Books for Lent

Lent for Everyone Mark Year B by Tom Wright (SPCK £6.99)
The latest volume in Tom Wright’s very popular ‘Lent for Everyone’ series, looking at St Mark’s Gospel.
There is a reflection and prayer for every day of Lent and Easter, following the lectionary readings.
The Gospel passages are Tom Wright’s own translation, from his New Testament for Everyone.

Love Unknown by Ruth Burrows (Continuum £9.99)
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent choice is always popular and thought-provoking.   Last year’s Barefoot Disciple by Stephen Cherry and 2010′s Our Sound is our Wound by lucy Winkett were sell-outs. This year’s book is another interesting and intelligent book. it is written by the Carmelite nun known in particular for her Essence of Prayer and ‘the Interior Castle’ explored.
In this book, the author gives the Contemplative’s perspective on moving from being ‘religious’ to being a true disciple. She is especially concerned for the young. “Unless a real love for Jesus is awakened in their hearts, unless they have been helped to see something of the sheer wonder and beauty of the contents of the faith in which they are instructed, how can they withstand the atheism of our materialistic society?”

The Way of the Desert by Andrew Watson (Bible Reading Fellowship £7.99)
The annual BRF Lent book is another popular choice.
Bible Readings for Ash Wednesday to Easter Day, based on the story of Exodus and the wanderings in the desert from Egypt to the Promised Land.  What was the point of it all?
Added to this are insights from the New Testament. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert – the first ‘Lent’.  What did he do?The author sees the relevance of the desert for us today.
Watch Andrew Watson introduce the book on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agt-dxi6QRw

On Retreat: a Lenten Journey by Andrew Walker (Continuum £9.99)
This book can be used by individuals or in small groups. There are chapters for each of the 5 weeks of Lent, and also for Palm Sunday and Easter Day.
“A retreat offers a chance to nourish the soul, but for many people the traditional retreat experience is prohibitively expensive or time-consuming.  On Retreat builds on the annual opportunity that Lent gives us to look afresh at ourselves and at God, and leads the reader on a journey of personal prayer from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day.  Andrew Walker invites us to explore a world of spiritual possibilities in the everyday, and so develop a deeper relationship with God and a reconnection to daily living, reinvigorated and hopeful”
On Retreat is our Book of the Month for February, and is available for just £8.99 if you mention this email.

Light breaks forth  (DLT £5.99)
Another book which follows the lectionary readings, from a number of spiritual writers.
“…each one of us has our own small but vital part to play in the great drama of Lent and Easter. In these forty days, shadowing the wilderness experience of Jesus, our lives, like his, are at a turning point. Do we choose the way of hope, love and justice, or the way of possessions, competitiveness and power?”

The Nail by Stephen Cottrell (SPCK £6.99)
Seven chapters, each focusing on a different Gospel character, and giving seven individual’s experience of the Crucifixion. Each character considers who killed Christ, and who was responsible.
There is a Bible passage and prayer with each reflection.
The book can also be used for group study, or adapted for use as a Good Friday liturgy.
Another book by the author of the popular Do Nothing to Change your Life, Hit the Ground Kneeling, and the Easter books Things he Carried and Things he Said.

Love Set Free: Meditations on the Passion According to St John by Martin L. Smith (Canterbury Press £7.99)
A short book of meditations on the fourth Gospel showing how in the Christian mystery love must be ‘set free’ from all the complications with which we constantly entangle it – the desire to possess, the need to control, narcissism and so forth.
The author is known among other things for the popular the Word is Very Near You.

Stations of the Nativity, the Cross and the Resurrection by Raymond Chapman  (Canterbury Press £12.99)
A newly published combination of enlarged editions of Raymond Chapman’s popular Stations of the Nativity and Stations of the Resurrection.  It includes a new section on the Stations of the Cross. Illustrated with woodcuts by Eric Gill and David Jones

The Heart’s Time: a poem a day for Lent and Easter by Janet Morley  (SPCK £9.99)
A different one, this, but proving extremely popular.
A day by day Lent book offering a poem appropriate to the themes of the season for each day, along with a short reflection from the editor and a couple of questions to reflect upon.

We also have lots of old favourites, and previous year’s BRF, Cafod and Mowbray selections, as well as other books which could easily be used as a Lent book, such as Nicholas Holtam’s The Art of Worship with or without the accompanying CD of choral music from St Martin-in-the-Fields.

This year we are will be selling a few of the Real Easter Egg – the only one of the 80 million Easter Eggs sold which mentions Jesus!  It retails at £3.99 and tells the story of Easter on the box.  What’s more, it’s FairTrade.  Orders taken.

Do you need palm crosses? Paschal candles and/or transfers?  All in stock.  Email bookshop@sarum.ac.uk or phone 01722 326899 if you would like anything to be put to one side for collection, or posted to you.

We also have a good selection of children’s books  for Easter – some with stickers, some of crafts.  Give a book of the Easter story rather than (or as well as!) an Easter Egg!   Many of these are on ’3 for 2′ at the moment, ie buy 3 and the cheapest is free.  Do get in touch if you would like a selection on ‘Sale or Return’ to offer after church one Sunday for adults to look at over coffee.  It may be the only chance many people have to see these kinds of books.

Finally, we have a great supply of Easter Cards.