Lent 2024

Lent (Feb 14 to Mar 31, 2024) offers an opportunity for individuals and worshipping communities to discover new depths to prayer and spiritual growth, as we live LIFE Together.

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2024: Watch and Pray

The words Watch and Pray written over a picture of a garden 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.

This year’s resources have been inspired and informed by the 2024 Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book, Tarry Awhile: Wisdom from Black Spirituality for people of faith by Selina Stone (SPCK). The daily reflections booklet for adults (CHP) exploring the same themes has been written by Carlton Turner, and there is also a daily challenge booklet for children and families (CHP).

Shapes for Living: online resources

A free 5-week Lent course to help you find balance in your life. ‘Life in all its fullness’ is the gift God wants for all of us, but if we are to live that calling well, we will need to find a sustainable, nurturing shape for our own lives, so easily over-busy with stressful and overwhelming demands.
Visit the Shapes for Living page

Experience Lent resource from Jumping Fish

Lent is an important time in the Christian calendar and yet it is often a challenge to explain the significance of Lent to children and to our wider worshipping communities. The interactive ideas offered in this resource, offer a chance to hear about and reflect on the journey of Lent using interactive stations.

‘Experience Lent’ follows a similar pattern to other Experience Journeys in the series such as Experience Easter and Experience Christmas. These materials have proved extremely popular in a wide range of contexts from tiny rural parishes to major cathedrals in our large cities.

The Clewer initiative’s True Freedom

True Freedom is a six week course, drawing on themes from the book of Galatians, and designed to encourage individuals and churches to respond to modern slavery in their communities..

Visit Clewer’s True Freedom here

Environmental resources for small groups

Four quick suggestions to try for those looking for resources for small groups:

https://gloucester.anglican.org/2021/environmental-resources-for-small-groups/

Personal Shapes for Living

Personal Shapes for Living, using key subjects from the Lent course, offers individual Christians, however young or old, a chance to explore the shape of their life by chatting to another person. Contact Ruth Cameron to get started: ku.gr1726599707o.coi1726599707dsolg1726599707@nore1726599707macr1726599707

Fruitfulness on the Front Line

This eight-session course helps us to see how God might have been working in and through us on our frontlines and imagine what more God might want to do there. Brimming with real-life stories, biblical insight, and practical steps, these resources will spark your imagination and enrich your sense of wonder at the greatness and grace of the God who invites us to join his glorious work. Resources are available on the LICC website.

Loved and Liked: six-session course

Loved and Liked – the six-session course offers then chance to explore how we are all uniquely made and that God actually loves and likes us. It looks at questions of identity, calling and service, and includes amazing true stories of local people.

Using easily downloadable videos and materials the course is freely available via: www.lovedandliked.life

Bishop Rachel’s book, Encounters: Jesus, connection and story: past, present and future

A good read for Lent ~ “Bishop Rachel’s book reminds us that the tangle and connectedness of human lives cannot be broken, and God’s relationship with us knows no limits or barriers … even in these toughest of times.”

~ Archbishop Justin WelbyFurther information →

The Pilgrim Way

Bishop Rachel and Bishop Robert enter into a short conversation sparked by each of the sections outlined in The Church of England booklet The Pilgrim Way: The Apostles’ Creed; the Lord’s Prayer; the Commandments; and the Beatitudes.
The Pilgrim Way series and booklet →

Pilgrim Journeys

A series of booklets which can be followed during Lent. Written by Bishop Steven Croft, each booklet offers 40 short daily Bible reflections, prayers, and suggestions for how you might respond to Jesus’ teachings in your own life.
Visit the Pilgrim Journeys webpage →