WILDERNESS, INSIDE AND OUT
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. – Mark 1:12-13
For the past few weeks, Christians have been observing the season after the Epiphany, otherwise known as Epiphanytide. This time has focused on light, hope, and the revelation of God in the world around us. People of the faith have traveled with those wise ones from the East, found God to be present in the world in a manger, and left that encounter transformed. Epiphany is a season to live into that newness.
On February 17, the seasons once again shifted. Ash Wednesday was upon us, a day where we remembered that from dust we came and to dust we shall return. Our mortality was set before us, once again, teaching us to cherish the precious life we have been given. Many in the Upper Division gathered before school yesterday for a brief service, where Scripture, prayers, poetry, and music were offered by student-leaders. Middle Division gathered for their own service during advisory later in the day, also led by our students. In lieu of imposing ashes this year, stickers with Ash Wednesday crosses and the word “dust” were blessed and given to those gathered.
We now enter the season of Lent, a time of self-discovery, introspection, and contemplation. During these 40 days, many Christians turn inward, reflecting on where the sun is shining brightly, what needs sun-setting (or letting go), and also where the sun may be rising. This spiritual shift takes some time, and the landscape is often characterized by wilderness or desert. In a sense, we are laying bare our life before God, seeking to be molded in new ways.
In many ways, we have been living through the season of Lent for a long time now. During these long months of pandemic times, many lives have been laid bare, calling us to self-examination and a new appreciation of life. As we continue to define and understand a new normal, many have discovered and re-discovered the heart of what is important to them. In Ash Wednesday terms, the dust has settled and shown us what is fundamental, vital, and essential in this transitory life.
What also comes to mind this beginning of Lent are the many across the southwest who have endured hardship with the recent winter storms. My family moved here from Houston four years ago, and we continue to hear accounts from friends and former colleagues of power outages, water shortages, busted pipes, and icicles dangling inside from the ceiling above. Our prayers go out to them, all who have died, and those for whom this blitz has deeply impacted. To be sure, the wilderness that we encounter is not always from within.
I am lifting up this season as a holy time of self-discovery, healing, and discernment, in hopes that we may be a people found by God in the midst of struggle; waited on by angels, near and far.
Back
For the past few weeks, Christians have been observing the season after the Epiphany, otherwise known as Epiphanytide. This time has focused on light, hope, and the revelation of God in the world around us. People of the faith have traveled with those wise ones from the East, found God to be present in the world in a manger, and left that encounter transformed. Epiphany is a season to live into that newness.
On February 17, the seasons once again shifted. Ash Wednesday was upon us, a day where we remembered that from dust we came and to dust we shall return. Our mortality was set before us, once again, teaching us to cherish the precious life we have been given. Many in the Upper Division gathered before school yesterday for a brief service, where Scripture, prayers, poetry, and music were offered by student-leaders. Middle Division gathered for their own service during advisory later in the day, also led by our students. In lieu of imposing ashes this year, stickers with Ash Wednesday crosses and the word “dust” were blessed and given to those gathered.
We now enter the season of Lent, a time of self-discovery, introspection, and contemplation. During these 40 days, many Christians turn inward, reflecting on where the sun is shining brightly, what needs sun-setting (or letting go), and also where the sun may be rising. This spiritual shift takes some time, and the landscape is often characterized by wilderness or desert. In a sense, we are laying bare our life before God, seeking to be molded in new ways.
In many ways, we have been living through the season of Lent for a long time now. During these long months of pandemic times, many lives have been laid bare, calling us to self-examination and a new appreciation of life. As we continue to define and understand a new normal, many have discovered and re-discovered the heart of what is important to them. In Ash Wednesday terms, the dust has settled and shown us what is fundamental, vital, and essential in this transitory life.
What also comes to mind this beginning of Lent are the many across the southwest who have endured hardship with the recent winter storms. My family moved here from Houston four years ago, and we continue to hear accounts from friends and former colleagues of power outages, water shortages, busted pipes, and icicles dangling inside from the ceiling above. Our prayers go out to them, all who have died, and those for whom this blitz has deeply impacted. To be sure, the wilderness that we encounter is not always from within.
I am lifting up this season as a holy time of self-discovery, healing, and discernment, in hopes that we may be a people found by God in the midst of struggle; waited on by angels, near and far.
Berkeley Preparatory School
Founded in 1960, Berkeley is an independent, Episcopal, college-preparatory day school located in Tampa, FL, for boys and girls in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12. Approximately 1,400 students gather here from the greater Tampa Bay area to form ONE Berkeley.