February 16, 2021

Resources for Lent

This year, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 17, and ends on Easter Sunday April 4th, 2021. Last year at this time, we were just hearing about COVID-19, not knowing that it would change all our lives. Now looking at celebrating a second Easter virtually, we hope that the vaccines will enable us to join together before too long. For Lent this year, we’ve brought together a collection of resources with ideas to help make the best of this time apart.

1. The Episcopal Church’s website lists many available resources for Lent, including Living the Way of Love: A 40-Day Devotional, and the podcast Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community. Click here to reach their page.

2. Lent Madness is an offering of Forward Movement, created in 2010 by the Rev. Tim Schenck. Instead of basketball’s March Madness, Lent Madness pits saints against each other in a tournament-like, single elimination bracket. To join in the fun and learn more about the saints, click here. To see Forward Movement’s different Lenten and Easter products, click here.

3. Living Compass offers a variety of Lenten resources as part of their series, Living Well Through Lent 2021: Listening with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength and Mind. It includes a daily email, a Lent devotional available in English and Spanish, and a private Facebook discussion group moderated by Robbin Brent, Jan Kwiatkowski, and Scott Stoner.

4. The Episcopal Diocese of Washington has put together a collection of links, guidelines and observations about Lent and how to proceed during the pandemic on their website. Click here to reach their page.

5. Illustrated Ministry’s page lists ideas for Lent-at-Home kits and Lent-in-a-box resources, among other offerings for families with children.

6. Church Publishing is offering a free Lent, Holy Week and Easter packet which includes a variety of ideas for Lent, Holy Week, and Easter. “Some are active, some are reflective, and all are meant to enrich this season of faith”.

7. Episcopal Relief and Development sends daily meditations during Lent. This season, they’ve chosen lament as their meditation theme, due to all the lives lost during the pandemic and other losses including jobs and livelihoods, the chance to travel to visit loved ones and the ability to worship together in church buildings. Click here to sign up to receive their Lenten Meditations 2021.

8. The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan has shared their Lent at Home booklet, in the style of Benedictine prayer. They will also pray together online on their Facebook page at 9 am and 3 pm EST, click here to reach their page.

9. Episcopal Migration Ministries, in partnership with members of the Episcopal Asylum Ministry Network, is offering a daily Lenten devotional series. Written reflections will be released daily beginning Ash Wednesday, February 17, through Easter Sunday, April 4 and will also be available on the Episcopal Migration Ministries blog. Click here to sign up to receive their daily devotional.

10. In Creative Ideas for a COVID-19 Ash Wednesday, Neva Rae Fox presents several clergy opinions on what they are doing this year to keep the traditions but, most importantly, to keep their congregations safe. Should there be ashes? Should they be distributed ahead of time and self-imposed? These are some of the questions that have to be addressed this year.