… they said, “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?” Psalm 78:19

On the first Sunday of Lent, we in the Episcopal Church revisit the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. In this year’s reading from Luke, we read that “Jesus was led by the by the Spirit in the wilderness.” For me, this is a powerful reminder of how the “wilderness” experience is part of our faith and formation. Sometimes we end up there by happenstance; sometimes, the Spirit leads us there. And while we might encounter difficulty and temptation, God meets us there.

The pandemic, in many ways, has felt like being in the wilderness: the path has been unclear, we have experienced a new vulnerability, and many of us have worried about our survival. In the midst of our anxiety, we may have been tempted to say, “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?”

Sometimes I look around and think we’ve lost sight of things and maybe forgotten what matters, forgotten what leads to a fruitful and joy-filled life. It is easy to lose sight of things when we’re all so busy. We’re rushing around, doing our thing, being functional citizens in society. On top of that, we’re still dealing with an ongoing pandemic, accelerating climate change, and a political landscape so riven with conflict and the threat of violence that survivors of World War II are ringing the alarm bells.

I was smiling as I walked to my car after Sunday morning worship January 9, Epiphany Sunday, at St. Stephen’s in Aurora. We had watched Bill, George, and John (choir members) process down the aisle, each singing a verse of “We Three Kings.” Normally dressed in choir robes, they were adorned that Sunday in rich colors of silk brocade and elaborate head gear, befitting Western notions of oriental kings. As I drove home, however, I became aware that the tune playing in the back of my mind was not “We Three Kings,” but rather the chorus of “Turn! Turn! Turn!” — the Byrds’ rendition of a song Pete Seeger made famous in 1965, his lyrics taken from Ecclesiastes:

by the Rev. Gary Stoddard, Deacon

Being a deacon of five years has given me a unique perspective of how God works. Being a spiritual director, part of that time, has grown my perspective of how God reaches people, and holds on to them, even more. Take Charlie, for example. I call him my “COVID Convert.” He also happens to be a relative. He called me up one day and asked me if he could come to church with me. Charlie, mind you, hasn’t been to church since he was in grade school.

In 1972, as the Episcopal Church began ordaining women to clergy roles, a Roman Catholic priest, Henri J. M. Nouwen, published an important book, The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society. Nouwen’s meaningful and simple book begins with a stark call:

by the Rev. Nancey Johnson Bookstein, Deacon, & Larry Bangs

In August 2021, a bomb went off in the Kabul airport in Afghanistan, changing lives radically and forever. Here in Colorado, we watched with horror for days, on every news channel.

In October, a staff member at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church received a flier about ways for churches to respond to this disaster. Most of the refugees fleeing Afghanistan had been placed in temporary quarters at military installations around the world, waiting for new homes in receiving countries. Soon, thousands of families were being airlifted to safety in the United States. Many of the refugees had supported U.S. efforts in Afghanistan during the 20 years of our presence there. Because of that, their lives and the lives of their families were in danger.