Presbyterian Outlook's Page Turners - Prophetic prayers for a chaotic world 📚

Preparing for Lent Dear Outlook Readers,   I once served a church that saved the Palm Sunday greenery to burn at the start of our Ash Wednesday family service. It was always a hit with the kids, who willingly bundled into puffer coats and wooly hats to stand around a portable grill in the church courtyard, eager to watch our church custodian feed the flames with dried palms. I introduced this practice in response to the children’s curiosity, and it quickly became a “must-do” program.   Lent is a season of familiar rhythms and rituals, and we are called to honor those while introducing new perspectives that speak to our time and place. The Outlook’s 2026 Lenten Devotional, Discipleship in a Divided Age does this beautifully. It reads like a letter from your pastor, who speaks with warmth and wisdom before inviting us into reflection and prayer. The “slice of life” stories will make their way into sermons and small group conversations — check it out!   Several other Lenten offerings this year respond to that need to blend ancient traditions and modern context — Westminster John Knox’s Meeting Jesus on the Road: A Lenten Study by Cynthia M. Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr accomplishes this particularly well, as you’ll read below. Walter Brueggemann’s Alphabet of Faith is another excellent companion to your Lenten reading. This posthumous work reads like scholarly poems, thanking God for Brueggemann’s fellow scholars (“G is for Gottwald”…“R is for von Rad”) and blending ancient theology and church traditions (“C is for Covenant”) with timely issues (“N is for Nationalism”).    Amy Pagliarella Book Review Editor BOOKS OF THE MONTH Meeting Jesus on the Road: A Lenten Study Cynthia M. Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr Westminster John Knox, 136 pages Published January 6, 2026   Recent lectionary readings capture Jesus’ disciples abruptly dropping their fishing nets and abandoning their father to follow Jesus. Walking with him from village to city to town, the work of discipleship began. Following Jesus has always been a physical and spiritual journey, and pastors Cynthia Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr lean into this connection as a metaphor for the Lenten journey. They draw on the gospel stories of Jesus’ travels, connect the rhythm of walking with the life of prayer, and incorporate stories of literal pilgrimages, modern and ancient.   Recognizing that most of us are more likely to meet Jesus in our neighborhood than on a Holy Land pilgrimage, Meeting Jesus on the Road includes a “Walking Prompt” to invite contemplation and reflection on each week’s theme. (Those with mobility challenges are encouraged to set aside time for peaceful reflection, and the prompts thoughtfully anticipate transportation limitations some may experience.) “Reflection Questions” that conclude each chapter and free introductions from the authors (available on YouTube) lighten the preparation of small group leaders or create a richer experience for solo travelers.   Meeting Jesus on the Road is at its best when it weaves together gospel stories and ancient traditions with our daily lives. Campbell and Fohr’s scholarship makes them trustworthy guides, while their pastoral tone makes them friendly ones. Their pilgrimage is life-giving, yet engages the very real suffering and mystery of the cross. And, along the way, their prayer practices encourage us to go deeper, seeking the sustenance we need to walk the road ahead, with prompts like: “This Lenten season, consider what might fuel your ability to do the work Christ calls us to. How, in a task-filled life, can you pray as preparation, rest, and retreat?” QUOTE OF THE MONTH "You are the God from whom no secret is hid, even if we would like to hide something of ourselves from you. You are the God to whom all hearts are open, Even when we choose hard-heartedness; You are the God who hears and answers our prayers before we utter them. You are the God who is like a mother who answers before we call. For these reasons, we pray often and easily…" Alphabet of Faith: Prophetic Prayers for a Chaotic World Walter Brueggemann Fortress Press, 156 pages Published July 29, 2025 Book Giveaway!    Congratulations to last month’s winner, Peggy Hinds. Thanks to our friends at Wildhouse Fiction, she received a copy of The Gospel of Salome. This month, one fortunate reader will receive a copy of Alphabet of Faith: Prophetic Prayers for a Chaotic World, written by Walter Brueggemann, generously donated by our friends at Fortress Press. If you're reading this note, then you're all set! Know someone else who should be reading Page Turners? Send them this link and they'll get entered for a chance to win, too. The contest closes on February 17. OTHER READS For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional Explore 2025 book releases in fiction and poetry, including Wally Lamb’s latest novel and uplifting collections from David Gate and Victoria Hutchins. — Amy Pagliarella Devotional recommendations for Lent 2024 Amy Pagliarella has devotional recommendations for individuals, small groups and Jane Austen fans. Devotional recommendations for Lent 2025 Whether you value biblical interpretation, social justice, or bodily movement, Outlook Book Review Editor Amy Pagliarella has a Lent devotional recommendation for you. Books for church leaders These books equip church leaders for ministry in a changing world. — Amy Pagliarella Holy Disruption: A Manifesto for the Future of Faith Communities  In "Holy Disruption," pastors Amy Butler and Dawn Darwin Weaks tell bold, hopeful stories of congregations that looked outward, listened to their neighbors, and invested their resources for justice. — Amy Pagliarella

Discipleship in a divided age A Lenten devotional by Outlook Editor/Publisher Teri McDowell Ott.  Explore how to live faithfully amid division and uncertainty through Matthew’s Gospel. Order now!