Surprised by Costly Joy in the Season of Lent

Ash Wednesday always catches me by surprise, usually landing somewhere in the midst of bleak February (occasionally on Valentine’s Day!) and with absolutely no fanfare. I’ve written before about reclaiming Lent for Christ and reviving a biblical understanding of lament, so it’s no secret that I believe the observance of Lent as preparation for Easter invites the believer to a renewed awe of our great salvation. 

The warm welcome of the gospel on a frigid day in late winter is an apt image of our need for rescue and God’s expansive provision. Our sin does not signal the end of our relationship with God. It’s a beginning, for it turns out that weakness is itself a powerful claim upon divine mercy.

Our sin does not signal the end of our relationship with God. It’s a beginning, for it turns out that weakness is a powerful claim upon divine mercy.

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Just as we prepare for Christmas in our observance of Advent, Lent prepares the believer for a wholehearted celebration of Easter. I’m wondering…

Do you observe Lent with some specific and meaningful practice?
Do you think of it as a time of subtraction or addition? An opportunity or a requirement?
Tradition dictates giving up something, but I also like to think of adding a contemplative practice or some reading that directs my thoughts toward unity with Christ.

A Recommended Resource for Lent, Easter, and Beyond

The ninety-six readings will take you through Pentecost, and are arranged in seven sections. First, the Invitation offers an open door to the weary. Section two reviews Jesus’s earthly ministry, leading up to section three’s meditations on the suffering of Christ. Section four offers readings on the crucifixion, and section five trumpets the good news of resurrection. Finally, sections six and seven carry the reader to Pentecost with readings about the new life in Christ and the role of the church gathered.

I appreciated the multifaceted view an anthology provides, and the opportunity to marinate in a concept over a series of readings. As usual, C.S. Lewis challenged me to greater precision in my terminology: “The Resurrection narratives are not a picture of survival after death; they record how a totally new mode of being has arisen in the universe.” Eberhard Arnold (an early 20th-century German theologian and a new resource to me) brings the collection to a close with heartening words connecting the resurrection to our identity as the church: “This community of faith and community of life in the first love was marked by the presence of Christ—the Christ who had said, ‘I am with you always.'”

What Other Reviewers Are Saying

This handsome hardback has brief readings from some of the world’s leading literary and spiritual writers, offering just enough meaty and aesthetically-rich writing to please and challenge anyone who wants to dip in to a more mature sourcebook. —Hearts and Minds Bookstore

Lent is a season of restraint, but this compiled book is a Lenten (and paschal) smorgasbord, offering more than 70 excerpted readings for Lent and Easter. Inside you’ll find writings of spiritual leaders, theologians, literary favorites, mystics, and justice heroes, including Clarence Jordan, Kathleen Norris, Ernesto Cardenal, Simone Weil, Wendell Berry, Madeleine L’Engle, Philip Berrigan, and Oscar Wilde, to name a few. —Sojourners

Holding You in the Light,

Do you observe Lent with some specific and meaningful practice? Bread and Wine (via Plough Publishing House) offers the multifaceted view an anthology provides, and the opportunity to marinate in a concept over a series of readings.

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More Biblical Encouragement for You on the YouVersion App

As you know, I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his Word, and it’s my goal to help you along that path. At Living Our Days, I provide biblical content and resources to encourage biblical literacy and faithful living, and now I’m sharing devotional content on the YouVersion app. Visit my profile page to get free access to all the reading plans!

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Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate, which means that whenever you purchase a book I’ve shared here through the link I provide, I’ll receive a very small commission. It doesn’t cost you more, and I only share books here that I can wholeheartedly recommend.

Many thanks to Plough and NetGalley for providing an advance readers’ copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.