Dust and Glory: Daily Bible readings from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day

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This inspiring York Course on John’s Gospel, the most mysterious of all the gospel accounts of the life of Christ, invites us to meet Jesus afresh . . . an ideal study for Lent or any time of the year In these podcasts, the bishops reflect together on specific chapters from Bishop Mark’s latest book. They explore biblical resources for living faithfully in complex times and have been prompted in part by the conclusion of the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith project. Bishop Mark’s recently published book has been written and released to be used as a Lent Course in the Diocese of Chester.

Below you will find three groups of resources. The group on Creation Care are not Lent specific, but we're highlighting them as part of our journey towards becoming an Eco-Diocese, and part of our ongoing response to the Climate Crisis. For Individuals Dust and Glory - Lent reflections from the Church of England. Sign up today to access all the resources including session guides, case study films, tips for group leaders and more. We will send you regular updates about Growing Good and the Church Urban Fund, including how you can get involved and the difference your support is making. https://growing-good.org.uk/lent-2023

An accompanying children’s version will also be available to help children and their families explore how we can live well together, offering a simple daily activity designed to explore the weekly themes. At the heart of the Christian message is a collection of abstract nouns: love; sin; forgiveness; grace. It is quite difficult to explain what the gospel message is without using some or all of those words. But the problem with abstract nouns is that when we use them, we assume that the person we are talking to understands them, and not only that, we assume that they have the same understanding of the word that we do…" An update to the award-winning Church of England campaigns app for iOS and Android – including daily audio – will be available in mid-February. Anyone who has the Church of England’s #FollowTheStar app installed will automatically get the Lent update.

In Year A, four of the Sunday Gospel readings in Lent are from John, the Bishop writes. “John is often treated like a poor relative to the other three Gospels, with scholars doubting his historical veracity, so I thought it would be good to reflect on the prevoius Sunday’s Gospel and see what John had to say.” The title of each session is taken from a favourite song. As in recent years, the weekly themes of the Archbishop’s Lent Book are also explored in daily reflections from the Church of England. As well as being offered as a Lent Course, the book could also be used as study material in any context, as a group or alone. A series of reflections for Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday then focusing on the Sundays of Lent. Read more… Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) There will be free online support for groups studying the book – including in-depth video interviews with the Archbishop of Canterbury and others exploring the themes of each of the chapters.The weekly themes of the Archbishop’s Lent Book are also explored in daily reflections from the Church of England. An update to the award-winning Church of England campaigns app for iOS and Android – including daily audio – will be available in early February. Anyone who has the Church of England’s #FollowTheStar app installed will automatically get the Lent update. Who is our neighbour?’ This is a key question that is at the heart of the Parables in Saint Luke’s Gospel. The parable of the Good Samaritan challenges us not to ask but to answer the question, ‘Who is our neighbour?’ My neighbour is not just the focus of my compassion and concern; my neighbour also teaches me what it means to serve. To be a good neighbour, I need to both give and receive, as Christ both gives and receives.

Based on threeyears of research and conversations, led by a team including Church Action on Poverty, and academics from the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University, the Lincoln Theological Institute at Manchester University, and the University of Winchester. Conversations with Christians are one of the most important influences in bringing people to faith. In this course, there are six encouraging, video-based sessions with short films, inspirational, short testimonies, real-life examples from people who are talking Jesus, and a short, easy-to-follow course book. There is plenty of chance to discuss with others, and for everyone to feel more confident in sharing their faith. Based on research, this course from Hope Together, the Church of England and the Evangelical Alliance, is accessible and useful for churches of all traditions. See www.talkingjesus.orgfor details. You can follow either ‘path’, or mix and match them, but each session has five‘stations’: a conversation starter; something to talk about together; something to reflect on;something to do; and something to deepen our Christian lives as disciples as we seek to follow Jesus Christ more faithfully. The final station concludes with prayer. These are two separate courses that help participants think through what it means to be a Christian in the everyday world and equip people to live as faithful disciples wherever they are Monday – Saturday.Lent is traditionally a time of repentance, fasting and prayer as we prepare to celebrate our salvation at Easter. Through daily readings and reflections from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day, Amy Scott Robinson explores different biblical images of repentance, sin, forgiveness and grace, bringing them together in Holy Week as a lens through which to view Christ’s work of reconciliation on the cross. is an evangelism initiative from Chris Duffett, in partnership with Simon Goddard at RiverTree Ltd, that seeks to transform the ‘private’ in-church Easter party into a public celebration of the resurrection. Explore 123GO! Living in Love and Faith, is a major new exploration of Christian teaching and learning about identity, sexuality, relationships, and marriage. The LLF course aims to help Christians think more deeply about what it means to be human. It provides a structured and accessible way for local groups to engage in and reflect on the issues at hand. Each of the five sessions explores one key topic, with an opening reflection about learning together, followed by teaching, time for discussion, and Bible study. The sessions end with an invitation to reflect on our learning, bringing it to God in prayer. Discovering our unique identity cannot be separated from exploring who we are as people created to live in relationship with God, neighbour and creation in many different contexts, past and present, and it is hoped that the group interaction of the course will engage both the head and heart amid questions, challenges and encouragement. It is not a course seeking right answers but rather an invitation to take risks as we respond to Jesus Christ’s offer of life in all its fullness wherever we find ourselves and in whatever circumstances.