“Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing.”
– Joel 2:12-13a
We, as Christians, are invited “to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 265).
There are many ways to do this and we hope that you will find the ways that are most meaningful for the spaces and places in your life that are longing for return with all your heart - to God, to community, to self.
Below you'll find information and resources to help you journey through Lent toward Easter with a hope in the resurrection that is sure to come:
Praying in Color for Lent and Holy Week
Praying in Color is the intersection of prayer and doodling. It is a visual, active, meditative, and playful way to pray.
Click the image below to download Lent & Holy Week Praying in Color Templates
Explore the many different ways to pray in color on this website!
Lenten Resources from The Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church provides a myriad of resources for journeying through Lent.
Click this link to explore devotional booklet offerings, videos, formation resources, daily reflection offerings and resources on engaging Lent through a lens of Racial Reconciliation.
Calendars for Lent
Many people like to mark the 40 day Season of Lent (Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday - the 40 days does not include Sundays!) by following or creating a calendar to count the days as well as to enter into various ways of praying, or fasting or helping others.
Below are some favorites:
United Thank Offering - a ministry of The Episcopal Church - has a calendar focused on A Grateful Lent (their theme for 2024) including this very simple and gratitude focused Calendar
The Episcopal Church has a Lenten version of the Way of Love resources: Life Transformed – The Way of Love in Lent. The journey through Lent into Easter is a journey 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.
As part of these resources you can find The Way of Love Calendar for marking the 40 days with suggestions from the Way of Love Practicers.
Lenten Reflection Booklets
Episcopal Relief and Development has a whole Lenten Program with reflections for each day based on daily scripture readings and going along with a theme of Psalm 51 - a prayer for creating a "clean heart" in us this Lent. You can read the reflections on the website or sign up for daily emails with the reflections. There is also a resources option where you can download the full booklet of all the meditations.
This Lent, our own Diocese of Massachusetts together with the Diocese of Vermont have created a joint Lenten devotional on the theme of "Baptism and Collaboration in the Body of Christ." The devotional features lay, ordained and monastic voices reflecting on the daily Scriptures of the season and the various "Will you…" questions of the baptismal covenant.
Renewing God’s Creation: Daily Meditations for Lent 2024: sign up to receive daily email meditations! Lent invites us to reflect on our relationships with God, each other, and the Earth upon which all life depends. The Creation Care Leadership Circle, a small group in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts that advises our Missioner for Creation Care, invites you to sign up to receive an inspirational daily meditation (including a short quote and an image) during the Forty Days of Lent. The quotes come from diverse sources as we honor the wisdom of many voices and traditions. Please join us for our third annual series of Lenten meditations as we contemplate the gift of the natural world and our calling to reconcile humanity with the rest of God’s creation.
And Also With You Podcast
A podcast on reclaiming an ancient Christian faith for modern Christian life, with the Reverend Lizzie McManus-Dail and the Reverend Laura Di Panfilo. or find the latest episodes on your favorite podcast app). You can also follow the show on Instagram @andalsowithyourpodcast to learn when new episodes are released.
So what exactly IS Lent anyway? Do different Christian traditions celebrate Lent differently? Do I have to give something up for Lent? Is Lent basically the time we all feel really bad about ourselves?
Join us as we unpack these questions and wonder and wander into the murk of being human beings with human bodies who are preparing for death ... and resurrection.(Click here to listen to the episode on Lent)
