Lent book with video from Bible Reading Fellowship
‘The Way of the Desert’ is BRF’s Lent book for 2012 and is accompanied by a series of short videos that can be accessed online.
Andrew Watson, Bishop of Aston, explores what Jesus did in the very first period of Lent. He shows how Jesus’ desert reflections took him back to the desert wanderings of Israel, a period of wildness, unpredictability and danger but also one of blessing and spiritual reawakening. In this harsh environment Jesus’ own life and ministry were tested and formed a period in his life which is very instructive for Christians today.
The author has recorded a series of seven short videos for Lent groups who are using ‘The Way of the Desert’. The first video introduces the book, setting the scene for the readings to follow. The remaining videos give an introduction to each week of readings, providing groups with the ideal introduction for each meeting.
All of the videos can be seen on the BRF website here.
About the author
Andrew Watson is Bishop of Aston and is involved in promoting church growth and leadership across the Birmingham Diocese. He was previously vicar of St Stephen’s, East Twickenham, where he helped pioneer three church plants. He has also written The Fourfold Leadership of Jesus (2008, reprinted 2010) and Confidence in the Living God (2009) for BRF.
Comment
I think that Andrew Watson has an enormously attractive and effective style in opening up the text and making real connections with everyday life—the fruits of scholarship combined with astute understanding of the human condition and the challenges and opportunities that we constantly face. Along with the group discussion guide I think that the text is a rich resource not just for Lent, but for other seasons of Christian study and discernment.
The Rt Revd Dr Alastair Redfern, Bishop of Derby
The Way of the Desert is priced £7.99, ISBN 978 1 84101 798 3, pb, 256 pages