Lenten Reading List

Rev. Susan G. Astarita

March 19, 2006

 

Dear Friends,

As promised, I offer Mother Susan's Lenten Reading List for your journey.

Taylor, Barbara Brown. Speaking of Sin: The Language of Salvation. Boston: Cowley Publications, 2000, 101 pp. paper. contemporary, well-written and provocative.

Smith, Martin. A Season for the Spirit: Readings for the Days of Lent. Boston: Cowley Publications, 2004. My very favorite for the season. This book may be read year after year.

Smith, Martin. The Word Is Very Near You: A Guide to Praying with Scripture. Boston: Cowley Publications, 1989, 214 pp. paper. Wonderful chapters about "God is a conversation," "The Trinity in Our Praying with Scripture" and a list of thematic clusters of scripture as themes for prayer.

Smith, Martin. Preparing for Confession in the Episcopal Church. If you are thinking about the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Lenten season, Martin Smith offers an invitation to mediation and preparation.

Portaro, Sam. DAYSPRINGS: Meditations for the Weekdays of Advent, Lent and Easter. Boston: Cowley Publications, 2001, 228 pp. paper. Humorous and insightful meditations following the lectionary of the day from this former Ascension, Sligo seminarian who recently retired after a distinguished career as Chaplain, Brent House, University of Chicago.

Borg, Marcus. Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time or Reading the Bible Again for the First Time. San Francisco: Harper, 302 pp. paper. Fresh thinking, fresh perspectives and analysis.

Smith, Huston. The World's Religions. San Francisco: Harper, 1991. Smith, a professor at University of California, Berkeley, explores all the wisdom traditions of the world. This is must reading for all who wish to live prayerfully in our global community.

Williams, Rowan. Resurrection: Interpreting the Easter Gospel. Cleveland: the Pilgrim Press, 2002 revised, 112 pp. paper. Based on a Lenten lecture series given by the current Archbishop of Canterbury.

Any or several of these small volumes will be good reading companions through the Lenten season. Most are available online at the Episcopal Bookstore, Amazon or the Washington National Cathedral bookstore.

Faithfully,

Mother Susan +