Walking in the Wilderness: Seeking God During Lent

by Beth A. Richardson

People of faith are struggling these days as they watch unbelievable events unfold. The United States, once a refuge for immigrants, has closed its borders to many of the world's most vulnerable citizens. Fear of people different from us has created an atmosphere of hatred, incivility, and violence. We are living in a time of wilderness and exile. Yet the wilderness is a familiar place for those who follow Jesus. Like Jesus, we spend 40 days in the wilderness. During Lent God calls us to examine ourselves, repent, and make room in our lives for the Holy One. Walking in the Wilderness is meant to be a companion for readers' journey through Lent. It may be studied by individuals or groups. The book includes daily reflections for Ash Wednesday through Easter. Sunday of each week introduces a spiritual practice for the wilderness. The practices for the six Sundays of Lent are Being Present, Lament, Lectio Divina, Trust, Compassion, and Hospitality. Each reading contains a quotation from an Upper Room resource, a short scripture passage, an insightful reflection and prayer written by Richardson, and a single word for readers to carry with them throughout the day. "We come hungry to this season of Lent," Richardson writes, "hungry for words of life, for rituals of preparation, for disciplines to help us on our way." Walking in the Wilderness provides a spiritual feast for readers during the longest season of the Christian year.

Genres: Spirituality

139 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2020

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be the very best Lent Devotional I’ve had the pleasure of reading and participating in. Beth always seems to make scripture and her devotionals so very relevant to today’s world. This devotional touches upon the Pandemic, the protests against injustices such as Black Lives Matter and immigration. Her compassion is felt throughout the book as tears seem to drop silently onto her pages filled with hope faith and trust. Most importantly, Beth’s love for God, in all formats is evident with every word. I’ll carry her words to reflect on as well as her daily reflections in my heart, as I’m sure I’ll need to review them throughout this coming year, and perhaps in years to come.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book to read during Lent of this Covid year. Each passage is only a couple of pages but most contain quite profound insights. There is a scripture passage and two reflections, one written by the author.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful resource for Lent. I really enjoyed the word of the day for each devotional. The length of the readings was perfect. The sections for the Sundays of Lent that were more in-depth added a lot to the readings as well.

[Pam Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thought-provoking Lenten devotional.

[Rachel Helgeson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful devotional. I loved it so much that I go back through it again. Very timely.

[Skdecker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book of day by day meditations on Lent.

[Blanche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did this as a Bible Study with other women, for a second time, and it was timely, again. I highly recommend it for a group, or as a stand alone for your own personal growth and understanding.