Take a glance at these five user-friendly Lenten resources for church and home. Each can stand alone or provide an adaptable foundation. I am more than glad to help with suggestions on how they can be used in a variety of ways for households of all shapes and sizes.
Life Transformed – The Way of Love in Lent through the Episcopal Church is a journey through Lent into Easter with Jesus. We are baptized into his life, self-giving, and death; then, we rise in hope to life transformed. This Lent, communities are invited to walk with Jesus in his Way of Love and into the experience of transformed life. Join the Rev. Dr. Hillary Raining, rector of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Gladwyne, Penn., as she introduces weekly lessons from Life Transformed: The Way of Love in Lent. These eight videos– one for each of the Life Transformed sessions and an introduction – can be used with your congregation, as part of a small group, or for individual learning and meditation.
Illustrated Ministry – This “small but mighty” team of folks have a variety of Lenten offerings that are worth taking a look at, including:
- An Illustrated Lent for Families: Reflections on the Heart includes seven devotions that explore the theme of storing treasures. Each week’s devotion includes a scripture, a short reflection, discussion questions, an activity families can do together, a coloring page, and a prayer.
- Where Your Heart Is: An Illustrated Devotional is an intergenerational resource with captivating reflections, hand-crafted illustrations, and an engaging layout and design. It includes seven weekly devotions for all ages, as well as illustrations to color and opportunities to doodle and engage with the content in fun and creative ways.
Living Compass offers Living Well Through Lent with several different ways to support us through Lent: download a free Lent devotional (and small group facilitator’s guide), enroll for free daily readings or join a private FaceBook discussion group moderated by Robbin Brent, Jan Kwiatkowski and Scott Stoner. Click here to download their Lent Offerings 2021 flyer.
Candle Press has created Ash Wednesday: To Go ($4.50) which focuses on families with young children that will not get to the Ash Wednesday services at church to help unpack some of the concepts at home – reading a Bible passage, exploring what it might mean, considering what it means to them to “give up” or “take on” things, as well as choosing from a variety of activities, including the concept that dust comes from stardust. They also offer a free, downloadable Lenten resources that can be forwarded directly to households offering an invitation to be, to observe what is working and nurture it — while discovering things they may want to do differently. The Gospel stories invite us to notice, listen, see, and make choices.
Episcopal Relief & Development’s Lenten Meditations are written in response to the unprecedented events of the past year. The 2021 Lenten Meditations share deeply personal reflections on the theme of lament from a diverse group of writers. Many of the authors share experiences related to a variety of issues, including disease, violence, racial injustice, and poverty. You can read more about the program here.