"Prayers for the Pilgrimage" (W. David O. Taylor)

TITLE: Prayers for the Pilgrimage: A Book of Collects for All of Life
AUTHOR: W. David O. Taylor
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2024, (208 pages).
 

There are many different ways that Christians can pray. From Sunday worship time to daily thanksgiving over a meal, prayer is a sign of devotion to God. It is a reminder that for all of our talents and know-how, we still need God. Many Christians learn to pray using the ACTS acronym: Adoration-Confession-Thanksgiving-Supplication. Each of them helps us focus on a particular form of prayer. Whether it is for worship or prayers for forgiveness, gratitude, or request, we can connect with God in all circumstances of life. For the most part, people have understood prayer in terms of asking for things, especially when they are in dire need. Realizing this great need, author David Taylor has collected a series of prayers for all occasions and for all of life. He calls these "collect prayers." What is a "Prayer of Collect?" There are written prayers focused on a specific item. Traditionally, the mainline churches like the Roman Catholics, the Anglicans, and other Protestant churches have used the term "collect" as a way to describe collecting all forms of prayer requests, needs, and desires for God to take action. It recognizes that God loves His people and this world and the prayer is a way to connect us with God, trusting that He knows and will assure us that things will be well, even when we feel helpless and hopeless. 

"Hard and Holy Work" (Mary Alice Birdwhistell and Tyler D. Mayfield)

TITLE: Hard and Holy Work: A Lenten Journey through the Book of Exodus
AUTHOR: Mary Alice Birdwhistell and Tyler D. Mayfield
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2024, (122 pages).
 

Traditionally, devotionals on Lent tend to focus on self-reflection and quiet meditation. While it is a good spiritual practice to be mindful of the meaning of Lent, sometimes it can be accused of being impractical in a world of trouble and despair. Is there more to simply fasting and praying? Can we adopt practices that will lead us toward betterment for the common good? How can Christians observe Lent without forgetting that although they are not of the world, they are in the world? This book was inspired by the life of the Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, who found himself smack in the middle of Fourth and Walnut in Louisville, Kentucky, to be awakened to the needs of the world, and what God is prompting one to do: Paying attention and awakened to work toward justice. Using the book of Exodus, the authors highlight themes of liberation, justice, faithfulness, storytelling, and attentiveness to the marginalized. Useful for individual and group studies, each week contains stories from the Exodus narrative and ends with invitations to reflect, engage, and respond. These three invitations are summarized as "Paying Attention," "Sharing Together," and "Taking Action." 

"Meeting Jesus at the Table" (Cynthia M. Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr)

TITLE: Meeting Jesus at the Table
AUTHOR: Cynthia M. Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2023, (160 pages).
 

Food is a significant part of any community both at home and outside the home. The Bible too has lots of references to meals, food, and feasts. There are food laws in the Torah. Throughout the Old Testament, we read instances of people needing food, like the famine in Egypt; the hungry and thirsty Israelites in the wilderness; the test of Daniel and his friends who opted for vegetarian food as their act of faith; how God fed Elijah; the feasts of kings; and so on. The need to eat continues to be a key thing in the New Testament. The gospels, especially the gospel of John use special feasts as a way to date the interactions of Jesus with the people. For Christians, the highlight of the Christian meal is none other than the Holy Eucharist or the Lord's Table.  The Lord's Table is a symbol of love, hospitality, openness, and welcome. Combing the gospels for instances of meals with Jesus, authors Cynthia Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr lead us through the different aspects of spirituality over the table. The intent of this book is to help us ponder what it means to be disciples of Christ, and what it means to be nourished body-wise and soul-wise. Food not only sustains us. It is an opportunity to cultivate relationships of all sorts. Eating together also provides teachable moments to learn spiritual lessons. In this Lenten Study, readers get to explore eight broad themes using food as a key to unlock these lessons. The authors have also engaged the input of illustrator Kevin Burns to use visual aids to invite further reflection on the past, conversation about the present, and application for the future. Each chapter helps us relate to the Season of Lent, to point us to the direction of meeting our needs in Christ alone.

"A Time to Grow" (Kara Eidson)

TITLE: A Time to Grow
AUTHOR: Kara Eidson
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2022, (126 pages).

When we read the gospels, there are two things that appear quite frequently in the life of Jesus: Food and Feast. Matthew, Mark, and Luke detail the parables related to sowing seeds. Mark collects several parables of Jesus that connect the seed parables with the kingdom of God. John structures his narrative according to the feast schedules (Passover, Purim, Tabernacles, etc). Using these metaphors, Jesus teaches us about faith and the kingdom of God. Taking a leaf from the gospels, author Kara Eidson introduces us to a unique way of observing the season of Lent. Inspired by her faith and her love for food, Eidson shares with us spiritual lessons from our everyday food choices. Lamenting at how a new generation who lives in cities is lacking a basic understanding of our favourite foods, she seeks to connect common produce with faith matters. Spurred by a desire to connect with her congregation familiar with rural living, she becomes more sensitized to the relationship between what we eat and where the food comes from. Written for small groups for use during the season of Lent, the purpose of this book is to make these connections more authentic in the hope that whenever we are eating or drinking with friends and family during mealtimes, we will be able to appreciate far beyond the food and faith relationship, and be guided toward gratitude the farming community who made it all possible, and ultimately to the One who had blessed us all: Our God in Heaven. 

