Lent – it slipped up on me this year. Maybe it’s because winter lags on and I have exactly one flower, a single Lenten rose, blooming in my yard at the moment. Maybe I’m still getting used to attending in-person gatherings and staying on a schedule again.
In any case, I’ve found myself without a Lenten devotional purchased and ready to go tomorrow. Oops. What’s a devout Episcopalian to do? No worries, I tell myself. Read something already on your bookshelf. If you must have something new (note to self: sinfulness to consider this season), just download a Lenten devotional on your e-reader. Quick, easy, and affordable.
Here’s what I’ve found for progressive, liturgical folks who need a Lenten devotional in their lives but who also forgot to do their shopping this year:
Rise: An Authentic Lenten Devotional, by John Pavlovitz. New this year. (Yes, I read a review copy a few weeks back; does that count?) Focusing on the themes of struggle and hope, this is a nice set of devotions by a progressive Christian.
Lent in Plain Sight: A Devotion Through Ten Objects, by Jill Duffield. This is what I chose after perusing all the many offerings available. Presbyterian author offers devotionals based on ordinary objects in Jesus’ life (dust, coins, bread, etc.)
Show me the Way: Daily Lenten Readings, by Henri J. M. Nouwen. These writings by renowned spiritual author Nouwen are chosen from previously published works. You can’t go wrong with Nouwen for Lent.
Wondrous Encounters: Scripture for Lent, by Richard Rohr. Classic Rohr themes of self-examination and transformation. If you’re a Richard Rohr fan, this one’s for you.
Lent with Evelyn Underhill, ed. G. P. Mellick Belshaw. Who’s my favorite spiritual writer? Evelyn Underhill, hands down. A British writer of the early twentieth century, she always speaks to me and to my spiritual fretfulness. This set of Lenten devotions are pulled from her work (and has a permanent place on my bookshelf).
With Blessings for a Holy Lent, Cindy
Cynthia Coe is the author of The Prayer Shawl Chronicles: Stories of Unlikely Connections & Unexpected Gifts, along with several other fiction and non-fiction books.
Legal Disclosures: I generally receive free digital copies of books I review from the publishers. If I read them and like them, I say so. Otherwise, I don’t. I provide links to these products, and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases (which means I may get a very small fee if you click through the link and buy something). Honestly, I write this blog for fun and to promote my own books. I pay for expenses out of my own pocket.
Sycamore Cove 