Review of Tom Wright’s Lent For Everyone: Luke Year C

Note: I was sent this book from the publisher and as always I am not required to give a positive review but an honest one. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

It’s customary for Christians to follow some type of daily devotional but unfortunately for this Christian, I not much of a devotional reader. I think it’s partially to do with receiving the authors’ voice on a daily basis. Preferring accompanying my Scripture reading with commentaries and other books and resources, I just think most devotionals are not my thing. However, I do find myself drawn to devotional reading during Lent and Advent and this year I used two.

The first Lenten devotional to highlight was the Tom Wright’s latest Lent For Everyone: Luke Year C  published by Westminster John Knox Press.

If you know me, you know I’m a big fan of Dr. Wright.  If you never heard of him, he’s an Anglican theologian former Bishop of Durham now teaching out of St. Andrews in Scotland.  Prolific writer, popular speaker, all that stuff.  What I and many evangelicals like about him is his voice and content is powerful in today’s post-Christian climate.

Even if you are unfamiliar with Wright or  the For Everyone series, it’s not too hard to figure out. It’s a devotional commentary written by one of the best theologians of our day writing to normal everyday people on the popular level. The series has been pulled together from his previous sermons, reworking of previous writing and some new material.

I find the Everyone Series helpful for two types of people:
One is the everyday person who does not want to get bogged down in the technical stuff found in most commentaries (frankly I like some of that technical stuff but I understand why my wife wouldn’t). You could literally finish each reading in under 5 minutes. I wouldn’t if I were you though. The For Everyone series offers the reader a highly relational story-teller pastor-type in Tom Wright. Don’t get me wrong, I love straight up academic, bishop, super-nerd NT Wright too but the For Everyone series is refreshing and allows you to see a different side of him. If they could get Wright to read/record these meditations and sell an audiobook, that would be a winner in my book. In the meantime, I’ll do my best to read in his voice/accent.

A side note worth mentioning, there was also a YouVersion Lent for Everyone which was Matthew Year A.

The second, pastors/teachers would do well in reading what Wright offers here. If you’ve read or heard Wright, you know he can be unnecessarily, extremely, for-no-real good reason wordy. It can be annoying frankly but his brilliance and content more than make up for it. In the For Everyone series, he cuts straight to the point (or he has an editor). Either way, the accompanying Scripture and commentary move quickly and smoothly and you find yourself looking for more. I continue to find these passages very helpful as I prepare messages/lessons/studies – I recommend this as supplemental.

Looking forward to Year D in John.

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  1. […] this with other Lenten rescues (like Lent for Everyone Year C: Luke – Here’s my review). In spite of its brevity, it is organized […]

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