Reading for Lent

About five years ago I discovered the wonderful Advent reader, Watch for the Light. Composed of daily readings through the Advent and Christmas season, Watch for the Light contains works by many notable Christian authors, poets, thinkers, theologians, and preachers across the centuries. It has become a staple of my Advent diet, as I return year after year to these deep reflections on the meaning of the Incarnation.

A few months ago I noticed there is a companion volume to Watch for the Light. It showed up in my Amazon box a few weeks ago.


Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter carries the reader into and through the next great season of the Christian calendar. It contains 46 readings to take us through the season of Lent and Holy Week (divided into four sections: Invitation, Temptation, Passion, and Crucifixion), and then another 25 for Easter and the days following (divided into Resurrection and New Life). Included are poems, essays, and reflections by authors such as Oscar Wilde, Kathleen Norris, Walter Wangerin, Thomas a Kempis, Fleming Rutledge, C.S. Lewis, Brennan Manning, John Donne, Blaise Pascal, Wendell Berry, Martin Luther, Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day and Amy Carmichael. Most of the writings are 2-4 pages long, making them useful for a morning's reading over coffee and breakfast, a reflective reading to end the day, or even a lunch-time pause in the hectic pace of daily life.

Now, I must admit. I haven't read this book yet. I'm waiting until Lent begins next week before I dig in, so this is a recommendation based more on overall appearance, and the fact that I enjoy the companion Watch for the Light so much. However, some of you may be looking for this sort of thing, and should I wait until after I've read it, it would be too late, as Lent and Easter would be over. So there you go.

In the meantime, may your reading be deep and meaningful in these days of shallow and transitory, and may the Lord reveal himself as we enter into Lent, preparing ourselves once again for the Celebration of Christ's Resurrection.

FWIW

I don't care in the slightest that the new Harry Potter book is coming out tomorrow. I haven't read one page of any of the previous books, and I don't really intend to. I have noticed the hubbub all over the news, and I do know a lot of people are breathless with anticipation. I'm just not one of them.

And no, it's not because it's about witchcraft and such. It's more because I'd rather read Tolstoy or Annie Dillard or Luci Shaw than a pop children's book. Call me weird.

Friday Random 10

I don't know about this one. #2 is off an album I really loved, but it's not aging well. And the randomness of the genres kind of set me on edge - jumping from jazz to bluegrass to baroque. Still, we got our Vineyard song in there for Vince (Surrender), and both the Derek Webb and Mindy Smith albums are aging quite well, so there are some diamonds in here. I just may need to clean out my music files a bit.

Party Goin’ On Upstairs – The Electrics

Lay it Down – Todd Agnew

A Kiss to Build a Dream On – Louis Armstrong

Never Far Away – Jack White

Flobt, mein Heiland – Kathleen Battle

Surrender – Kim McMechen

Take to the World – Derek Webb

Walk Right Back – Nanci Griffith

Desire – U2

Hurricane – Mindy Smith

Slice of Life
Right now, down at my house (and for the last 3 days, too), are:
- my two precious children
- my sister-in-law
- my niece (3) and nephew (1)
- my mother-in-law, from Southern California
- my aunt-in-law, from Mexico

And Karina is at the airport in Oakland, trying to get home, but the airport is a mess. And they had an earthquake this morning.

Chaotic might be the right word for it. Yes, it's all fun, and someday we'll all laugh about these days. For now, I just think I'll stay up here in my office.