Lent: 3D recess

The season of Lent recalls Jesus' time in the wilderness after his baptism. But what was Jesus doing there? Certainly, his time in the wilderness was about more than just not eating. It is instructive to note WHEN Jesus is "cast out" into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit: the beginning of his public ministry. His temptations reflect the very things he will be tempted with as he begins his ministry as the Messiah, prophet, teacher. So we might say that Jesus' time in the wilderness was a time of focusing, listening, and setting the course. By stripping away all of life's other...stuff...Jesus could hear the gentle whisper of his Father clearly--a gentle whisper he would cling to when the demanding and tempting voices of the world would be at their loudest.
It is imperative as Jesus' followers, that we we follow Jesus into the wilderness sometimes: quieting the other voices that demand our attention, listening intently for God's gentle whisper.
But what does it mean to listen to God or to hear God's voice? That's what we will be doing during Lent: learning to discern God's voice among all the other voices. We will listen to God's voice speaking to us through Creation, through the Torah/Scriptures, through Jesus, and through community.
The 3D format will be:

• Dinner: we will share a simple supper of soup, crackers, bread, and water
• Devotion: we will be introduced to a text that helps us to hone in on God's voice, and then spend time individually listening for God's voice in that text
• Discussion: we will gather back to share how we have heard God speak...or not, and how we can encourage each other to keep listening

There will be activities for kids as well. We hope you will join!