An Invitation to a Holy Lent

We begin Lent this year on February 22 with worship for Ash Wednesday. St Stephen's is offering a Quiet Morning on Saturday, February 25 to start the season with reflection.

St Stephen’s primary focus during Lent will be on Sunday worship. Make it a priority to join us for worship for the five weeks of Lent and Easter!  

For folks who would prefer an additional resource for home study, the following options are recommended. Pastor Ruth is available for one-on-one or small group discussion of these materials.  

• From our Diocese comes Lent with Leonard Cohen, a 5-week study pairing Lenten themes with the music of Leonard Cohen. St Stephen’s office can arrange printed copies of the guide, but you will need access to selected songs by Leonard Cohen.  
• Every year for Lent, the Archbishop of Canterbury selects a book around which the Church of England often themes their Lenten studies. This year’s book is Failure: What Jesus Said About Sin, Mistakes and Messing Stuff Up by Emma Ineson, bishop of Kensingthon and former bishop to the archbishops of York and Canterbury.  It’s an accessible, timely read with discussion questions at the end of each chapter. The references are mainly to the UK and the Church of England but many of the challenges and situations will be familiar to Canadian Anglicans. And failure is a basic fact of human existence. (The Church of England is running a campaign called “Dust and Glory” that parallels the book – an app with daily reflections and prayer is available; please speak to Pastor Ruth for details).  
• Lent Madness 2023 is this year’s offering of an annual online devotion from the US that invites participants to learn more about the saints (and other holy men and women) through a “March Madness” style “tournament.”
• Lastly, the brothers of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist (SSJE) have offered a series of reflections on the Lord’s Prayer for Lent. Lent 2023: The Lord’s Prayer is available online although the church office can assist with a printed copy of the reflections. The website also features a slide show reflection on the prayer.