MY LENTEN READING

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

[Philippians 4:6-7 nrsv]

We live in a world that produces anxiety and where it seems that the Christian message is having little effect.

When watching the news on TV, or reading online (or the newspaper, for those who still do) it can create a feeling of helplessness regarding all the problems of the world.

Our current political landscape is laden with elected officials spewing inflammatory rhetoric daily to create a climate of resentment. At every corner it seems they conjure up some new fear to haunt our dreams and burden our days.

Christians and the church have been fighting an endless battle against those who don’t know or don’t care who Jesus is.

That was an issue in Paul’s day just as much as it is today.

And it mattered very much to Paul that the people at Philippi stand firm in the face of opposition to the Gospel.

Paul knew the dangers and he didn’t want his Philippian congregation to succumb to such pressures. So he makes a forceful appeal to this congregation to stand firm in the Lord.

It is a statement that implies that a certain discipline must be followed, like an athlete, or a musician who must train or practice each day in order to stay in shape and perform to the best of his or her abilities.

Lent is a good time to begin or improve on that discipline.

As Christians, we and the church are involved in Christ’s mission of renewing the world, of bringing hatred and injustice to an end, and of establishing God’s reign of love and peace.

One way I approach it is by keeping additional reading material around my reading chair to supplement my morning devotions.

For many years, I have relied on For All the Saints, published nearly three decades ago by the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau. It is a four-volume prayer book that has all the assigned daily lectionary readings conveniently arranged so that one doesn’t need to jump around to find them. The Psalms are included in the center of each volume. It also adds a fourth reading from a variety of writers, poets, pastors, and others – the book refers to them as “saints” – that offer another expression or meditation not necessarily reflected in the scripture passages.

I have found this book helpful, but in recent years I’ve felt a need for more contemporary reflections to expand or stir my thoughts in the morning. That yearning is heightened at Lent and Advent.

That is why I’ve turned to present-day writers to fill that void.

I’ve mentioned several of them over the years here in this space. Among my favorites are the following:

Marcus Borg Robert McAfee Brown Walter Brueggemann Sr. Joan Chittister James Cone

Justo González Thomas Merton Henri Nouwen Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Howard Thurman

My list is much longer, but these would be my top ten, listed alphabetically.

Although some of these fall outside of the “present-day” category, their voices still speak powerfully and spiritually to the issues with which we continue to wrestle. If I’m seeking a quote to give support to an opinion, these are the first names to which I would turn.

In my last post I promised a list of recommendations for devotional Lenten material for those who are looking for supplementary reading. Keep in mind that there’s a ton of stuff out there. If I were to list them all, you’d be glued to your screen beyond midnight. I’m limiting this list to five, in no order of preference, with a brief synopsis for each. (See feature photo above)

Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human by Cole Arthur Riley (New York: Convergent, 2024) – One of the newer, dynamic, young voices on the scene. As the title implies, she has composed a collection of liturgies, forty-three in all, that connect with her Christian understanding and fill a void that she has found missing in the worship spaces she has experienced.

A Beautiful Year: 52 Meditations on Faith, Wisdom, and Perseverance by Diana Butler Bass (New York: St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 2025) – Diana Butler Bass writes for the ear. She makes difficult concepts easy to understand, without dumbing down the wisdom. Divided into liturgical seasons (which is also the pattern that Cole Arthur Riley uses, by the way), Bass gives expression on what it means to be Christian.

Light for the Way: Seeking Simplicity, Connection, and Repair in a Broken World, by the Editors of Sojourners (Minneapolis: Broadleaf Books, 2026) – This is a collection of some of the most outstanding articles written in the more than fifty years that Sojourners magazine has been publishing. For those unfamiliar with the magazine, it is a monthly call to its readers to live a life of faith rooted in justice and peace. The writers of the included essays include some familiar names, such as Walter Brueggemann, who I mentioned earlier.

Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter by the Editors of Plough Publishing (Walden: Plough Publishing House, 2003) Since this is a collection of seventy-two of the more classical spiritual writers, the names will be more familiar to readers. It offers a wide array of Christian writers, grouped by themes such as Temptation, Passion, Crucifixion, Resurrection, among others. I’ve recently learned that a newer edition, published in 2025, has been expanded to include 96 essays.

You Are the Beloved: Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living by Henri J. M. Nouwen, compiled and edited by Gabrielle Earnshaw (New York: Convergent, 2017) – I confess that I can’t get enough of Henri Nouwen. Ever since I read The Wounded Healer in seminary I have gobbled up just about anything of his I can get my hands on. I find his writing calming, a soothing balm to my weary soul. I would recommend reading each daily meditation (taken from his many books) early in the morning to set the tone for your day. The title and the readings are a strong reminder of who you are and whose you are.

I pray that you find these suggestions helpful. And if you feel so inclined, I would appreciate a quick note in the comment space below of something you are reading that others may also find inspiring.  

Let us pray:
Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom: Enlighten by you Holy Spirit those who teach and those who learn, that, rejoicing in the knowledge of your truth, they may worship you and serve you from generation to generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the same Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer p. 209)