Some of you know that, through the kindness of the St. Mark’s community, and with funding from the Lilly Endowment, I’ll be going on leave from May through July. One of the things that I’ll be doing during that time is hiking in Maine, with some friends, the northern most section of the Appalachian Trail. The literature and the Internet are replete with stories of hikers who did not prepare well for their trip. One group tried to use their cell phones to signal to authorities when they realized that they might be in trouble, but poor reception blocked that plan. Later that day, they were able to make phone contact, and asked for emergency assistance. They were found later in the day, with all hikers showing the advance signs of dehydration. They had been gone fewer than 48 hours.
Preparations for hiking in the wilderness include making sure you have adequate water and food, are prepared for inclement weather, have good clothing and shoes, and have a good sense of where you are going. But what are the ways one may prepare for a sojourn into spiritual wilderness?
The story of the temptations of Jesus in the Gospels is the suggested reading for the first Sunday in Lent. After his baptism, Jesus was led to the wild and there experienced a version of deep testing. The temptations took several forms, including the temptation to do something to avoid sacrifice (turn stones to bread), to do something spectacular (jump off this temple) and to seek false empowerment (bow down to Satan). And these tests that would recur in Jesus’ life, and they show up in ours as well. What did Jesus do, and what do we do, to prepare for this kind of wilderness sojourn?
The sermon for Sunday is titled, “If You Would Enter Into the Wilderness”. The title arises from a Jan Richardson poem titled, “Beloved is Where We Begin.” The Scripture readings for the day are Psalm 32, and Matthew 4: 1-11. The Chancel Choir, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs, will lead us musically. We’ll sing, pray and have a moment for children.
If you have been a part of the St. Mark’s community for years, or if you are just discovering us, we look forward to connecting with you on Sunday. To join the 10:30 service online, visit www.smumc.church, and click on the Live Stream banner.