God for Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Lent and Easter

by Greg Pennoyer (Editor), Gregory Wolfe (Editor), Kathleen Norris (Contribution by), Luci Shaw (Contribution by), Ronald Rolheiser (Contribution by)

Overview

Examine the meaning of Lent and its significance in spiritual formation and the preparation for Easter, and walk through the holy season of Easter. Leading North American spiritual writers reflect on what one theologian has called the "bright sadness" of Lent: that it is not about feeling of broken and lost, but about cleansing the palate so we can taste life to a greater extent. In the Lent and Easter seasons, we encounter the God who, in all of life, is for us--for our liberation, for our healing, for our wholeness. Even in death we can find resurrection.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612617688
Publisher:	Paraclete Press
Publication date:	12/01/2015
Pages:	218
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Greg Pennoyer is president of The Humanitas Group, which manages creative endeavors designed to enrich our understanding of what it means to be human.

Beth Bevis is program coordinator for Seattle Pacific University's MFA in Creative Writing, and the editor of Image journal's e-newsletter, ImageUpdate.

Scott Cairns is a poet and his most recent collection is Slow Pilgrim from Paraclete Press. Cairns is Professor of English at the University of Missouri, and a Guggenheim Fellow.

Kathleen Norris is an award-winning poet and bestselling nonfiction author. Her books include Dakota: A Spiritual Geography and The Cloister Walk.

Richard Rohr is a Franciscan priest, spiritual director and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque.

Ronald Rolheiser is a Roman Catholic priest, an award-winning author, and president of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. He lectures on religion, culture, and mysticism.

James Calvin Schaap taught literature and writing at Dordt College. He has published many short stories and novels, including Romey's Place and In the Silence There Are Ghosts.

Luci Shaw is a poet and the writer-in-residence at Regent College in Vancouver, B.C.

Lauren F. Winner is an Episcopal priest and author of Girl Meets God and Still: Notes on a Mid-faith Crisis. She lives in North Carolina.

Gregory Wolfe founded Image journal, and is now the editor of Slant Books.

Table of Contents

Preface Greg Pennoyer v

Introduction Ronald Rolheiser, Om! 1

The Feasts and Fasts of Lent Beth Davis 7

Shrove Tuesday and the First Week of Lent $$$ 15

Second Week of Lent $$$ 63

Third Week of Lent $$$ 85

Fourth Week of Lent $$$ 109

Fiftth Week of Lent $$$ 133

Holy Week and Easter $$$ 167

Histories of the Feasts and Fasts of Lent Beth Bevis

Shrove Tuesday 13

Ash Wednesday 19

The First Sunday of Lent 33

The Second Sunday of Lent 59

The Third Sunday of Lent/Holy Cross 83

The Fourth Sunday of Lent/Laetare Sunday 107

The Fifth Sunday of Lent/Saint Mary of Egypt (formerly Passion Sunday) 131

Lazarus Saturday 149

Annunciation of the Lord 155

Palm Sunday 165

Maundy Thursday 177

Good Friday 183

Holy Saturday 189

Easter/Pascha 195

Notes 203

Acknowledgments 211

Contributors 213

Editors 215

Editorial Reviews

Have you ever celebrated the rhythms of the weeks before Easter? In some traditions of the Church, Christians are surprised by Easter when it appears on store shelves loaded with Easter bunnies and egg baskets. In many modern denominations, Easter is just one more long weekend that culminates in a special church service. There is no Lenten meditation for a thoughtful pause in the calendar.

This year, I challenge you to find a good Lenten reader. A new one this year is God For Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Lent and Easter. (Look for it in your local bookstore or online.)

For those who experience Easter as "Just-Another-Long-Weekend," this is a godsend. The book is divided into categories: the feasts and fasts, the beginnings and weeks, and Holy Week and Easter. Each unit includes a bit of liturgical or church history as well as scriptures, thoughtful reflection and study, and prayer. The daily readings may make your heart sing.

The scripture groupings for daily meditation and the explanations from new points-of-view will encourage and enlighten. --Rosa Smith, 3 Books Full

"Have you ever celebrated the rhythms of the weeks before Easter? In some traditions of the Church, Christians are surprised by Easter when it appears on store shelves loaded with Easter bunnies and egg baskets. In many modern denominations, Easter is just one more long weekend that culminates in a special church service. There is no Lenten meditation for a thoughtful pause in the calendar. This year, I challenge you to find a good Lenten reader. A new one this year is God For Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Lent and Easter. (Look for it in your local bookstore or online.) For those who experience Easter as "Just-Another-Long-Weekend," this is a godsend. The book is divided into categories: the feasts and fasts, the beginnings and weeks, and Holy Week and Easter. Each unit includes a bit of liturgical or church history as well as scriptures, thoughtful reflection and study, and prayer. The daily readings may make your heart sing. The scripture groupings for daily meditation and the explanations from new points-of-view will encourage and enlighten. I loved the personal prayers in spoken English.

So - we may be looking forward to Christmas now - but Easter is coming! Wouldn't this book be a nice gift for those you care about?" --Rosemarie Kowalski

The reader's edition of God For Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Lent and Easter is comprised of a series of impressively informed and informative articles examining the meaning of Lent and its significance in spiritual formation and the preparation for Easter, and walking the reader through the holy season of Easter. Leading North American spiritual writers reflect on what one theologian has called the "bright sadness" of Lent: that it is not about feeling of broken and lost, but about cleansing the palate so we can taste life to a greater extent. In the Lent and Easter seasons, we encounter the God who, in all of life, is for us--for our liberation, for our healing, for our wholeness. Even in death we can find resurrection. God For Us is very highly recommended, especially for members of the Christian community regardless of their denominational affiliations.--Midwest Book Review

This book is a devotional and insightful description of the days of Lent. The editors have stitched together a collection of devotions from some of the best spiritual writers of our era. Readers can use this devotional as a guide through Lent. Together with the historical background provided by Beth Bevis, we will get a better sense of why Lent us such an important part of the Christian calendar. We do not simply fast for fasting sake. Neither do we deprive ourselves of certain luxuries just to transport ourselves back to the wilderness experience of the saints of old. We do so with an eye on the cross. We maintain our anchor on Christ even as we think about how life and the remembrance of each day of Lent fits together. At the end of it, all the authors have encouraged us to hang on to hope even as we are enduring the tough days of life. The significance of the Resurrection is made more complete in us as we go through the journey. This book is a good companion to take along as we embark upon this spiritual expedition.--Conrade Yap

From the Publisher