"Lent in Plain Sight" (Jill J. Duffield)

TITLE: Lent in Plain Sight
AUTHOR: Jill J. Duffield
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2020, (169 pages).

It is popularly said, "Seeing is believing." Faith reverses the paradigm to say that belief is seeing. In the Bible, especially the book of Hebrews, we read of people of faith who believed even when they have not seen the results. Having eyes of faith essentially means we believed even when our eyes do not see God. Having said that, it is entirely appropriate to use signs to point us to God, just like Jesus's seven signs in the gospel of John, that all points to Him and His working out of the will of God. Without derailing our minds on the need for faith to be fixed on the invisible God, we can use objects as reminders of that very focus. We don't worship the things or focus our devotions on these things. Like a prayer mat to enable us to kneel or a quiet room to help us focus on prayer in silence, objects can enhance our remembrance of Christ's journey to the cross. Enters this Lent devotional with ten objects to help us do just that.

Dust reminds us of how we have been created. This is most appropriate as Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, where believers are reminded that "ashes to ashes, dust to dust," we were created from dust, and our bodies will return to the earth as dust. Dust reminds us we are mortal; that we are limited; and that we are created beings made in the image of God. Bread reminds us of gratitude to God, and about the Lord's prayer where we ask for our daily bread. The Cross is about self-denial, and has much to do with the call to discipleship, to caution us of the cost of discipleship. It entails the suffering and pain that we all experience from time to time. Coins prompt us of the various episodes in the gospels; how Jesus answered the Pharisees with regard to paying taxes; how the poor widow's donation of two copper coins exceed the giving of the rich; and the parable of the lost coin. They also warn us about the betrayal of Jesus, because of Judas Iscariot's greed and self-interests. Shoes point out the holiness of God, how Moses was specifically told to remove his shoes as he was standing on holy ground. They emphasize our mission for Christ; humility to tie other shoelaces; wearing the armour of God with shoes as instruments of peace. Oil is for anointing; for preparing our lamps in anticipation of Christ's coming; for generosity; for compassion, healing, etc. Come Holy Week, the author introduces four more objects to guide us through our Lenten journey. The Coat marks the entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The Towel brings us back to the Upper Room where Jesus washes the disciples' feet and asks them to do the same for others. The Thorn is a reminder of the crown of thorns Jesus had to bear. Finally, Stone is about the tomb where Jesus was buried; albeit a soon-to-be- empty tomb.

"Living Into Lent" (Donald K. McKim)

TITLE: Living into Lent
AUTHOR: Donald K. KcKim
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013, (160 pages).

Lent is here again. The word "Lent" means "fortieth" in Latin. IT is 40 days to Easter, starting from Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, we exclude Sundays in the counting, so Lent concludes with that great Resurrection Sunday. What do we do during these forty days? Some believers fast from something as a constant reminder about Christ's journey to the Cross, how He offered Himself up to do the Father's Will.  Other believers spend more time in prayer or in various spiritual disciplines. The key themes of Lent are prayer, meditation, contemplation, silence, resisting the world, faithfulness, obedience, fasting, sacrifice, etc. One helpful way to observe Lent is to use devotionals to help us through each day. This book is one such devotional. There are several features that make this book stands out.

First, it is biblically referenced. Each theme is centered on the Bible. The author does not flood us with chunks of Bible to overwhelm us. Instead, he takes selected verses and guides us through the Word. Depth is key. As a devotional, it should be simple and focused, rather than to be expounded and analyzed. As a devotional, the Word is used to guide our mind to think deeply of God and to make our hearts bigger for God. McKim does well to give us brief notes without too much explanation, giving readers ample time to pause and to pray.

"On Bended Knee" (Crickett Keeth)

TITLE: On Bended Knee
AUTHOR: Crickett Keeth
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2019, (192 pages).

Another book on prayer? What does this book offer that other books had not? Two things. It shows us how to pray and it gives us space to pray. Many people pray the Lord's Prayer by heart. That is a good thing. Author Crickett Keeth gives us many more examples of prophets, priests, kings, and pilgrims whose prayers we could profit much from. Designed to be used for the season of Lent, each chapter can be treated as a daily workbook of prayer. Like a working devotional, readers and participants could look forward to four sections each day.

