Unburdened
A Lenten Journey toward Forgiveness (A Daily Devotional)
by Carol Penner
Pub Date 09 Jan 2024
Herald Press
Christian| Nonfiction \(Adult\)


Through Herald Press and Netgalley, I am reviewing Unburdened:


We long for freedom, but sin weighs us down.
We often seek forgiveness when sin and harmful words or actions cause broken relationships. Forgiveness, however, can be elusive. Forgiving those who have harmed us can sometimes take a lifetime. Occasionally, we may not be able to accomplish it. When we are responsible for rupture, we may long for a reconciliation that never materializes.


Lent is a time to reflect on how Jesus frees us from the burden of sin, both personal and communal. It’s a time to orient ourselves toward the resurrection and Easter, toward the possibility of new life in Christ. It’s a time to work for healing, to let go of grief and guilt, and to reach for joy.


In Unburdened, readers are invited to hear God's call to move away from brokenness and toward hope and healing. Carol Penner uses her experiences as a pastor, chaplain, and theologian to help readers navigate the forgiveness journey. Take small steps toward forgiveness through prayers, scripture reflections, and stories about individuals and communities.


I give Unburdened Four out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Trying to decide what to do for Lent? Carol Penner's "Unburdened: A Letnen Journey Toward Forgiveness" captures the very heart of the build up to Passion Week and Resurrection Sunday. Focusing on forgiveness -- how much we have been forgiven, and as a result,how we should forgive others.

"Unburdened" guides readers through 6 weeks of daily content for the Lent observer. Weekly Themes include: Seeking Repentance, Addressing Sin, Pursuing Freedom, Responding to Brokenness, Building Forgiveness, and Treading Holy Ground. Each day's reading offers a focal Scripture passage, Penner's own content (mainly stories), a prayer, and a reflection question. The best part is that "Unburdened" also offers a weekly small group guide in the book for groups to gather and tackle the difficult topic of walking out forgiveness in every day life--why we should, how we should, what it looks like in our culture today.

Overall it's a great delve into forgiveness. Just heavy on stories and very light on the Scripture and biblical truth. But if you're looking for more of a devotional read than a biblically-based, theological study, then you'll probably enjoy this book. "Unburdened" treated the topic of unforgiveness with the seriousness and the tact it needs, and if readers truly "do the work" as they work through the book, they should hopefully find themselves unburdened--or at least moving forward on the journey toward being unburdened as they forgive as they have been forgiven.

I should have noted before I began what faith tradition Penner comes from, because I was caught off guard in the introductory Shrove Tuesday reading. I was put off by her references to being part of big systems of sin by leaving a large carbon footprint and being responsible for her ancestors' racism against North American indigenous peoples. While I agree that we should take care of this world we live in and all people are created in God's image, I don't think I am directly responsible for my ancestors' sin. Yes, I am called to love all people as God loves them, but I don't think it is my responsibility to "make up for" or apologize for something that I was not even alive for and couldn't have had a part it. I think this is a little unbiblical, so right off the bat, I was a little skeptical of everything else I read.

Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.