kneel in wonder at heaven touching earth

Help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer

I usually help lead, or at least attend, one of the Lent Study Groups at Church. But this year that isn’t going to happen. Something else that my current health issues are getting in the way of. The problem is, without the Church groups, I’ve been completely useless about organizing an alternative for myself. I do generally buy one of the many Lent books that are produced every year, but haven’t done so this year.

So I decided eventually that I would just use some of the resources I already have at home, and save some money. Over the last few months while I’ve been ill, I’ve been trying to say Morning Prayer every day. Sometimes, though, it has been missed more than it should have been.

One of my Lent disciplines this year is therefore to try harder with Morning Prayer, make it more of a priority. That will, I hope, help me to “grow in prayer”.

And a second Lent discipline, one to help me “grow in wisdom”, is to use the Tom Wright “For Everyone” commentary’s for the New Testament lessons each morning. The New Testament Lessons on the weekdays during Lent all come from Galatians, Hebrews, and Luke for Holy Week. I’ve found them to be very accessible books; but then I like pretty well all Tom Wright does, even his more academic writing published under the N. T. Wright name.

It won’t be the same as studying as a part of a group, and I suspect the discipline will be more difficult on my own. But I’ve made a good start this week, and hope to continue in the same vein. Hopefully I will have a good Lent despite my health.

Heavenly Father,
your Son battled with the powers of darkness,
and grew closer to you in the desert:
help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer
that we may witness to your saving love
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Additional Collect for the First Sunday of Lent
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council