The season of Lent—the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter—begins on February 14 this year. Several Episcopal Church organizations have created no- or low-cost Lenten devotions, reflections, and curricula for individuals and congregations.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has invited Episcopalians and all Christians to join the more than 25 partners presenting the Good Book Club, an opportunity for reflection and prayer. The Good Book Club is a churchwide program that invites the reading of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles during the liturgical seasons of Lent and Easter 2018.  Led by Forward Movement,  the Good Book Club readings begin the Sunday prior to Ash Wednesday (February 11, 2018), and finish on Pentecost (May 20, 2018). A comprehensive toolkit is available for downloading.

Michael Curry also joined the leaders of the Anglican Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in preparing Lent devotions for the upcoming liturgical season called Set Free By Truth.

Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John is a six-week curriculum on John’s gospel from the Society of Saint John the Evangelist (SSJE) and the Center for the Ministry of Teaching of the Virginia Theological Seminary. The free program includes a downloadable and printable prayer journal, a facilitation guide for small groups, videos from the monks of SSJE, and daily email meditations beginning on February 14. Supporting materials, including images and text for use in bulletins, flyers, email and websites are available at ssje.org/meetingjesusresources. More information and online registration is available at meetingjesusinjohn.org.

Bishop Lee and other bishops of the Episcopal Church have contributed to a five-week curriculum on civil discourse being released in time for Lent by the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations. The curricula, which can also be used at other times of the year, is designed “to guide you in discussions about politics, policy, and legislation, all while strengthening our relationships with one another.” Find it online.

Living Compass’s Lenten booklet, called Living Well Through Lent 2018/Vivir Un Buens Cuaresma En El 2018,  is designed for individual reflection or group study and is available  in English or Spanish. Living Compass provides these booklets to congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago for no charge and with free shipping. Order online at shop.livingcompass.org in any quantity while supplies last using the discount code CHILENT.

Episcopal Relief & Development’s 2018 Lenten Meditations, available in English and Spanish, focuses on early childhood development with meditations that explore how children inform our spirituality and what we can learn from their spiritual lives. More Lenten resources from Episcopal Relief & Development and an option to receive meditations via email are available online. Congregations are also invited to participate in Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday on the first Sunday in Lent, February 18, or another convenient date during the year.

To suggest a resource for this list, please email Jen Boyle-Tucker.