Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal (Fullness of Time, 1) by Esau McCaulley

Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal (Fullness of Time, 1) Reviews

• 
  Jeff Carlson

  Beautiful reflections for a beautiful season in the church. An important reminder that “ritual is both a means is spiritual formation (we learn through repetition) and an encounter (God meets us in the act of worship and praise in the liturgy). McCaulley walks through the idea of repentance, fast, and the services of Holy Week, ultimately to inspire us to understand more deeply what Lent offers: “the chance to see the beauty of life with God” that requires “a quieting of the soul and a lessening of distractions so that we can again hear the voice of God.” Can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
• 
  Emilie Jackson

  Approachable, gentle, encouraging, and soaked with the gospel. Whether you practiced Lent for years or for the first time, this book has something for you.
• 
  Teresa

  Clear, concise, profound, and helpful— all in one.
• 
  Amber Thiessen

  I read this as Lent began. I appreciated learning about this season from the Anglican tradition, reflecting on their foundation for the practice and the liturgies used. As this faith tradition hasn't been my own, it was interesting and thorough, even though it's a pretty short book. I was reminded that Lent is a season about repentance, which invited me to consider my own life and areas to surrender and ask for the Lord's grace. He writes, "central to Lent is the idea that we need this kind of renewal consistently throughout our lives. We do not receive God’s grace only when we turn to him at the beginning of our spiritual journey. God’s grace meets us again and again."
  
  Recommend if you're interested in learning more about Lent, even if you're from a different faith tradition, the are good things to consider in preparation for Easter.
  
  *Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
• 
  Amy Living Well Read

  Lent by Esau McCaulley is a tiny little book, but it is filled with great content.
  
  I was so excited to receive this book from @ivpress and then open it up to find that first endorsement of this book was from @teeshahadra, the sister-in-law of one of my best friends from high school who has remained a faithful friend through the years. Her endorsement is perfect too—Hadra writes, “Esau McCaulley’s Lent is an invitation to live into the Scriptures, practices, and prayers of Lent afresh, calling and equipping us to experience the gravity of sin, but also the expanse of God’s grace and mercy. Whether you are a new or seasoned observer of Lent, this book is invaluable preparation to live into the contrition and true repentance to which this holy season invites us.”
  
  It’s a very small book, but it’s packed with great content, and I am very slowly reading it this Lenten season. McCaulley says in the introduction that this book from the Fullness of Time series from @ivpress is not a devotional—rather, “theological and spiritual reflections that seek to provide spiritual formation by helping the reader live fully into the practices of each season. We want readers to understand how the church is forming them in the likeness of Christ through the church calendar” (2). (I’m so eager now to read more of the books from this series on the different church seasons!)
  
  It’s not at all too late to get a copy for yourself, especially if you are able to access a copy through @hoopladigital. (The ebook and audiobook are available through my library, so check yours out! The physical copy is gorgeous, though!)
  
  Aside from the discussion of Lent, I LOVED the discussion of liturgy in general in this book and felt that McCaulley gave language to why liturgical practices have been so helpful and meaningful for me as someone whose church experience did not include that aspect of the faith. I love his comment that “the liturgy helped me deepen and expand, not undo, the faith I’d been taught” (31). That has been my experience as well, and I think this book would be really helpful for anyone else looking for a discussion of the significance of liturgy in your faith journey. 💜💛
• 
  Gavin Restifo

  I really enjoyed this book. McCauley does a great job of sharing both a bit of history of how Lent has been observed, as well as his own experience in the Anglican tradition. McCaulley's reflections were a refreshing and eye-opening perspective for understanding Lenten traditions. He paints a beautiful picture of how these liturgies are a blessing to the church and her spiritual formation. The only difficulty I had with this book was that he often stops short of what applying what observing Lent looks like for those who don't attend traditional, liturgical churches. He extends a great invitation into the liturgies of Lent, but for something that is so communally oriented I found it difficult to draw my own applications without the church architecture in place for this observance. Overall, a great book that made me want to press in deeper to my own Lenten practice and embark on the journey of observing with generations of believers before me.
  
  A huge thanks to NetGalley and InterVarsity Press for the advance copy, in exchange for this honest review.
• 
  Hannah Stevens

  I’m a Lent newbie so this was a helpful resource for me to better understand/participate in this season. This is the first in a series introducing the major celebrations/seasons of the liturgical calendar, which as a Baptist I’m not as familiar with but am growing in my appreciation for! McCaulley gives a short overview of the history behind Lent, the different practices observed (fasting, prayer, study, service), weekly prayers, and the days of Holy Week. Would recommend if you’re interested in diving more into Lenten traditions!
• 
  Corinne

  Clear outline of spiritual practices during Lent, and so short I may listen to it again before I return it.
• 
  Kelly Hodgkins

  “Lent” by Esau McCauley is the first in the Fullness of Time series which sets out to be “reflections on the moods, themes, rituals, prayers, and Scriptures that mark each season. These are not, strictly speaking, devotionals. They are theological and spiritual reflections that seek to provide spiritual formation by helping the reader live fully into the practices of each season.” what I expected wasn’t quite what I read though. It is a lovely short read detailing the key milestones of Lent and the accompanying meaning and practices but predominately from an Anglican perspective referencing regularly the scriptures and rituals they go through.
  