1. Looking to God's Word (meditation)
2. Looking Upward (discussion)
3. Looking Deeper (understanding)
4. Looking Reflectively (application)

Through daily devotional use and consistent application, we grow our praying muscles. The key to learning is not about technique. It is about patterning ourselves personally to people who had prayed well in the past. From Jesus, we learn the basics of the Lord's Prayer to move from ritual to relationship. We learn about worship, surrender, supplication, confession and forgiveness, etc. From Paul, we learn the spirituality of intercession. We see how he prays for others to grow spiritually. He wants the believers to grow to love God more. Many of us want to grow spiritually. Have we also prayed for others to do the same? Perhaps, this is the single biggest lesson to learn from Paul's praying stance. From Job, we learn about another dimension of prayer: In times of despair. We need lots of trust in the midst of fog. We learn to trust in times where there are lack of answers in the sea of questions. It is a time of waiting and humbling. From Hannah, we learn about prayer as longing which gives us another dimension of waiting and trusting. Does God know how we feel? What if God had missed us out? How long must we wait? From David, we learn about the psalms of lament, which reflect David's heartfelt need for comfort, for protection, for strength, for thanksgiving, praise, and complaint. From Asa, we learn the importance of starting and finishing well. From Jehoshaphat, we learn the prayer of dependence and from Nehemiah, to pray boldly when the odds are stacked against us.

"Were You There" (Luke A. Powery)

TITLE: Were You There?
AUTHOR: Luke A. Powery
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2019, (144 pages).

The Christian season of Lent is approaching. On Ash Wednesday, the Christian world would be entering into a period of prayer, meditation, and reflections on the 40-days journey of Jesus right up to Holy Week. It is a significant time for believers to ponder about the way of Jesus who obeyed God the Father all the way to the Cross. God in His pleasure and power raised Him up on the third day and gave us hope that in the same way, all believers will also be resurrected together with Christ. Lent is a time of remembering the pain, the sorrow, and the suffering Christ. Author Luke Powery defines Lent as "a season of penitential reflection and repentance on the path toward the hope of Easter." It's a nice way to introduce the theme of this book, which is essentially to understand the nature and underlying contexts of many negro spirituals.

Right from Ash Wednesday, the first spiritual "Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel?" gives us a clear path of where the author is going. In a powerful reflection about the need for deliverance, Powery deals honesty with the issues of pain and suffering. He points out the hope that one day, we will all be delivered. The spiritual "Many Thousand Gone" gives us a troubling insight into actual slavery situations. The spiritual "Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep, Don't You Mourn" is a way for negro slaves to connect their plight with the story of Christ's suffering. "Kum Ba yah" is a hymn of personal need and plea for God to come. However, not all spirituals are sad and somber. The song "Do Lord, do Lord, Lord, remember me" is an upbeat prayer of asking God to remember us. This is especially poignant in a world full of short memories. Other songs include "Michael Row the Boat Ashore," "My Father, How Long," "Steal Away," "We Shall Overcome," and many others. Of course, the one that bears the same name as this book title is also included. Of particular interest are the songs selected for Holy Week. Powery carefully matches the day with a particular theme that expresses the mood and meaning of the road to Calvary. Maundy Thursday is a short meditation on Calvary. Good Friday challenges us to see Jesus at the Cross. After so many weeks asking God to help us, we are left pondering if we would do the same for Jesus. Silent Saturday looks at the atmosphere of silence surrounding the death of Christ. Just like the way the book of Malachi ends, followed by 400 years of silence, Saturday compresses the world's hopes into silent prayer and anticipation. We all know what happens on the third day, but that would need another book.

"Holy Solitude" (Heidi Haverkamp)

TITLE: Holy Solitude: Lenten Reflections with Saints, Hermits, Prophets, and Rebels
AUTHOR: Heidi Haverkamp
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2018, (148 pages).

In the season of Lent, Christians traditionally practice a more solemn mood as they reflect on the life of Christ, how Jesus watched and prayed, and determined Himself to go to the Cross. It is a time of loneliness. It is a time of emotional and spiritual struggle. It is a time of quiet reflection to ponder from the intersection of faith and doubt; God's will or our will; and for self or for others. Knowing the right thing to do does not necessitate choosing the right thing. Fear has a way of dislodging our wills from the sills of faith. Daily, we are confronted by the insidious spiritual forces of darkness that often creep into our unsuspecting lives, to deceive us, to derail us, and to discourage us in our spiritual walk. In Lent, we sharpen our spiritual senses through fasting, through praying, through meditating upon the Word, and through the practice of various spiritual disciplines. This book is a way to help us through these practices of reflection, introspection, and self-inspection of our hearts, as we look at the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"The Good of Giving Up" (Aaron Damiani)

TITLE: The Good of Giving Up: Discovering the Freedom of Lent
AUTHOR: Aaron Damiani
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2017, (192 pages).

What is Lent? Why are many Christians so passionate about this season? Why should believers observe the occasion? What is the purpose of fasting and praying during this time? Aren't we all supposed to fast and pray not just for the Lenten season? Aaron Damiani, lead pastor of Immanuel Anglican Church in Chicago helps us with these questions and more. He begins with a confession of how he began years ago as a novice, and grows not just to like the whole ritual itself, but to share the season as a "springtime for the soul." In this book, he writes in a three part format to show us the good of giving up, and more.

