It always lasts 40 days, but those 40 days occur on different dates from one year to the next. The 40 days occur immediately before Easter, but because Sundays are excluded from the count, the days of this season are not consecutive. Unlike other holy seasons, which typically begin on a Sunday, this one commences midweek. Believers approach it in a variety of ways.

Pamela Hawkins calls it "the awkward season." Still, for all its curves and contours, Lent is rich with possibilities. While individual journeys through Lent may differ, they all lead to one destination: Easter.

The Awkward Season: Prayers for Lent offers Christian pilgrims a prayer path to follow through Lent. For each day of the week, prayers of invocation, confession, intercession, and thanksgiving are shaped around a theme prompted by the psalm for the day. A daily scripture reading is provided, but Hawkins welcomes readers to use a different passage if it comes to mind; this book, she reminds the reader, is designed to support rather than dictate a Lenten journey.

A finger labyrinth at the back of the book serves as an optional prayer tool for those who wish to try it and an order for Lenten praise and prayer provides a simple, beautiful way for groups who meet weekly to share this Lenten experience. Whether used individually or in a gathering, The Awkward Season will be a road map for the journey as you spend time with the One who longs to be your companion in this season and always.

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