2023 Lenten Meditations
The wilderness & the dry land
shall be glad!
Daily Lenten meditations
by the Rt. Rev. Deon K. Johnson,
XI Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri
Introduction
It all begins in the wilderness…
In the wilderness things happen.
In the wilderness is transformation.
In the wilderness is the gate to new life.
God seems to have a special place for the wilderness experience. The overarching character throughout the biblical text that is often forgotten or missed is the wilderness.
From the calling of God’s people out of the land of Egypt, to Jesus beginning his ministry after his baptism, the wilderness has played a prominent role in the life and journey of the people of God. These experiences help to reform, refine, and refresh God’s people for the path ahead as they journey into the unknown.
We are no different. We need the wilderness.
We need those times in the wilderness, away from the norm, where we are stripped bare of the baggage and burdens we carry in order to be formed and reformed over and over again by God. We need those times in the wilderness to step out into the unknown, to seek after God’s footprints in the sand, to listen for God’s voice in the wind, to be steeped in the fullness of God’s Spirit moving in, around, and through us.
In the busyness of our world, with the demands of time and energy, the wilderness calls to us.
It all begins in the wilderness.
+Deon
A new meditation will be added to this page each day, beginning with Ash Wednesday (February 22, 2023) and ending with Palm Sunday (April 2, 2023).
You can also download the entire booklet to follow at your convenience.
Download the meditation booklet
2023 Lenten Meditations
March 28: Tuesday in the Fifth Week of Lent
March 27: Monday in the Fifth Week of Lent
What God offers us in Scripture and throughout the course of our lives is not safety, but companionship.
March 26: The Fifth Sunday of Lent: Wait
We don’t like to wait. But there is value in waiting. God is there in the waiting place.
March 25: Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
"Then Mary said, 'Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.' Then the angel departed from her."
March 24: Friday in the Fourth Week of Lent
To be fully known by God means that even though we sometimes feel less-than, or when we are not our best selves, God still claims us in our fullness as beloved.
March 23: Thursday in the Fourth Week of Lent
We forget that God’s goodness and grace are always with us even when we may not feel it, see it, or experience it.
March 22: Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Lent
The creation sings. The unlooked gift of the symphony of creation move all about us.
March 21: Tuesday in the Fourth Week of Lent
The psalmist calls us to cast our cares, fears, and tears on God. That is hard work.
March 20: Monday in the Fourth Week of Lent
March 19: The Fourth Sunday of Lent
How do we live lives of joy in a seemingly joy-less world? We look to Jesus.
