Recalling the Hope of Glory: Biblical Worship from the Garden to the New Creation by Allen P. Ross.
I had the privilege of taking a class with Allen Ross about a decade ago, during my first semester of seminary. It was a course called "Background to the Gospels."
This book on Biblical Worship was published in 2006, and we got it soon after (I think I bought it at the sem bookstore as a gift for my dear husband). I've read the introduction a couple of times in the past year, and have been moved by the way the language (both scholarly and beautiful) points way past it itself and helps you to keep your eyes focused on God: his essential nature, his character and attributes, his uniqueness.
For Lent this year, I'm reading just a bit each day. I have no grand plans to finish this book any time soon (it's big) but am letting myself sip. Another professor I studied under at Trinity, Arnie Klukas, helped me see the difference between reading for "information" and reading for "formation." A few paragraphs per day of this weighty and contemplative book is how I'm attempting to read for formation during the lenten season.
It also ties in well with another much smaller book I've been working through in recent weeks: Teaching Kids Authentic Worship by Kathleen Chapman. It's a simple and practical little book about the importance of helping children to love and worship God -- because (as she helpfully points out) we all worship something. We're wired for devotion, kids no less than adults. Now is the time to gently lead children into a deeper knowledge of who God is so that they will know his excellence, his beauty, his holiness.
Our fellowship group at church is beginning a few-week Lenten study using a book called A Clearing Season by Sarah Parsons. It's published by the Upper Room. I've only skimmed the first few pages so I'll have to revisit that one here another time. Essentially it looks like a guide to "clearing space" in the wilderness of our lives so that we can better hear and love God. What obstacles are in our way? What spiritual practices and disciplines might help us hear his voice better? Always timely questions, and not just at lent.
2 comments:
Looks like some great Lenten reading! It seems like Ash Wednesday came really early this year. I can remember it being on my birthday before, but not before my dad's birthday. Easter is not even a week after St. Patrick's Day! The weather was pretty wicked here on Ash Wednesday so we weren't expecting to see a lot of folks at our service, but it was pretty packed. Good to know so many people don't mind venturing out in the cold and snow for church!
Yep, this is almost as early as Easter (hence Lent) can be. Easter is actually a few days before my birthday this year, a extremely rare occurrence. And it won't be this early again for many, many years. I checked the prayer book (which has a table for finding Easter dates) and the next time it falls even close to this early, and falls before my birthday, isn't until 2035, when it will fall on March 25!
So Lent completely snuck up on me too. In fact, we just finished putting away the Christmas creche on Sunday afternoon!
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