In Part One, he covers his own personal journey from the wilderness of perplexity to the sacred path of intentionality. We are urged to enter the wilderness because the gospel is true; because it prepares our hearts for Easter; and because of how it increases our desire for the Promised Land. After tracing the history of Lent all the way back to the Fourth Century, Damiani affirms the season of Lent as a "school that trains people to live as Christians." It is a great opportunity to train us in Christlikeness. He shares some biblical principles and insights about the need for fasting and becoming satisfied in Christ alone. It is a time of confession. It is a time of hope and anticipation. He addresses some common objections like:

"God For Us" (Greg Pennoyer and others)

TITLE: God For Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Lent and Easter (Reader's Edition)
AUTHOR: Greg Pennoyer and others
PUBLISHER: Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2014, (192 pages).

If Christmas is about "God with us," Lent is about "God for us," so begins this reflective journey and companion volume to Advent. Two reasons are given as to why Lent is harder to grasp. Firstly, Lent is not as joyful as the Christmas season of singing and celebration. Secondly, Lent is mixed with self-denial, sadness, and suddenly that Easter joy. Challenged by these, Greg Pennoyer and Gregory Wolfe bring together a host of writings from spiritual writers such as Ronald Rolheiser, Beth Bevis, Richard Rohr, Lauren Winner, Scott Cairns, James Schaap, Luci Shaw, and Kathleen Norris.

Ron Rolheiser, a Roman Catholic priest and President of Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas, sees Lent as a paradox expressed via a tension between anticipation and fulfillment. He sees the seasons of play as being sweeter when there are seasons of work. In the same way, Lent is both fasting and feasting. Following this, Beth Davis, program coordinator of Seattle Pacific University, looks at the feast and fasts of Lent, showing us that Lent is a way in which Christians can mindfully and spiritually prepare themselves for the glory and fulfillment of Easter. Each week, she responds to the contributions of each writer by describing the history of the feasts, Shrove Tuesdays, Ash Wednesdays, Lent Sundays, the Holy Week, and Easter. These provide us the background as each of these Lenten remembrance events.

"A Different Kind of Fast" (Alicia Britt Chole)

TITLE: 40 Days of Decrease: A Different Kind of Hunger. A Different Kind of Fast.
AUTHOR: Alicia Britt Chole
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: W Publishing, 2015, (272 pages).

This is a book of Lenten reflections. Instead of a cold turkey fast of some sort, there is a gradual "decrease" of sorts. Writing from a position of illness and weakness, author Alicia Britt Chole shows us a different kind of fasting, one that demonstrates a slow but sure approach to purifying our hearts. Here, we are urged to set aside 30 minutes to an hour daily so that we can prepare our hearts for an intentional fast from something. Each day, readers are introduced to a particular kind of fast, all for the common goal of softening our heart to be open to the moving of God. We learn that fasting is less about refraining from something and more about surrendering to God. The destination of fasting is not checking off items on our to-do list but that of love. It is not some kind of self-inflicted punishment but  an encouragement of forgiveness. It is about self-awareness that we are already small compared to a big God, and that through praise, we enter into the presence of God in awe and wonder. We learn about the use of light and how unplugging ourselves from modern conveniences ushers us into a more natural pace of life. We appreciate the messiness of faith and not be so worked up over the need to keep our faith tidy and neat. We fast from rushing past sorrow, a legitimate human emotion. We fast from rationalism, isolation, stinginess, and spectatorship. By noticing ordinary things that we can fast from, we are made more aware of the many things we have taken for granted, and to be thankful for what we have and NOT have. In relationships, we fast from criticism and judgmentalism. There is a comprehensiveness that I have not seen before in Lenten devotionals.

Chole is very perceptive and it takes one to know what to fast from. Perhaps, the author's struggle with illness has sharpened her ability to notice the little things in life, both visible and invisible. Each day, there is a Scripture passage, followed by a thoughtful description about a particular aspect of life. A "Reflection" ensues which is then followed by what we can fast for the day. Each day concludes with an opportunity to worship and to praise God.  For a small book of devotions, there is a respectable amount of citations and shared resources.

The author is founding director of Leadership Investment Intensives Inc, a non-profit organization devoted to soul-care to leaders in both the marketplace as well as churches. The multiple endorsements at the beginning of the book should give readers an idea of how revered and respected the author is. The interesting thing about the kind of decrease that Chole advocates is this: There is a strong sense of "Less is more" that as we seek to fast from some aspect of life, strangely, we find that we gain a new perspective, a renewed understanding of God, and a fresh appreciation of the things we have and not have. This is certainly a unique book. Every page oozes wisdom and spiritual guidance. It is a kind of fasting that leaves us not empty but filled. Each day, the author shows us something that we can fast from. It is altogether very manageable but also probes deeply into the things that can so easily entangle us. You would do well to use this book to supplement your Lent.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of BookLookBloggers and Thomas-Nelson in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Sensing God" (Laurence Freeman)

TITLE: Sensing God: Learning to Meditate Through Lent
AUTHOR: Laurence Freeman
PUBLISHER: Cincinnati, OH: Franciscan Media, 2016, (120 pages).