  Esau brings to the topic his insights and reflections but far less so than I was hoping having loved “Reading While Black”. If Lent is unfamiliar to you, this is a gentle invitation to take part. If you are Anglican or have been a part of the rituals but they felt like an item on a to-do list, this book will give you context and encouragement to engage in them. For me, it’s a four out of five, I didn’t gain as much from it as I hoped but appreciate it’s value to others.
  
  I received a complimentary copy of the book from InterVarsity Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in these reviews are completely my own.
• 
  Meredith Martinez

  (5/5) I have followed Dr. McCaulley on Twitter for the past few years, and when I saw that he was authoring a short book on Lent, I had to request it! Not being an Anglican or from that tradition, I was (and perhaps to an extent still am) unfamiliar with the liturgical rituals and traditions of the church year beyond Christmas, Easter, and occasionally being called upon to light the Advent candles at church on Sundays in December. I thought the way that McCaulley wrote this book was approachable for those who aren't as knowledgeable, perhaps it is even better for them. This book was a quick and informative read that taught me about the meaning of Lent, the rituals and benefits therein, and the heart of Christ for us in that season of the year. Would definitely recommend!
  
  Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Josh Sumrall

  Great little book on lent and what it means. I share in Esau’s experience of having grown up in a baptist tradition that doesn’t have a very “high” liturgy or adhere too strictly to the Church calendar— just resurrection Sunday and Christmas.
  
  This little book helped me to prepare my heart for lent this year, helped me to see the rich spiritual formation that is offered in liturgy and tradition, and helped me to hope in Jesus.
  
  A short but worthwhile read for everyone as we prepare for lent. Also very insightful for those of us who have an allergy towards the “religion” of liturgy and tradition.
• 
  Matt Carr

  I really enjoyed this book. I have been participating in the lesson of lent for about 5 years now. Growing up and early adulthood i was never exposed to the beauty and depth of a liturgical experience. Most of my life was spent in a one denomination or another of a baptist church where anything liturgical was considered catholic and anything catholic was just wrong.
  
  I really appreciated the way Esau approached the rich traditions of lent, and the liturgy that goes along with it. He does a great job introducing you to the season of lent that makes it easy to engage for those that are new to it. I look forward to the other books coming out in this series.
• 
  Ashley Hoss

  so thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed this book on Lent. If you are newer to the practice of Lent or to liturgical traditions, this is a really great introduction and explanation of what Lent is and what happens spiritually in Lent. Dr. McCaulley pastorally walks through Lent in such a way that encourages the reader to face their sinfulness in light of God’s glory, while appreciating Jesus’ sacrifice in our place. He really sits with repentance and lament in a beautiful way. I highly highly encourage reading this book.
• 
  Jen

  We need to always ask why we do the things we do. This book does a great job communicating why you would want to observe Lenten practices.
  “Our prayers, good deeds, fasts and scripture readings earn us nothing. Instead, they are spirit-empowered means of entering into communion with Christ. They are about sharing the thing itself – the divine life. It’s a gift we too easily cast aside. Lent reminds us that the opportunity to reclaim that gift is always near – as near as a resurrection itself.”
• 
  Logan Carrigan

  This little book helped reveal the beauty in a part of the Christian calendar that feels like legalism. There is so much beautiful and rich imagery in this season that I had never known or seen. I'm very thankful I read it!
• 
  Thomas Kuhn

  Great primer on the season of Lent. It very helpfully unpacks the themes and rituals traditionally associated with Lent while accounting for pushback many low church evangelicals will have surrounding Lent and the church calendar in general.
• 
  Malia Sample

  “In Lent we learn that God does more than make up for our inadequacies. He does not finish a race we began or fill what is lacking in our sacrifices. The whole thing is His work all along. He renders our efforts irrelevant to the question of our life with Him. He makes it all a matter of grace.”
• 
  Danielle Kirk

  “Lent is not about how angry God is with us for our sins. It is about a God who intervenes on our behalf to rescue us from our sins.”
• 
  Gretchen

  Short read. I've never practiced lent, but McCaulley helped me understand how a season of repentance and renewal can be beneficial to my walk with Christ. He also provides a practical view of what that can look like and pitfalls to avoid, along with meditations to use.
• 
  Brandi Fox

  Absolutely fantastic! I will be rereading it at least once this season and highly recommend it for any friends who love Jesus or are curious about the church year.
• 
  Mary Niedermeyer

  This book is a great reminder of why I love the Anglican tradition and also Esau McCaulley.
• 
  Kelley Goewey

  Loved it.
• 
  Graydon Jones

  This is a great (and short) resource for Lent! For those who are new to Lent, it’s a good and accessible introduction. For those who have practiced Lent many times, it offers deeper reflection.
• 
  Patrick Walsh

  Esau McCaulley grew up in what he refers to a free-church Protestant tradition (Primitive Baptist). He moved into the Anglican tradition while in seminary in Scotland. So he has studied and understands the tension between traditions that eschew liturgical practices and those that embrace and employ them. My faith journey is similar, although in reverse. I grew up in Roman Catholicism and moved to free-church evangelical Protestantism (Baptist, Evangelical Free, Independent) in my late teens. Later, I moved to mainline Protestantism, PC(USA), and my wife and I are currently active in a PC(USA) congregation.
  
  Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal is an informative and well-written exploration of Lenten disciplines as practiced in the Anglican faith. Dr. McCaulley points out and reminds the reader that we are not saved or made holy by whatever Lenten disciplines we engage in. Rather they remind us that God has already used one means in particular, the suffering and death of Jesus, to achieve our salvation. They remind us of our own need for salvation and of the transitory and often trouble-filled nature of our lives. McCaulley is quick to point out that none of us achieve perfection in practicing any discipline, none of us achieve the goal of Christlikeness or of unhindered fellowship with God on this side of the grave.
  
  Lent is available in various formats, including audio, which is how I experienced it. Listening to the audio book at normal speed requires under two hours. It was well worth that time.
  
  Churches for the Sake of Others, an Anglican diocese with parishes throughout the United States, offers a podcast. The 28 February 2023 edition of that
  podcast features an interview with Esau McCaulley wherein he discusses this book.
• 
  Corrie Haffly

  I preordered Esau McCaulley’s Lent without paying close attention to what it was about (I trusted it would be awesome), assuming it was a daily devotional that I would use during the Lenten season. Instead, I found a small, read-it-in-a-morning introduction to the finer (but not tedious) points of what Lent is and what it is for, which will be part of a larger series introducing people to the liturgical calendar major seasons and celebrations. I grew up attending nondenominational churches and for all of my adult life, have attended a nondenominational-feeling Baptist church, so I’m not at all familiar with the liturgies and seasons of more liturgical churches. While I’ve adopted Lenten practices for many years, this book was a helpful guide for this low-church gal — like having a local walk me around a town, explaining historical tidbits that make sense of the landmarks and geography and pointing out their favorite local businesses and establishments.
  
  What I didn’t expect was that I also received tangible encouragement for my faith right here, right now, in this very not-Lent season! As I read Dr. McCaulley’s words about faith, spiritual discipline and practices, and grace, I found myself refreshed and reinvigorated to repent (“turn back” to God), to persevere in prayer, and to pick up spiritual practices with a renewed perspective. I’m grateful.
• 
  Hannah Fletcher

  Vibes: Pastoral & Encouraging
  
  Media: Audiobook (Esau’s reading was 🔥)
  
  Emoji: 😌
  
  Experience: I enjoyed this little book so much! With a little under 2 hours of run time it felt like an extended podcast. I didn’t grow up christian nor was I raised to observe lent (beyond the Friday night fish fry). McCauley did a great job of teaching from a post-Baptist POV that was both respectful of the denominations that don’t practice lent and validating to those that do. I walked away inspired to observe the tradition without being handed the burden that remind me of fundamentalist traditions. It was refreshing after deconstructing my evangelical roots, and made me feel more deeply connected to the historical church rather than the small segment time and space limits me to. I gave it 5 stars because I could easily see this becoming a yearly reread.
  
  I highly recommend listening to this one even though it’s short. There’s something really nice about listening to an author read their own work, particularly pastoral non-fiction. Also Esau’s voice sounds like it could call Lazarus from the grave!
• 
  Angela

  “Often, we experience the Lenten fast as either a mindless ritual or self-improvement program. In this short volume, priest and scholar Esau McCaulley introduces the season of Lent, showing us how its prayers and rituals point us not just to our own sinfulness but also beyond it to our merciful Savior.”
  
  Growing up, first, in a non-believing household, then as Baptist, we never did much with Lent. Lent was either non-existent, or a ‘catholic thing’ that for which we, those freed from the hollow recitation of liturgy, didn’t need to bother.
  
  The audacity we displayed, thinking centuries old tradition had nothing to teach us.
  
  Dr. McCaulley, a public theologian, professor, and world-class Twitter follow, takes us through Lent’s purpose, practice, and implementation.
  
  I heard something recently – Rivers are shallow enough from which to sip, and deep enough in which to bathe.
  
  That’s this book.
  
  8.5/10
  
  Thanks to NetGalley and InterVarsity Press for this river of an ARC.
• 
  Ivy

  A good overview of the history and meaning behind Lent. I enjoyed the breakdown of how Lent became to be in many traditions and some of the different liturgy surrounding Lent. A good read for those interested in the Christian calendar and liturgical traditions. Looking forward to the rest of the books in this series.
  
  "We should not see the season of Lent as a series of rules but as a gift of the collected wisdom of the church universal."
  
  "But in the liturgy and the liturgical year I found a way of inhabiting and reflecting more intentionally on elements of Christian life and practice. I found that the liturgy helped me deepen and expand, not undo, the faith I'd been taught."
  
  I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.