Introduction: Opening the Gospels for Lent 2025

 DOWNLOAD THE LENT BOOKLET HERE or come back here each Monday during Lent for the material for the following Sunday.

When we hear the Bible read aloud in church services it can be hard to make sense of it. We only hear short snippets, out of context and out of order, and it’s a big and complex book, (or to be more accurate, a collection of books) written in a world long ago and far away from our own, so it’s no wonder it can be rather baffling.

 This series of posts aims to open up the gospel readings for each Sunday in Lent,  from Lent 1 through to Easter Sunday. Each week's material will be released on the Monday before the Sunday on which the Gospel will be heard, starting on March 2. The whole series is  also available as a downloadable booklet here,  I have included the Gospel reading set for each Sunday from the beginning of Lent through to Easter Sunday, with some basic information, and some questions to set our own trains of thought running. Different preachers may take their sermons in very different directions, but if we have already started to think about the readings, we are sure to get more from their sermons. We may not always come up with answers, but sometimes it’s asking the questions that really matters!

 I will be using a simple technique which can be used for any Bible reading. It invites you to read the Bible with your HEAD, your HEART and your HANDS. (There are more details in the booklet, or in the post below, and a video guide here https://tinyurl.com/3te4u8ym). You don’t need to be an expert to use this technique, and you don’t need to know anything about the passage beforehand. Over the years, I have found this technique works for all ages and backgrounds, for children and old people, for people full of faith and full of doubt, for those who have been churchgoers for decades and for those who are brand new to church. 

Reading the Bible with our heads, hearts and hands

INTRODUCTION: READING THE BIBLE WITH OUR HEADS, OUR HEARTS AND OUR HANDS

We will ask the same three sets of questions of each passage in the series. There is a video explaining the technique at the bottom of this post.

1. HEAD QUESTIONS: RESEARCH

For example: 

• What do I already know about the people, places and events in the passage? 

• What might I need to find out? 

• Are there any words or phrases I don’t understand?

I find it helpful to ask myself…

Who is in the story? Where is it set? When does it take place? What happens?

Head questions invite us to research, noticing the details in the passage rather than rushing on to interpretation or personal response. 

Note: Bible passages in this booklet are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. You can find a searchable version of the NRSV at https://bible.oremus.org/ . You might find it useful if you want to look for other references to a person or place in the Bible. 

2. HEART QUESTIONS: REFLECT

For example: 

• What do I feel about this passage? Where does this reading surprise me, delight me, puzzle me or trouble me? 

• Who do I identify with and empathise with in it? 

• If I imagine myself there what do I want to say and do?

• Does it remind me of things in my own life or our world? 

‘Heart’ questions invite us to reflect.

3. HANDS QUESTIONS: RESPOND

For example:

• What might this passage be prompting me to do?

• Does it challenge me to think differently, act differently, set a relationship right or pray about or ponder something?

‘Hands’ questions ask us to think about how we should respond.