One of the most important periods of the calendar year is Lent. Beginning Ash Wednesday, it is a forty days period of focused meditation and spiritual awareness for Christians to remember how Jesus had fasted and prayed for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness. According to Laurence Freeman, a Benedictine monk and Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation, a contemporary, ecumenical contemplative community:

"The forty days and nights of Lent are about simplification, purification, getting priorities reestablished and remembering that God, not my ego, is the centre of reality."

For each day, there is a specific verse from the Bible. There are instructions on how to meditate, notes on postures, tips on time and place, and practical examples of how to go about preparing our hearts for Lent. Simple steps are given to help us get into the flow of meditation. This includes breathing techniques, mind awareness, formation of habits, daily meditations, and brevity that suggests the need for moments of silence. At the end of each week, Freeman repeats the mantra to remind us that meditation is a continuous learning exercise.

Any devotional on Lent ought to be brief. It ought to be Word centered and prayer filled. It also needs to supply lots of space for individuals to be quiet and reflective. This devotional meets all of these aspects and for that reason, I recommend this for the use this Lent and for every Lent. Let this book guide you in praying and a deeper seeking after the heart of God.

For 2016, Ash Wednesday begins February 10th and Easter is on March 27th, 2016.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Franciscan Media and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Walking with Jesus Through the Old Testament" (Paul Stroble)

TITLE: Walking with Jesus through the Old Testament: Devotions for Lent
AUTHOR: Paul Stroble
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2016, (136 pages).

The Old Testament points to Jesus in more ways than most people would have thought. With Lent approaching this Wednesday, it is appropriate to prepare our hearts through a more devotional life, to let Scriptures capture our imagination; to walk through the Old Testament with an eye on the cross; to put ourselves in the shoes of Jesus. The hope is that as we do this, we will experience the presence of Jesus in some very special way this Lent and every Lent. Each day, there is a title and scripture passages. Following this is a prayer and a challenge to dig deeper into the mood of Lent by self-examination, self-denial, and daily actions. The "Sunday Reflection" is a summary reflection of the week, which reflects on the whole week's passage themes as a block. This helps readers to think back on the past week. The first week shows us how the prophecy all started. The second week gives us a glimpse of Jesus' early years on earth, from the infanticide due to Herod's evil; to the pronouncement of Jesus' ministry with the baptism episode. The third week shows us snippets of Jesus' ministry. The fourth week helps us see the manifold blessings of Jesus via teaching, healing, and helping. In the fifth week, we see the themes of salvation like Israel's exodus from Egypt; the covenants; the giving of the Law; the Prophets; the Priests; and glimpses of Christ's sacrifice.

"Holy Spirit I Pray" (Jack Levison)

TITLE: Holy Spirit, I Pray: Prayers for the morning and nightime, for discernment, and moments of crisis
AUTHOR: Jack Levison
PUBLISHER: Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2015, (120 pages).

Christians have been praying to God in the Name of Jesus since the days of the Early Church. The Holy Spirit came down upon the Church in Acts, sparking a Pentecostal revival that has helped spread the gospel from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and the outermost parts of the earth. Jesus prayed to the Father in Heaven and encourages us to do the same. He also urges us to pray in His Name. What about the Holy Spirit? It is one thing to be praying in the power of the Holy Spirit, but what if one prays to the Holy Spirit? For that, it is interesting that not many books have been written with regard to this. It is not something explicitly mentioned in the Bible about praying to the Holy Spirit. In this book, Jack Levison, author of Fresh Air: The Holy Spirit for an Inspired Life, not only makes a case for prayers to the Holy Spirit, he shows us how to do it. Readers learn of prayers to allow one to rest, not escape; fly, not flee; and brood, not rush.

There are sample prayers for the morning and the evening. The prayers of discernment top the list of my favourites. What I really like about the prayers is the format of prayers on the left, and a scripture passage on the right. The prayers are written with the Holy Spirit as the focus of prayers. The scripture passage gives us a specific Bible reference to the working of the Holy Spirit. There is also a prayers for anytime section for all occasions.

This is a rare book on prayers to and about the Holy Spirit. I understand some readers may be uncomfortable about the relative lack of reference to Jesus and Father God, but the thrust of the prayers is the same. When one prays to the Spirit, one also prays to the Triune Godhead, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. In all honesty, I think the Holy Spirit is most shy of attention, and like Jesus, will always want to direct attention back to the Trinity. At times, I wish the format of the book be reversed. That is, the Scripture passage begins first, followed by the prayers. In this way, anyone unsure of the direction of the prayers will have the comfort of the Holy Scriptures to guide.

I warmly commend this book for your collection of prayers. It is a wonderful resource for prayer coordinators, prayer warriors, and anyone desiring to grow close to God in prayer.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Paraclete Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Forgiveness" (Marjorie J. Thompson)

TITLE: Forgiveness: A Lenten Study
AUTHOR: Marjorie J. Thompson
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2014, (128 pages).

