Some people’s plans to give up chocolate may be derailed because the beginning of Lent falls on the same day as Valentine’s Day this year. However, I have a feeling that the Lord would not be offended if they started Lent a day later than planned.
Lent with the Beloved Disciple is ideal for both individual use and for small group study and is available from Bloomsbury Publishing
The season of Lent is one of those times when many people abstain from certain foods or beverages, including coffee, wine, beer, cheese, and chocolate, to name just a few examples. The word ‘Lent’ comes from an old English word meaning ‘lengthen’; perhaps this is because of the time of year when the days start to get longer, as we approach spring and the times of the clocks changing in March. Whatever the name’s origins, for many Christians, it is a time of reflection and asking for forgiveness. It is also a time during which Christians prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ at the festival of Easter, which takes place at the very end of Lent.
For those wanting to spend intentional time to pause and reflect during the season of Lent, I would like to recommend the book “Lent with the Beloved Disciple” written by Michael Marshall and published by Bloomsbury. It is a book that will take you on a journey with the “beloved disciple” through the narrative of the Gospel of John over six weeks.
John, reportedly the only disciple to have been present at every stage of Jesus’ ministry, from the Last Supper to his crucifixion on Calvary, records certain implicit details and signs that, when seen through the eyes of faith, indicate a more profound and more long-lasting significance than perhaps we get at first reading.
Michael Marshall's journeys with the reader explore what these signs are and how, with prayerful reflection, they draw us ever more deeply into the personal, eternal, and cosmic significance and awareness of all Christ accomplished by his death and resurrection.
Simon Mattholie
Rural Ministries
First published in MOSAIC Issue 12, January - April - December 2024
コメント