Meet God in the Wilderness
Katie Harmon-McLaughlin, Spiritual Formation Ministries
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. -Luke 4:1-2
The church’s future is related directly to our willingness to go where the Spirit is calling us to go. -Stephen M. Veazey, “Time to Act!”
When one of us says, “Look, there\’s nothing out there,” what we are really saying is, “I cannot see.” -Terry Tempest Williams, Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert, p. 69
Did you know there are over 2,000 plant species and 700 animal species in the Mojave Desert? Encounters with this seemingly barren desert wilderness might have you guessing otherwise. The conditions can be harsh. The habitat is exposed. But sit atop a rock for a while and you may be surprised at what you see. What at first appears uninhabitable is actually teeming with life that knows how to be sustained in precisely these conditions.
It certainly feels like a desert time for many individuals and communities of faith. Much has gone dry in us. There is a strong urge in the desert moments of our lives to avoid this uncomfortable spiritual terrain for the lush green of familiar experience and cool water plentiful for quenching our thirst. And yet, here we are. However much we may wish for a return to what was, we cannot be other than where we are right now. The wisdom of the spiritual journey would even say to us-growth comes from moving through what is actually happening, not trying to evade it.
If we look at our history, we can notice a pattern. Every time our spiritual ancestors were in the wilderness, it felt hard, there can be no doubt; but it was always a precursor to some infusion of clarity, integrity, hope, calling that changed their trajectory and deepened their faith. We, too, can wander and lament about what appears to be sparse conditions, or we can choose to see what is here and imagine what thriving even in these conditions might look like.
In fact, some of our ancestors chose the desert, on purpose, as the place to live their spiritual callings. The desert mothers and fathers in fourth-century Egypt moved to the desert when Christianity became the religion of the empire. They were concerned that something essential and transformative might be lost as Christians got more comfortable. They moved into “cells” and lived disciplined lives of radical simplicity. Craving the substance of this simple way, crowds of people began to move into the desert to join them. This was the birthplace of early monasticism and most contemplative prayer forms (including centering prayer and lectio divina) that are still shaping us today.
John Moses writes, “The desert is a place of truth, where men and women can find the truth about God and the truth about themselves. The immensity of the desert removes the pretensions of life. The barrenness of the desert prepares the way for the things that can only be accomplished by God” (The Desert: An Anthology for Lent, pp. 15-16). What way is being prepared in you, in us, in these wilderness times? We have too often confused comfort and success with God’s presence. God is wherever we are, even here, even in the places we never thought we would be. God is waiting to meet us in this wilderness.
Maybe this is a time to hunker down in your “cell” and embrace a simpler way for a while, to get to know the rhythms of a new landscape, to breathe relief in what is being naturally uncluttered and uncrowded. Perhaps this is an opportunity to reclaim the essence of our Christhood, to recover that something essential that often gets lost in the busyness of church and life as usual. What if this is actually what people are spiritually hungry for?
Did you know there are over 2,000 plant species and 700 animal species in the Mojave Desert? What else may be thriving in unexpected places that we are just now learning to see?
Prayer Phrase
Are we moving toward Jesus, the peaceful One?
Lenten Spiritual Practices
Moving Toward the Peaceful One
As Jesus was nearing the final days of his life, he wept over the city and proclaimed, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace” (Luke 19:41-42).What are the things that make for peace in our lives, communities, and around the world? During the Lenten season, spend time in silent refection or journaling each day to notice: Am I moving toward Jesus, the peaceful One? Pay attention to your attitudes, actions, and relationships this day. When did you most embody the peaceful One in your daily living? When were your thoughts or actions contrary to the peace of Jesus Christ? How might Jesus, the peaceful One, who is always near to you, be inviting you to draw nearer to him through your daily living?
Fasting and Giving-$40 in 40 Days
A Lenten fast gives us an opportunity to make space in our lives so that God can live in and through us. It’s a time to evaluate what we hunger for most and what we consume. This year, we’ve been invited to tithe as a spiritual practice by setting aside $40 during the 40 days of Lent. If you are participating, pay attention today to the dollar you have given. What might you have done with that dollar otherwise? How does Lenten generosity invite you to reflect on what is “enough” in your life? Who might you invite to join you in this practice? How might your gift be magnified by the many others responding to the same call?
You can make your $40 offering anytime during the Lenten season online or through your offering envelope for Worldwide Mission Tithes.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