Desmond Tutu once said, "There is no future without forgiveness." In the same light, author Marjorie Thompson asserts that "There is no Christianity without forgiveness." Recognizing that life is "inextricably connected" to forgiveness, Lent is a time that we learn to empty ourselves of ourselves so that we can make room for God and others. Far too often, people have allowed their unconscious self-ego and conscious self-seeking to dominate others for the sake of self, instead of giving oneself up for the sake of others. For to be Christlike is about learning to give of oneself and to forgive others no matter how much wrong had been inflicted. Knowing how important and also the difficulty in the act and art of forgiving, Presbyterian pastor and author of "Soul Feast" attempts to show us the way of forgiveness through six chapters of thought-provoking meditations of Bible passages in order to accomplish three purposes.

1. Learning to listen to voices outside and inside;
2. Learning to discern the subject of forgiveness from a biblical and theological standpoint;
3. Learning to cultivate a heart and mind for forgiveness.

Beginning with Luke 15:11-32, the famous passage of the parable of the loving father and the prodigal son, Thompson seeks to demonstrate that the story is not just about one person seeking forgiveness, namely the runaway son, but forgiveness is communal. It impacts not just the individual but whole communities. Although offenses are different, the response of forgiveness is the same. It is because God is Trinity, and desires to welcome us into fellowship, that we too need to welcome others into one another's fellowship. For it turns one's enemy into kinsman which leads us to the true shalom of God.

Understanding that forgiveness is a hard path to take, Thompson gently guides us toward self-examination, for the lack of it will make forgiveness hard, if not impossible. What makes it appropriate for Lent is that self-examination helps us to pay close attention to our hearts and our minds, in order to cultivate an honesty and humility before God. Then we will appreciate what unconditional love is about, and we will learn about the failures of being human. Using Psalm 51 and Psalm 139 as guides, one becomes more conscious of sin. One learns not to hide or run away. Self-examination demands honesty about one's desire to either fight or take flight from the situation. It is about recognizing the "little Hitler" in each of us that tends to shift our focus toward judgmentalism and egoism. The desire to go beyond fight and flight leads us to the third way: Repentance and Reconciliation. It begins with God. It begins with self-knowledge that without God, we are unable to be reconciled to people. For repentance is not about digging ourselves out of our hole, but admitting we are powerless in ourselves and we need God's hand to pull us out of our spiritual quicksand. It is repenting from pride to seek forgiveness from others. There are three components of a good apology: Acknowledging the wrong; Actualizing visible repentance; Vulnerability. Thompson makes a good point about our failure to forgive ourselves being an arrogant posture to be aware of.

Thompson goes through the forgiveness process with biblical principles in chapter five. Here, we are reminded of Jesus teaching Peter that forgiveness is unlimited. We learn that forgiveness is a command, not an option. When one does not "want to forgive," there is a presence of resentment and arrogance. That said, readers can bask in the many tough stories of how traumatized people eventually find a way out of the quagmire of resentment and arrogance. Chapter 5 alone is worth the price of the book. We read of stories of betrayal, murder, revenge, and how many people despite the odds are able to overcome. Key to the forgiveness process is to move away from a perpetrator-victim mindset toward a peer-to-peer trust and acceptance of each other. Forgiveness leads to reconciliation. Reconciliation leads to a renewal of relationships. Renewal of relationships leads to restoration of the community. Thompson then deals with the topics of retributive justice vs restorative justice, arguing for the latter.

So What?

The deeper the hurt, the more difficult the forgiveness process. The paradox is this. The more entrenched we are in refusing to forgive, the more hurt we become. For hurt people tends to hurt other people. Healed people participate in the process of healing for all. Forgiveness is so central to the Christian faith and in human relationships in general that I feel this book may be too short! Surely, many more stories can be told about how hurt people can find ways to be restored. That is why I appreciate the study guide at the end of the book which enables readers to put into practice what was written and taught. Forgiveness is more about the will to do something about it, regardless of whether we are right or have been wronged. Anyone can initiate the process, but every one needs to experience first hand what it means to be forgiven. Those of us who have been touched by God and have experienced the unconditional love and powerful grace of God can attest to the reality of forgiveness and restoration. Thompson weaves in the art of spirituality with the science of psychology, and maintains a down to earth awareness of the human soul. The study guide contains many good steps and instructions easy enough to follow.


Is forgiveness an appropriate theme for Lent? My short answer is: Why not? Lent is a 40 days journey and remembrance of Jesus preparing himself to go to the Cross. Many churches have Lenten observance through prayer, quiet reflections, fasting, abstaining from worldly pleasures, and many other spiritual disciplines. Forgiveness is a spiritual discipline that can be practised all year round. Yet, for Lent, it can be a powerful way to center ourselves in acknowledging we need God. We need one another. We need ourselves to be right with God and with people. Forgiveness is that swiss-army tool of spirituality that covers multiple fronts. Best of all, it breaks through human pride and arrogance, God's way.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Lent for Everyone - Matthew Year A" (N T Wright)

TITLE: Lent for Everyone: Matthew, Year A
AUTHOR: N T Wright
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013, (174 pages).

