Sharing the Easter Story: From reading to living the gospel

Digital eBook Only - In this year’s BRF Lent book Sally Welch explores two questions: What is the Easter story really about, and how do we share it? 

Through each week of Lent, a different aspect of the Easter story is examined: repenting, forgiving, hoping, trusting, sacrificing, loving and changing.

Within each week, the days are focused on what we need to do in order to share the story: listening, understanding, reflecting, living, telling, sharing and becoming. Each day offers a Bible passage, followed by a reflection and a prayer. Suggestions for group study and group study questions are also included.

Sally Welch is a parish priest of 20 years’ standing, having ministered in both rural and urban contexts within the Diocese of Oxford. She is currently the diocesan spirituality adviser and co-director of the Centre for Christian Pilgrimage. Sally is a committed pilgrim and has walked many pilgrim routes in the UK and Europe, with plans for many more.

‘Imbued with biblical insight, this book delves into the basic human
nature of our lives, the failings, the forgivings and the foibles of the
way we are and the way we behave. Into the glorious muddle of
our lives, we search for God and find God, revealed distinctively in
the Easter story. We find God on a journey through repentance and
restitution, forgiveness and faith, arriving at the Easter dawn with
a renewed sense of our place in the world and the way in which we
can and should relate to each other and to God. In Sally Welch we
have a delightful, experienced pastoral guide who looks back at
lockdowns and opens up new pastures of faith, hope and love as
we journey on.’
Gordon Giles, canon chancellor, Rochester Cathedral and author of
At Home in Lent

‘Sally has a wonderful gift of bringing the biblical text alive by
connecting its stories and images to contemporary examples we
are familiar with and perhaps experience ourselves. The result is
fresh insight into God’s great overarching story and an invitation
to participate in it ourselves.’
Elizabeth Hoare, director of spiritual formation and pastoral care,
Wycliffe Hall

‘In this both challenging and encouraging Lent book, Sally has
woven a beautiful golden cord, binding together scriptural truth and
wisdom, profound contemporary relevance and insightful personal
experience. Written with warmth, love and understanding, this is a
genuine treasure to accompany your Lenten journey and, indeed,
for any time or season.’
Margaret Silf, author of Lighted Windows

Transforming Ministry online February 2022. Review by Sue Piper

Sharing the Easter Story

Sally Welch leads us through Lent from reading, to living the gospel. In her introduction, she explains how we might share the Easter story as individuals, or as a group. She also offers a study structure that might be used by a group from opening prayer, discussion, forum, reflection, plenary and through to a closing prayer. Her seven weeks take us through repenting, forgiving, hoping, trusting, sacrificing, loving and changing. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, each daily bible reading is followed by the author’s reflection, then she offers some questions for discussion or for self-examination: questions such as ‘Learning to trust is one of life’s most difficult tasks.  Who do you trust and why? Do you find it easy or difficult to trust God?’ Each session ends with a closing prayer appropriate to that day’s subject. 

Reading and praying my way through this beautiful Lent book has helped me to focus more deeply on my personal faith as well as understanding more about how God has been, and still is, at work in me and the world around me. I have been made to examine my own human frailties and sharing together in a group would help me understand more about myself and those with whom I share. In her epilogue the author gives us some final reflections such as: ‘What have I learned about myself during this Lenten period?’ and ‘How might I share all that God means to me – and all that he could mean to others?’ Are you brave enough to take on this loving Lenten challenge? 

Reviewed by Sue Piper