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
April 2: The Sixth Sunday in Lent: Palm Sunday
April 1: Saturday in the Fifth Week of Lent
Learn about human climate action. Do something that reduces your carbon footprint.
March 31: Friday in the Fifth Week of Lent
The psalmist reminds us often that God is our place of dwelling. God is, according to the psalms, our refuge, strength, stronghold, rock, crag, haven, shield, shepherd, hope, dwelling, port, to name a few.
March 30: Thursday in the Fifth Week of Lent
God establishes a covenant with us for generations to come. It means that we must not just think about ourselves, but look towards the future of our children’s children.
March 29: Wednesday in the Fifth Week of Lent
The bulk of Jesus’ ministry on earth was not so much about miracles, but about seeking and seeing the truth in the people he encountered.
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.