The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.  + Isaiah 14:7

In this Lenten devotional, biblical texts and simple, accessible practices walk hand-in-hand with Wendell Berry’s poetic vision of sabbath and the natural world. All you’ll need is your favorite Bible and Wendell Berry’s This Day: Collected and New Sabbath Poems (the poems may also be found online). Week by week, we’ll walk through the woods together toward Easter morning, keeping sabbath as we go — with Wendell Berry as our guide.

This resource includes introductions to both the Lenten season and the ancient practice of sabbath keeping, as well as an editable page on which you can enter your church’s name, upcoming worship services, and other events before printing. The result is a resource that looks and feels like an organic part of the life of your congregation.

As always, this devotional can stand alone, or it can be used in tandem with SALT’s "Lent Wendell Berry Collection" of clip art (for bulletins or screens), and/or one of SALT’s Customizable Short Films (for example, “Rise and Mend”). Use these resources together for a winsome, seamlessly integrated approach to the Lenten season.

The scriptural passages in this devotional correspond to Year A in the Revised Common Lectionary — but since their themes are universal, this devotional can be used fruitfully during any Lenten season.

Files: This listing is for a downloadable PDF, printing instructions, and also an e-reader version of the devotional.

Please note: you will not receive a physical product as this is a digital download. This resource is for congregational use only, which means it may not be reproduced commercially, duplicated, or resold. :)