This series of videos was originally put together for Lent 2022. It was something of a strange year because Lent in the UK
coincided with the easing of many of the lockdown restrictions that had been put in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a season when we might normally be curtailing our activities and seeking space for solitude and reflection, society as a whole
was being released from such things. It was this reality that gave rise to the title 'Emerging from the Desert'
Lent is inspired and shaped by the experience of Jesus, recorded in the Gospels as spending 40 days in the desert at the outset of his
adult ministry. Although we associate his temptations with that period, closer reading reminds us that it was
as he prepared to leave a place of wilderness that he was tempted. And so these reflections deliberately sought to explore the world into
which we were emerging and how we might be called to live as followers of Jesus within it. We hope that they continue to be a helpful resource.
As Jesus prepared to leave the desert he was confronted by three 'temptations' seeking to define the shape of his ministry. He recognised that these
did not represent the road he was called to follow. This reflection is based on that story, recorded in Luke's Gospel, chapter 4.
This reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Lent is inspired by the story of Abram and Sarah. The Old Testament book of Genesis, chapter 15, records how this
childless couple are promised that they will be the parents of a great nation. They are invited to emerge from the desert of disappointment and barrenness into
the fulness of God's promise.
Our reflection for the 3rd Sunday of Lent invites us to engage with the Old Testament story of the call of Moses. For Moses, the desert had become
a place of escape, but he discovered the presence of God amidst the ordinary and routine of his working day as a nomadic herdsman. Through it we
are reminded that Lent is not just a season of withdrawal, but one in which God can commission us for service.
On the 4th Sunday of Lent, we are invited to engage with a story Jesus told of two sons (Luke 15) Each found themselves in a desert place - one through
wasting and abusing his father's generosity, the other by becoming a slave to duty. Each needed to embrace again a father's love and re-discover grace
and mercy.
The 5th Sunday of Lent introduces us to the story of Mary, anointing Jesus and wiping him with her hair. This unorthodox action caused great unease
amongst the dinner guests who witnessed it, but was affirmed and validated by Jesus. It reminds us that we can be honest in God's presence, we do not need to
be ashamed of our mistakes and will be accepted for our integrity rather than creating the right impression.
The 6th Sunday of Lent is 'Palm Sunday' when we are invited to remember how Jesus entered Jerusalem to begin the final week of his earthly life.
The Jewish Festival of Passover was taking place - a celebration of God's rescue and salvation - this is why the gathering crowds joined in shouting 'Hosanna'
which means God save us. The tragic irony of the occasion is that in Jesus, God was answering their cry in ways that few could recognise.