner. By delving deeply into the Christian tradition they reveal what one theologian has called the “bright sadness” of Lent-that it is not about becoming lost in feelings of brokenness, but about cleansing the palate so that we can taste life more fully. Lent and Easter reveal the God who is for us in all of life-for our liberation, for our healing, for our wholeness. Lent and Easter remind us that even in death there can be found resurrection.
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Meeting God In Paul
$17.00Add to cartRowan Williams explores the essential meaning and purpose of Paul’s letters in this beautifully written resource for the Lenten season. Williams places a special focus on the social world of Paul–and the “dangerous newness” that was Christianity–and the specific ways that the behavior and language of the Christian community was being molded and shaped in Paul’s time. Easy-to-read and packed with illuminating spiritual insights, Meeting God in Paul is perfect for beginners as well as those who’ve read the letters many times before and want to see them in a fresh light. Questions for reflection or group discussion are provided for each chapter. The book also features a reading guide that includes a reflection and prayer for each of the seven weeks of Lent.
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Pauses For Lent
$12.99Add to cartIn this beautifully minimalist book, Trevor Hudson focuses on 40 single words – one for each day of the season of Lent. Each brief meditation pairs the word for the day with a scripture verse, brief insight, and a thought or action for the day. Each paus for Lent will refresh and challenge readers.
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These 40 Days
$9.99Add to cartAccording to the Scriptures the devil tempted Jesus during a period of fasting and prayer that was preparation for Jesus’ public ministry and passion. Throughout the Bible, times of desert preparation often preceded significant ministry. This is why we observe the season preceding Easter as a time for spiritual focus. The rhythms of fasting and feasting, desert and oasis, discipline and joy are not only well known to God’s people but also essential components of spiritual growth.These Forty Days is a simple guide for the reading of Scripture, reflection, prayer, and response. By beginning each day with intention, these devotionals will shape each of your hours with a heightened sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s teaching and guidance.
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40 Days 40 Ways
$16.99Add to cartIf you’re looking for a new Lenten experience, here are forty fresh ideas. Some will challenge you to deepen your prayer life; others will open your mind to new ways to serve others. Each of the forty ways includes a reflection to help you understand more about Lent and why it matters. You’ll learn how to have a more creative experience of Lent. You’ll discover positive, proactive ways to take action instead of the same old routine of giving something up. The result will be spiritual transformation and a closer walk with Christ-not only during Lent but throughout the year.
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Pilgrim Road : A Benedictine Journey Through Lent (Revised)
$24.95Add to cartRevised edition of a classic Lenten devotional guide from Morehouse
* Includes a revised introduction and questions for reflection
In the view of St. Benedict of Nursia, the Lenten journey is an inner pilgrimage with Christ
into the deepest parts of ourselves, to be marked not so much by external observances,
such as fasting and self-denial, as by a deepening of our relationship with God.Benedictine monk Albert Holtz develops that journey theme through meditations written
during a fifteen-country pilgrimage while on sabbatical. At the heart of each reflection is
the lesson it teaches about our inner spiritual journey. By applying Benedict’s monastic
wisdom to the everyday concerns and aspirations of modern Christians, Pilgrim Road
helps contemporary spiritual seekers travel along and experience the journey of Lent in
the most positive, meaningful, and fruitful manner.For use as a Lenten devotional by individuals and groups.
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When God Died
$14.99Add to cartMediations for Lent
“Did Christ die as God, or did He die as man? The answer to such a question is that He died as neither. What gives efficacy to the cross is the fact that Christ died as the God-man….The blood He shed, therefore, has abiding efficacy, seeing that it was the blood of an extraordinary nature, namely, the blood of God and Man combined.”
How could God, the deathless One, die? In When God Died, legendary Bible teacher Dr. Herbert Lockyer explores the person of Christ-both His divinity and humanity-in an effort to show the majesty of His death and resurrection, and what they mean to us today.
This series of Lenten meditations will open your eyes to the purpose, power, and beauty of Christ’s crucifixion. Among the topics you will explore are:
*The magnanimity and honor of Christ
*The cleansing power of His blood
*The sovereign power of His grace
*The last seven words Christ spoke from the crossMay we take the time to lovingly remember Christ’s sacrifice-the means of His extraordinary grace and power to save dying sinners-so that we may stand in rightful relationship with Christ, in awe of His holiness, power, and wisdom, with a heart of gratitude for all He has done.
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Navigating The Sermon Cycle A
$17.95Add to cartIn this special edition for the Sundays in Lent and Easter of Cycle A, the writers and editors of “Charting the Course,” an integral part of Emphasis: A Lectionary Preaching Journal from CSS Publishing Company, delve into the heart of the lectionary readings, providing you, the pastor with in-depth lectionary-based commentary; relating several fresh, solid ideas — based squarely on the lectionary texts — for creating sermons that speak powerfully to your audience. The team of writers looks for overall topics for the seasons of Lent and Easter in the Cycle A church year that hold the readings together. Then, they zero in on the theme and the specific scripture links, suggesting directions for the sermon and worship service. Since a single application for each week may not provide what you are looking for at that particular time, Navigating the Sermon in most cases suggests several ideas, giving you the opportunity to select the one that matches your specific needs.
This book is like having a dedicated, thoroughly versed sermon research and sermon resource team right in your own study to help you create riveting sermons that are truly yours and that speak powerfully to your audience.
