My prayer in the Desert

My faith community, St Paul's Episcopal Church, put together a booklet of Meditations for the Lenten Season.  Various members, along with friends and family of members, contributed brief meditations on the lectionary for each day.  Most of us chose our scriptures at random by merely signing up for a day on the calendar or pulling a day that our editor, John, had placed on slips of paper we pulled "from the hat" one Sunday in January. 

Cool, I thought.  This will be great! My excitement for the project slipped a bit when I looked at the scripture texts for my chosen day, March 5th.  Uh-oh, not so great... I found my assigned passages to be dense and offered me little to which I could relate. I read them.  Still not so great.. I re-read them. I procrastinated a bit more. Then with the deadline looming, I put off writing even more. Finally 4 day AFTER the deadline I forced myself to the keyboard and penned the reflection below.

so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their ancestors,
a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God. ----Psalm 78:7-8

All the texts for this day point to God’s unending provision and grace. The Psalmist, the Prophet Jeremiah, and Jesus in John’s Gospel all remind us that we are provided with food, water, and direction
(hope) when we were (and are) in the desert, even when we are less than grateful to receive it. Paul’s letter to the Romans continues to reinforce that God will not forget covenant made with Abraham and
that it extends to all who put their hope in God. Over and over we forget this promise and so we need to be reminded. For me this calls to mind a praise song I first heard sung in worship at New Hope
Community. At a time when I felt lost, this hymn from Hillsong Community in Australia, powerfully reminded me of God’s promises and that I “…should set my hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep God’s commandments…”

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides
This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

CHORUS:
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

BRIDGE:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favour and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be emptied again
The seed I’ve received I will sow

Little did I know how powerful that desert imagery would become for me in a few weeks! A week later my friend Barb encouraged me to go through a couple of boxes of books that had belonged to her mother. An avid reader of spiritual books, Barb's mother had recently gone into a nursing home, leaving most of her library behind.  "There are a lot of Celtic books in there you'd like. Mom made a pilgrimage to Iona," she explained. Along with books on Scottish and Irish high crosses, Celtic Saints, and the Lindesfarne gospels I pulled  David Adam's A Desert in the Ocean. I am grateful for such providence.  Thanks, Betty! Thanks be to God.

If you wish to see all the Reflections for Lent penned by the St Paul community you will find them posted on St Paul's The Ship's Blog.