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An Outline of the Study

Take a look at the outline of the six-week Lenten sessions. The introductory session is on Ash Wednesday. The readings for all other sessions begin on Thursday and end on Wednesday, with the hope that the group will meet on Wednesday.

Session 1 - Ash Wednesday - February 25
Session 2 - Getting to Know Jesus - February 26-March 4
Session 3 - Telling and Living the Story - March 5-11
Session 4 - Living in the Light of Christ - March 12-18
Session 5 - Living Holy Lives - March 19-25
Session 6 - Making the Most of God's Gift of Life - March 23-April 1

Each session includes

Opening Prayers and an Introduction to the Study
An Introduction to the Theme for the Session
A Reflection on The Upper Room Meditations and Scripture Passages
Activities Relating the Theme to Our Lives
Activities to Use with Intergenerational Groups
Closing Prayers
This Week at Home

Preparation
This six-week study is based on The Upper Room daily devotional guide, beginning with the meditation for Ash Wednesday, February 25. Each participant will need a copy of the January/February 2009 and March/April 2009 issues of The Upper Room. To order copies of the magazine, call 1-800-972-0433. If your copies have not arrived by February 21, we can e-mail the first meditations to you. You may then photocopy them for your group.

General Instructions
This study guide may be used by a small group of adults or adapted for individual reflection and prayer. Activities for multigenerational groups are also included.

Leadership may rotate among the group members. The leader should contact participants ahead of time if he or she chooses to involve others in special readings or prayers during the weekly sessions.

Participants should read the scripture, meditation, and prayers suggested each day in The Upper Room and reflect on the meaning of the meditations for their lives.

Leaders will need to prepare for each session copies of the opening litany for all to read aloud and copies of "This Week at Home," one for each person in the group. Links to printer-friendly versions of these can be found on the opening page of the study.

Opening Prayers and Introduction to the Study (5 minutes)
(to be used at the beginning of each session)

As the participants gather each week, invite them to join you in singing one of the following hymns of praise and thanksgiving from The United Methodist Hymnal:

"He is Lord" (UMH 177)
"This is the Day" (UMH 657)

and from The Faith We Sing:

"Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart" (TFWS 2036)
"God Is So Good" (TFWS 2056)
"O How He Loves You and Me" (TFWS 2108)

Light a candle.

Say a prayer:

God, open our hearts and minds to hear and learn from your word so that we may respond with boldness, living in the light of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Introduce the theme of the Lenten Study, "Bold Challenges of a Life of Faith," saying,

Lent is a time to examine our lives in the light of Jesus Christ, to repent, and to learn from Christ to live faithfully and boldly in obedience to God.

This Lent 2008 Study Guide is a free resource offered by The Upper Room® daily devotional guide. Printed from http://www.upperroom.org/devotional/lent/. Copyright © 2008 by The Upper Room. All rights reserved. Reproduce for personal and small-group use only. Upper Room® and design logos are trademarks owned by The Upper Room, Nashville, TN.

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