Lent books, reading and reflections

Lent comes in spring and, like spring, it is a season of renewal. That means refreshing our spiritual lives, our Christian commitment, our prayer in the days and weeks before Easter. One way of doing this is by spiritual reading, choosing a book that we can read slowly and prayerfully over the next forty days.

Setting aside ten or twenty minutes, more if we have time, and letting ourselves be absorbed by a new perspective that shakes us out of any spiritual staleness. You can do it alone or with a partner or a group. Sometimes it helps to share reflections. Let yourself be surprised - and changed!

See some of our suggestions for Lent books to buy from the Cathedral Shop.

Dust and Glory, the official Church of England Lent Book.

Offering 40 daily reflections for Lent on faith, failure and forgiveness. It invites us to find God in the mess of everyday life. There is both an adult and a child's version, with age-appropriate ideas and challenges.

The Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent book is also about failure…

Failure: What Jesus Said About Sin, Mistakes and Messing Stuff Up.

By Bishop Emma Ineson, this is surprisingly encouraging!

For those who like a film/visual theme…

A Place For Us

By Lavinia Byrne and Jane McBride - Lent reflections based on 'West Side Story' with poems by Phil Lane. Can be used individually or by a group.

Godforsaken: The Cross - the greatest hope of all

By Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York, who always writes deeply and engagingly. He uses the lovely phrase ' a gulp of grace' as he reflects on our horrors of isolation from God and how the Resurrection brings hope and meaning to our lives

Finally, we like the look of…