When someone makes a patchwork quilt they take pieces of patterned material from various places and shape them and put them together in a creative way to produce something new and useful. This is what is attempted in this book. Some of the things used during the trial and suffering and death of Jesus have been taken and pieces of scripture relevant to them have been joined together to create five Lent studies.

The symbols used for each week's study session lead into a consideration of five calls for the Christian.

The five studies are arranged in this way:

* The wood of the cross:............................The call to Follow!

*The nails and spear:..................................The call to Trust

* The crown of thorns:...............................The call to The Kingdom!

* The whip or flail:.....................................The call to Mission!

* The purple robe & seamless tunic:..........The call to Unity!

There are six daily Bible readings and comments provided as preparation material each week. They are each followed by a Ponder Point and a suggestion for Prayer. There are only six readings each week so that Sundays may be kept free for dwelling on the usual Sunday readings in Church. The daily readings are not labelled with a specific day or date because different groups will meet on different days. Just begin your daily readings one-week before the day that your group meets.

The "Getting Started" part of each study session is there so that members of the group, who want to, may ask questions or share discoveries concerning their daily preparation readings. There may be individual group members who don't want to participate in this. It is there for those who do!

There will often be more questions provided than a group can satisfactorily get through. Select those questions the group wants to discuss according to time available and he content to leave the rest.

Also provided on pages 6 & 7 is a series of preparation readings as a lead up to Ash Wednesday. These may be done a fortnight or ten days before Lent actually begins so as to allow plenty of time for you to work out your own plan and discipline for Lent, or to seek direction from others in this matter.

May the Lord cover you with the quilt of his love as you seek to follow his call through this holy season of Lent.