Lent is an important season of the Christian Church calendar. It comprises 40 days of preparation, waiting, remembrance of Christ's death at the cross and the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus at Easter. The Lent For Everyone series comprises of Year A (Matthew), Year B (Mark), and Year C (Luke). All written by the former bishop of Durham, renowned scholar and theologian NT Wright has given us a very readable, simple and theologically penetrating reflection on the gospels through the season of Lent.

Beginning with Ash Wednesday, the devotional does not end until the week after Easter. For Year A, Wright lets the gospel of Matthew guide our understanding and reflection on Christ's person, Christ's mission, Christ's work, and Christ's fulfilment of the promises of God. For each day, Wright begins with a selected portion of Scripture. While broadly the readings will cover big chunks of Scripture each day, readers get to focus on a smaller passage that enables deeper meditation on the Lenten theme. For example, at Ash Wednesday, while the readings suggest the first two chapters of Matthew, the focus is actually on the birth narrative, and especially the very difficult decision Joseph had to make. It suggests that Lent itself is not an easy period for Jesus. Right from the start, Wright sets the stage.

On Sundays, Wright selects several Psalms to give readers a pause from the gospel. Themes of forgiveness and repentance, hope and trust; Joy; and clinging onto the promises of God are adopted. For Holy Week, I sense an intentional inclusion of larger chunks of the biblical narrative to let the Word of God speak for itself. It is meant to be read slowly and with much care. The prayers at the end are also very brief. In fact, one way to use it is to let the Scriptures be read meditatively and prayerfully.

This is one of the best resources for laypersons to use this Lent. A devotional should not be too heavy going that people easily fall asleep. Neither should it be too light that one does not find it meaty enough. Wright has taken care to do a fine balance to render it just right for most of us, if not everyone.


Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Deeply Loved" (Keri Wyatt Kent)

TITLE: Deeply Loved: 40 Ways in 40 Days to Experience the Heart of Jesus
AUTHOR: Keri Wyatt Kent
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2012, (200 pages).

How do we better experience the practice of Lent? Does it mean simply fasting or refraining from certain things? Is it a period where we wear our somber looks everywhere we go? What about learning to walk closer with Jesus with the 40 days as an opportunity to prepare our hearts for Good Friday and Easter? The key point: Draw closer to God.

This gentle guide brings together many different spiritual practices, guided by several ancient and modern spiritual practitioners, as well as reflections of our typically busy lifestyle. The crux of the book is this. Make spiritual growth practices a deeply personal one. The disciplines of praying, reading, waiting, pondering, self-examining, and many more are not new. They have been adopted by saints of old such as Brother Lawrence, Thomas Kelly, the prophets of old, as well as modern writers like Richard Foster, Philip Yancey, John Ortberg, and others.

It is important to begin well, and Kent shows the way by reminding readers that we are first and foremost children of God. Our identity is not in terms of what we do or say, but in God accepting us as we are. We walk with Jesus knowing that He is the Master of the whole project called "Life." We slow down so that we can pace more naturally. Kent shows us gently the way to go through the day. We wake up with a daily reminder that God watches over us. We go through the day knowing the presence of God that is real, regardless of whether we feel God or not. We learn to praise and pray, adore and be restored to God, to be alone and yet not lonely, because God is with us. Self-examination is a big feature of the book. Following the spiritual practice of "examen," we resist the pressures of the world that tries to mold us to its image, and to be open to the movement of the Spirit, to transform us into what God wants us to become. Kent calls worry as the biggest distraction we often face. Using personal examples with her own relationships, as well as learning from the spiritual masters, Kent not just writes about spirituality. She practices it. It looks so simple that one may be mistaken that it is a light book. While the content is not heavy, the practice of it can be challenging. By spreading the daily exercises over 40 days, we learn patience and discipline. We learn to be intentional and to be sensitive to what God is saying to our hearts. At the end of it all, as we slow down to examine ourselves, as we open our eyes to appreciate the wonders of God in creation, as we remember the sacrifice of Christ, the biggest benefit we can gain is through the period of Lent, is to learn that we have been deeply loved by God. All the sacrifice, all the overcoming of obstacles, and all the spiritual disciplines that have been done, will be so worth it that we will want to do it over and over again. Not because we have to, but because we want to. Draw closer to God.

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Abingdon Press without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"God is on the Cross" (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

TITLE: God Is on the Cross: Reflections on Lent and Easter
AUTHOR: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012, (112 pages).

We are at the midpoint of the Season of Lent for 2013. Ideally, this devotional is best used at the beginning of Lent, that is, Ash Wednesday. That said, it is good to go, we can still benefit from learning how to reflect and ponder over the meaning of God on the Cross. It is one thing to read something from an author in a world of peace and comfort. It is yet another to read something from Bonhoeffer living in a time of war with much distress and discomfort. Thus, we have a book here from an author who has been called a modern prophet, a passionate pastor, and of course a suffering martyr. Executed just days before the end of World War II, Bonhoeffer identifies closely with the season of Lent, chiefly because of his deep love for Jesus and an earnest desire to follow him all the way, even surrendering his life. Five weeks of meditations are laid out. Note that these works are selected from Bonhoeffer's other writings, and Bonhoeffer himself did not compile the whole book as it is in our current form. This has been done by the editor. The editor has also put together the selected writings into five major themes, one per week. This too is the work of the editor.

