The Parish Magazine February 2024

BOOK REVIEWS FOR LENT
The Parish Magazine - February 2024 33
The Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book
Tarry Awhile: Wisdom from Black
Spirituality for People of Faith
By Selina Stone, SPCK £11.99
Tarrying is a Black Christian spiritual
practice in which believers actively
wait to experience the manifestation
of God's presence. It answers yes to
the question Jesus once asked his
disciples: will you tarry here and watch
with me? Whether in the vibrancy of
music and singing, or in the hushed
silence of the congregation, people of
all ages anticipate an encounter with
God that will transform what they
know, feel and experience day to day.
This book makes the wisdom
of Black spiritualities and faith
available for everyone. It focuses
on: darkness as a place of encounter
with the divine; the unity of all
things; movement, belonging
and migration; the Spirit as one
who moves in unexpected ways;
quiet contemplation as essential
to spiritual growth; healing in
community; and weeping that turns
to joy. Tarry Awhile offers wisdom for
all who hope to encounter God in the
midst of wearying times.
Lent and Easter for Everyone - from
Wilderness to Glory by Tom Wright,
SPCK, £10.79
Join Tom Wright on a journey through
the Gospels, as he explores the life
and impact of Jesus. Offering seven
weeks' worth of daily readings and
reflections, it enables you to relive
Christ's journey from his temptations
in the wilderness to the darkness of
the cross and beyond, into the glory of
Easter.
Holding Onto Hope: 40 days of God’s
encouragement through art and
reflections By Amy Boucher Pye and Leo
Boucher, BRF, £12.99
A 40-day journey explore the themes
of hope and new life, through vivid
biblical images. It starts with how all
creation praises God, from the flowers
of the field to the streams in the desert
and the trees clapping their hands. It
then explores the agricultural pattern
of sowing, growing and harvesting,
before moving to the gracious
promises and invitations God makes
to his people, such as how he writes
eternity onto our hearts.
There are compelling images
of God who changes his people,
clothes us, renews our minds and
strengthens us as we focus on a new
life in Christ through images such
as new wineskins, the imperishable
seed and the city to come.
Our Radiant Redeemer - Lent
Devotions on the Transfiguration
of Jesus By Tim Chester, 10Publishing,
£7.54
This devotional looks at the
transfiguration of Jesus in depth,
giving readers a glorious lens through
which to view Jesus during Lent and
Easter. As we see Jesus in his glory, we
are reminded of how marvellous he is
and how brilliant our future with him
will be. We will be moved to worship
Jesus with our whole lives, giving
thanks for all that He is and all that
He has done. Each of the 40 devotions
includes prompts to reflect and to pray.
Lent with the Beloved Disciple - the
2024 Bloomsbury Lent Book by
the Rt Revd Bishop Michael Marshall,
Bloomsbury, £10.99
The author invites us on a six-week
journey in the company of the ‘beloved
disciple’ found in the Gospel of John.
As the only disciple to have stayed
close to Jesus at every stage from
the Last Supper to the Crucifixion at
Calvary, John records subtle details
and signs which indicate a deeper and
far lasting significance.
The book explores what these signs
are and how, with prayerful reflection,
they draw us deeply into the personal,
eternal and cosmic significance and
awareness of all that Christ achieved
by his death and resurrection.
Mapping Your Spiritual Journey - a
companion and guide by Sally Welch,
Canterbury Press, £12.99
Mapping your spiritual journey is a
technique that helps us recognise and
interpret God’s presence in the highs
and lows of our life experiences. This
book offers creative ways to explore
our own spiritual journey, helping to
trace our relationship with God from
the beginning, whether looking at
our entire life or exploring significant
moments. It can be done in drawing,
collages, time-lines, maps, collections
of objects or photographs, modelling,
writing a journal, making a garden
and more. The book offers suggestions
for ways to reflect on your journey and
to deepen your understanding of God’s
presence in your life. This equips you
to look forward and plan your future
journey with God with confidence.
On Mission with Jesus - Changing
the Default Setting of the Church By
Graham Cray, Canterbury Press, £18.99
January 2024 marked the 20th
anniversary of Fresh Expressions
a movement which spread
internationally and denominationally
from its origins in the Church of
England. Graham Cray was its first
National Leader. Countless new forms
of church have emerged and the book
offers a theological understanding of
the mission of the Church.
Friend of God - the Inspiration of
Abraham in an Age of Doubt By John
C Lennox, IVP, £14.36
Abraham is the only character in the
Bible described as 'the friend of God'.
This study by John Lennox explores
why Abraham is one of the most
outstanding and influential figures in
history. He had no political or military
achievements, and he left no literary
remains, yet today more than half of
the world's population call him their
spiritual father and is a model of faith.
Curious Contemplative - Daring to
Discover New Depths with God
by Chris Webb, SPCK, £11.99
Many people would like to move
beyond the superficialities of
much of church life and explore
the spiritual practices of silence,
solitude, and stillness to cultivate
a deeper relationship with God,
others and ourselves. This book
explores Christian contemplation by
following the journey of Elijah, from
attention seeking self-appointed
leader to reflective and deep-rooted
contemplative. It examines what we
can learn and how we incorporate such
spiritual disciplines into our own lives.