Lent begins on
Wednesday, February 14. Here we showcase four Lent courses by one of DLT’s bestselling
authors, Hilary Brand ...
Hilary is one of DLT’s bestselling authors. She began her
working life as a photographer, moved on to journalism and then settled on a writing career. She has written four novels
for children, five Lent courses (all for DLT) and three other books for the
Christian market. Married to Peter, she has two adult sons and has recently
discovered the delights of being a grandma. She turned to academia later in life and has now completed a BA Humanities degree, followed by an MA in
Theology, Imagination and Culture. Unlike many Christian authors, Hilary has no
dog collar and prefers to serve God from the fringes of the ecclesiastical
establishment. Nevertheless, she is very involved in her local village church,
in everything from speaking to fundraising to flower-arranging and, of course,
leading groups! She enjoys keeping chickens, distance walking, swimming,
reading and learning.
FINDING A VOICE: A Lent course based on The King’s Speech by Hilary
Brand (available now in paperback, 128pp, £5.99)
A brilliant Lent course for
individuals and groups, based on the Oscar-winning film 'The King's Speech'.
The
purpose of Finding a Voice could be summed up in the words of the King’s
speech therapist: ‘To give them faith in their voice and let them know a friend
is listening.’
The
course, which offers five group sessions plus weekly material for private
reading, uses the film as a discussion starter and relates it to what the Bible
has to say about such universal issues as discouragement and determination,
fear and friendship, calling and courage.
‘The
King’s Speech’ is such a runaway success because it holds that mirror to our
world, and offers hope of overcoming the difficulties. It shows hope built out
of friendship, trust and supportive love; and courage in the face of gathering
evil. Lent is traditionally a time for strengthening resolve, bringing
believers together in trust and encouragement as they strive to follow their
calling.
NOT A TAME LION: A Lent course based on the writings of C.S.Lewis by Hilary
Brand (available now in paperback, 128pp, £5.95)
A five-week Lent course based around
three films, Prince Caspian, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and
the Wardrobe and Shadowlands.
The course
aims to bring ideas from Lewis’s writing to a wider contemporary audience. In
doing so it looks at issues of suffering, God’s absence, the gift of the
present moment, as well as a few ideas less well explored in present day
Christianity: heaven, judgement, and the force of evil. Each film clip is
related to one of the sayings of Jesus as found in the gospels, and there is
introductory material to be read before each session, as well as a wide range
of discussion starters and questions.
Including
full notes for facilitators, this offers an engaging and original resource for
Lent.
CHRIST AND THE CHOCOLATERIE: A Lent Course by Hilary Brand (available now in paperback,
96pp, £5.99)
Christ and the Chocolaterie is an
original, innovative and lively Lent course inspired by the film 'Chocolat',
based on the bestselling novel by Joanne Harris. Using the film as a starting
point for exploring issues about God, the world, and what it means to be human,
Hilary Brand has designed five group sessions on the themes of:
Giving up - the prelude to change
Giving out - the power of a gift
Getting wise - the possibility of
change
Getting real - the power of
acceptance
Growing up - the process of change.
Each session included extracts from
the film, group discussion questions, exercises and meditations, suggestions
for individual reading and related Bible passages. The book also includes
appendices on the curious history of chocolate, the unfair economics of
chocolate and ideas for a chocolate feast.
THE
MYSTERY OF EVERYTHING: A Lent course based around the film The Mystery of
Everything by Hilary Brand (available now in paperback,
160pp, £5.99)
The Mystery of Everything is an original
Lent course by Hilary Brand, which takes the multi-award winning film about
Stephen Hawking, 'The Theory of Everything', as its starting point. The course
explores ways in which the mysteries of the universe and of everyday life – and
the acceptance that we have more questions than answers – can reinvigorate our
faith and spiritual journey.
The course is based around five
weekly group sessions entitled:
The experience of wonder
The enigma of weakness
The complexity of relationships
The encounter with frailty
The hope beyond brokenness
Each session includes an extract from
the film, group discussion questions and a meditation. There are also short
introductory and follow up chapters for individual reading each week, and a
chapter of Bible passages for further daily reading. The book supplies full
notes for group course leaders.
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