Week One focuses on "Prayerful Reflection." Bonhoeffer leads readers through meditations on the temptations of Christ in the wilderness, how to adjust our heart's attitude to God when praying, that our desire to pray must be independent of our moods.

Week Two follows with "Self-Denial," a trait of Bonhoeffer's writings, especially the "Cost of Discipleship." We deny ourselves not for ourselves' sake. We do so for God and for love of our people. We avoid cheap grace. We do not idolize our own needs. In fact, self-denial means being fully focused on following Christ, only Christ. Is that a difficult thing? No, says Bonhoeffer. In fact, the irony is that such a "yoke" that we are called to carry is light, for the heaviest yoke has been borne by Christ.

Week Three is about "Temptation." Going back to the temptations of Christ in the wilderness, we are reminded that temptations are not to be taken lightly. We must be on our guard. We need to be prayerful for temptations will come to us in a matter of time. We must cultivate an inner power of resistance. We need to resist any attitude of reciprocal evil. We need to be prepared to die for Christ' sake. This time is also about watching out to resist temptation and waiting for the coming of Christ.

Week Four touches on the "Question of Suffering." Based very much on personal experience and deep meditation on Scripture, Bonhoeffer dives into the meaning and motivation behind suffering. In doing so, we identify with the weak and powerless, the sick and the distressed, the bullied and the despised. Most importantly, suffering is temporary. Salvation will come. Following Christ means following at all costs, both good and bad times. It means participation in Christ, who himself suffered. It means learning to be patient and in constant remembrance of Christ.

Week Five is the culmination of Lent, where the highlight is the Cross and the Resurrection. Commonly referred to as Holy Week, our attention is on the cross, and how God's love is expressed. From Palm Sunday to Easter, one must go through Maundy Thursday when Jesus was betrayed, and Good Friday where Jesus was crucified.

Devotional books are meant to help us develop an awareness of the presence of God, and not meant to be theological journals or philosophical analyses. The way to use books like these is consistency, reflective, slowly, and purposefully. This book moves gently from Week One to Week Five of Lent in such a way that the reader will find it helpful not to rush, but to ponder carefully the purpose, the power, the people, and the passion of Christ. There are short quips from his letters and notes. Scripture verses are placed at the end of each day to aid prayer. It's a great book for Lent.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Lent For Everyone - Luke Year C" (NT Wright)

TITLE: Lent for Everyone: Luke, Year C: A Daily Devotional
AUTHOR: N.T. Wright
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012, (140 pages).

Today is Ash Wednesday 2013. It is fitting to introduce a book devotional for Lent. NT Wright has based his meditations on the Church liturgical calendars of Years A, B, and C, with meditations on the gospels. Typically, Year A is for Matthew, Year B for Mark, and Year C for Luke. This 3-year cycle than repeats. For most laypersons, it does not really matter which specific year is for which reading. Year C for some Church groups is in 2012. That said, there is nothing to prevent anyone from restricting themselves from meditations on the book of Luke for 2013. After all, it is God's Word.

With daily readings from Ash Wednesday right through to Resurrection Sunday, popular writer and theologian NT Wright provides a series of reflective thoughts and meditations to help readers remember the journey of Christ to the Cross. There is a meditation on a passage of Luke every Monday to Saturday, with specific attention to particular verses. On Sundays, the focus shifts to worship through Psalms. On Easter week, Wright leads readers from Luke 24 to Acts 5, helping us to look back at the critical events of the death and the resurrection of Jesus.

Wright prepares each devotion with a personal translation of the text. The non-inclusion of any specific year or date means that the devotional can be used and re-used any year. He then makes an observation of everyday life before bridging our world to the ancient times. Finally, after explaining the contexts, he helps readers with a Lenten thought for today, with gentle guidance for the readers to pray more, reflect deeper, and to live more contemplatively throughout the Lenten season. Sometimes, he closes with questions for the reader to think about. Other times, he closes with a prayer, a confession, a or on Sundays, he gives an exhortation for the reader. One important consideration for any Lenten reading is that it is not too theologically heavy or intellectually heady. It needs to help readers ease into a more contemplative mood toward a hope for tomorrow. It needs to help us be more aware of our sinfulness, and to be led toward godly sorrow. It needs to be grounded in Scripture and allows readers to sense the Spirit guiding them in their thoughts, their words, and their actions. Known for his theological brilliance, Wright has shown us again that theology is not for theologians in seminaries or Bible schools. Theology is for everyone.

If you want a book for this Season of Lent, I warmly recommend this book for your reading, your praying, and your meditating. Use this book with your Bible or your hymnal. May this season of Lent be one that helps you to pray, to reflect, to think thoughts of Christ, and to remember that while in a way it is our sins that nail Jesus to the Cross, it is the love of God that resurrects Christ from the dead, to give us life.

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.