Ten years ago, I published a collection of readings for the season of Lent. I called it Lent for Non-lent People.

It had started with a post about 33 things that you could give up for Lent. And it grew from there. The idea was that there may be something valuable in Lent for the many of us who didn’t grow up aware of or observant of the church season of Lent. 

I had thought about not mentioning the book this year. I worry about being too promotional. I worry about being consumed by measuring up to giving things up. I worry.

But I realized that as a collection of readings for seven weeks, this book is really about more than measuring up for a season. So this is not a commercial for my Lent book. 

I wrote about Lent as an experiment in habit, Lent as finding living food, the forty day fasts of Elijah and Jesus, the conversations Jesus had with several women, having a cup of tea with Jesus, 7 lessons to learn from sleepy disciples, and the difference between routine and ritual.

And whether we are fitting into the framework of Lent, or we want to change our habits and spiritual health during the next couple months, it doesn’t hurt to have some suggestions.

So that’s what this book is. It’s not a Catholic book or a formal church book. It’s training wheels for attending to the way we live our lives that draws on some stories from the Bible.

The readings start in the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. In 2023, that means they start on Sunday, February 19.

I offer it as a resource.

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Lent for Non-Lent People: “33 Things To Give Up For Lent” And Other Readings