Bishop’s Lent Appeal 2024
The Bishop’s Lent Appeal for 2024 will raise donations for the Tearfund Middle East Emergency Appeal, to help those suffering as a result of the current conflict in Israel and Gaza, and the work of the Trussell Trust in our diocese to feed those in need via Foodbanks.
To find out more, and to donate online to these good causes, click here.
National C of E Lent resources
“Watch and Pray challenges us to seek God in both familiar and unfamiliar places: in darkness and in quiet; in movement and migration; in the healing and transforming work of the Spirit; in the weeping of Holy Week and in the joy of Easter morning.”
Archbishops Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell
This Lent we are encouraged to wait expectantly for God to meet us and sustain us through the storms and trials we all face.
The Church of England’s Lent theme for 2024 is Watch and Pray: Wisdom and hope for Lent and life.
On the night he was betrayed, Jesus kneels in darkness in the Garden of Gethsemane. Though he pleads with his disciples, “Stay here with me … Watch and pray,” they all fall asleep, leaving him alone in his hour of deepest suffering.
This Lent all of us are encouraged to draw on the wisdom of Black Spirituality, particularly the practice of “tarrying” (waiting) as a community to draw closer to Jesus and to each other. Combining exuberant singing, fervent prayer and quiet lament, such services typically take place at night and last somewhat longer than the “one hour” Jesus asked of those first followers.
Resources
Tarry Awhile: Wisdom from Black Spirituality for People of Faith
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book 2024: Foreword by Justin Welby
Tarrying is a Black Christian spiritual practice in which believers actively wait to experience the manifestation of God's presence. It answers yes to the question Jesus once asked his disciples: will you tarry here and watch with me? Whether in the vibrancy of music and singing, or in the hushed silence of the congregation, people of all ages anticipate an encounter with God that will transform what they know, feel and experience day to day.
This book makes the wisdom of Black spiritualities and faith available for all people. It focuses on seven themes: darkness as a place of encounter with the divine; the unity of all things; movement, belonging and migration; the Spirit as one who moves in unexpected ways; quiet contemplation as essential to spiritual growth; healing in community; and weeping that turns to joy.
Available from SPCK Publishing.
The Archbishops’ Lent Course for 2024
Watch and Pray: Wisdom and hope for Lent and life
For each day of Lent, the Watch and Pray booklet offers a Bible verse, a short reflection, an idea for ‘watching’, and a prayer. It invites us to seek God in both familiar and unfamiliar places this Lent: in darkness and in quiet; in movement and migration; in the healing and transforming work of the Spirit; in the weeping of Holy Week and in the joy of Easter morning.
Available as single copies, packs of 10 and packs of 50 from Church House Publishing.
For children
Watch and Pray: Wisdom and hope for Lent and life
This booklet for children and families invites us to use Lent as a time to wait together for God to meet and help us. It offers small steps designed to help us on our Lent journey as we try to grow closer to Jesus, waiting with him as he asked his friends to do in the Garden of Gethsemane. For each of the 40 days of Lent there is a daily challenge to do, learn or think about something. There are also weekly themes, prayers and short Bible readings – all exploring the theme of Watch and Pray.
Available as single copies, packs of 10 and packs of 50 from Church House Publishing.
Books
Lent and Easter for Everyone
Tom Wright
Packed with vivid insights into the Gospels and New Testament writings, Lent and Easter for Everyone is full of stimulating questions for both personal reflection and group discussions. A fresh devotional resource both for fans of the Everyone commentaries and for all who have not yet discovered them.
Available from St Andrew’s Bookshop.
Loving My Neighbour: A Lenten Journey
Edited by Olivia Warburton
Daily Bible readings and reflections from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day explore how we can love in truth, love the vulnerable and the suffering, embrace difference, care for our world, and love ourselves as God loves us. Holy Week brings us back to reflect on Christ on the cross, who loved us to the very end.
Available from St Andrew’s Bookshop.
The Archbishops’ Lent Book and Course for 2023
Dust and Glory: A Lent journey of faith, failure and forgiveness was the Church of England’s Lent theme for 2023. The resources were informed and inspired by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s 2023 Lent Book, Failure: What Jesus said about sin, mistakes and messing stuff up (SPCK) by Bishop Emma Ineson, who has also co-written the daily reflections booklet for adults (CHP).
Big Church Read: Lent resources
The Big Church Read website has posted three resource videos for use with Lent study groups who are using the books And Yet by Rachael Newham, Embracing Justice by Isabelle Hamley, and Living His Story by Hannah Steele. Click here to watch.
St Andrew’s online bookshop have a number of discounted Lent books and study guides available, and offer discounts on bulk purchases – click here.
Godforsaken
Archbishop Stephen Cottrell
In the Gospel of Mark’s account of the Passion narrative, Jesus calls out from the cross ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ – the first line of Psalm 22. It’s an anguished expression – traditionally ascribed to King David – of defeat, failure, abandonment and despair. Join the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, as he ponders the significance of these words. What does it mean for Jesus to have quoted them, at the very end of his life? What do those words mean for us? This is a beautiful and compelling exploration of the dark, suffering side of the Passion – and how Jesus’ words lead us to the greatest hope of all.
RRP £14.99 – click here to find out more.
Living Stones, Living Hope
USPG have released a 5-week study for Lent called Living Stones, Living Hope, exploring contextual theology from five different cultures. There’s a series of webinars and a downloadable PDF course guide, available here. They have also produced a number of liturgical resources for use in a variety of services, including all-age.
Live Lent: Embracing Justice
Paperback, £1.99, Church House Publishing
Live Lent: Embracing Justice is the Church of England’s theme for Lent 2022. It invites us to examine our own lives truthfully, to see the world more deeply and to pray – for the church and the world far and near – that ‘justice may roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream’ (Amos 4.24).
For each day of Lent, this booklet for adults offers a daily Bible reading, a short reflection and a prayer, as well as a practical challenge. Each week follows a different thread through the many stories of justice in the Bible to explore how God works with humanity to bring justice, wholeness and salvation to all.
Live Lent: Embracing Justice (for kids)
Paperback, £1.50, Church House Publishing
This Lent booklet for children provides a fun daily action to help children and their families explore how we can live well together, as well as a weekly reading and prayer.
Each week follows a different thread through the many stories of justice in the Bible to explore how God brings justice, wholeness and salvation to all.
You can order single copies here, packs of 10 here, or packs of 50 here.
Resources from previous years
Thy Will Be Done
Stephen Cherry
Thy Will be Done, by Stephen Cherry (of King’s College Cambridge, whose voice we hear every year at the annual Carol Service) is the latest of many books on the Lord’s Prayer that, more than any other prayer or thing, holds us together as individuals in the church. This is a good new opportunity to deepen our understanding of very familiar words – 57 of them in the Greek – and the book will help to simplify our prayer and devotion.
A Cross In The Heart Of God
Sam Wells
A Cross in the Heart of God: Reflections on the death of Jesus is by the well-known broadcaster and vicar, Sam Wells. This is a typically thoughtful book, with a study guide too, from a priest who is able to be challenging and provoking as well as consoling and reassuring. Head on he doesn’t avoid the different understandings of Christ’s crucifixion and enables us to discover them as, indeed, God’s wondrous love.