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Forgiveness : A Lenten Study
$16.00Add to cartForgiving others and humbly asking for forgiveness are central disciplines for all Christian believers. Lent, a time to reflect on our Christian journey, is an appropriate time to deepen our understanding and practice of forgiveness. Marjorie J. Thompson, author of the best-selling book Soul Feast, takes a close look at our understanding of forgiveness in this encouraging study. In six brief chapters, Thompson addresses such questions as the following:
Is forgiveness a Christian duty under all circumstances? Or are there situations when Christians do not need to forgive?
Is forgiveness a matter between individuals, or is it meaningful only in the context of communities?
Is forgiving the best route to healing for the injured?
How do we get past emotional barriers to real forgiveness?Using biblical examples and real-life situations, Thompson illustrates each chapter’s theme in an informative and engaging way. A study guide is also included at the back of the book that is appropriate for either individual reflection or group discussion. With clarity, insight, and sensitivity, this book is the perfect resource for examining both our ability to forgive and our own need for forgiveness.
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People Of The Passion (Student/Study Guide)
$12.95Add to cartIt is a simple theological truth: We become more like Jesus when we draw close to him. People of the Passion unpacks this tenet in a powerful examination of some of the main characters of Jesus’ final days: Mary, Mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene; Pilate; Nicodemus; Peter; and Judas. Throughout each chapter, Dr. Randall explores our perceptions and our knowledge of these individuals, pointing out how each played significant roles in exposing themes of faithfulness, gratitude, conflict, power, and betrayal.
People of the Passion calls us to embrace the “grace and opportunity of Lent,” for when we pause to examine our hearts and spirits within our collective narrative of fallen humanity, we are reminded that “we are an Easter people.” And in this, we celebrate Christ’s resurrection, understanding that everything about our redemption hinges upon the most significant event in human history: Easter morning.
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Lent For Everyone Year A Matthew
$20.00Add to cartLent for Everyone: Matthew, Year A provides readers with an inspirational guide through the Lenten season, from Ash Wednesday through the week after Easter. Popular biblical scholar and author N. T. Wright provides his own Scripture translation, brief reflection, and a prayer for each day of the season, helping readers ponder how the text is relevant to their own lives. By the end of the book, readers will have been through the entirety of Matthew, along with Psalm readings for each Sunday. Suitable for both individual and group study and reflection, Wright’s Lenten devotional will help make Matthew’s gospel your own, thoughtfully and prayerfully, and your journey through Lent a period of discovery and growth.
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Give Up Something Bad For Lent (Student/Study Guide)
$15.99Add to cartInvites readers to focus on, with God’s help, eliminating habits or attitudes that may be destructive in their lives, such as envy, self-pity, procrastination, gossip, resentment, or negative thinking.
Seven sessions, one for each Sunday in Lent and Easter Sunday
Each session features a Scripture reference, a personal reading, questions for personal reflection or group study, and closing prayer -
Lent For Everyone Year C Luke
$20.00Add to cartFrom one of the world’s leading scholars and Christian writers, stirring reflections for Lent.
“Lent for Everyone may be a profitable way for readers to follow Jesus in their Lenten study.” Lois Sibley, Episcopal Journal
Lent for Everyone: Luke, Year C provides readers with an inspirational guide through the Lenten season, from Ash Wednesday through the week after Easter. Popular biblical scholar and author N. T. Wright provides his own Scripture translation, brief reflection, and a prayer for each of the days of the season, helping readers ponder how the text is relevant to their own lives today. By the end of the book readers will have been through the entirety of Luke, along with Psalm readings for each Sunday. Suitable for both individual and group study and reflection, Wright’s Lenten devotional will help you make Luke’s gospel your own, thoughtfully and prayerfully, and your journey through Lent a period of rich discovery and growth. -
Love Set Free
$14.95Add to cartLenten devotional by celebrated author, well known in the United States and Great Britain
When is love not mixed up with something else? Love and the desire to possess, love and the need to control, love and the need to be needed, love and the lust to absorb, love and condescension, love and narcissism. In this short book of meditations on the Passion according to Saint John. Martin L. Smith shows how, in the Christian mystery, love itself must be crucified and die to be reborn as the grace of communion…as love set free.
Originally published in 1998, Love Set Free has strong recognition in Episcopal/Anglican circles as a series of meditations designed for use as lectio and suitable for Lent or Holy Week.
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God Is On The Cross
$17.00Add to cartWhen people suggest in their letters . . . that I’m ‘suffering’ here, I reject the thought. It seems to me a profanation. These things mustn’t be dramatized. I doubt very much whether I’m ‘suffering’ any more than you, or most people, are suffering today. Of course, a great deal here is horrible, but where isn’t it? . . . No, suffering must be something quite different, and have a quite different dimension, from what I’ve so far experienced.”
-from Letter to Eberhard Bethge from Tegel prison, 9 MarchThese forty-seven stirring devotions will guide and inspire readers as they move thematically through the weeks of Lent and Easter, encountering themes of prayerful reflection, self-denial, temptation, suffering, and the meaning of the cross. Passages from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s letters and sermons provide special encouragement as readers prepare themselves spiritually for Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Supplemented by an informative introduction to Bonhoeffer’s life and a Scripture passage for each day of the season, these daily devotions are moving reminders of the true gift of Christ on the cross.
Also available: God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas.
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Praises Abound : Hymns And Meditations For Lent And Easter
$22.95Add to cartDevotional reading for Lent and early Easter
Original hymn texts and meditations on existing hymns by students at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the SouthwestThese hymns and meditations are authentic and honest reflections of seminary students who have since become priests, musicians, and educators throughout the church. The collection is made up of selected works by students of Dr. Schultz-Widmar during his thirty-year teaching career at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest (ETS), Austin, Texas.
It is organized for devotional reading for Lent and the early Easter season, although readings are not designated for specific days.
