A Lent Study: Week 3 - Wilderness

“The Lord your God led you these forty years in the wilderness… to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)

“At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” (Mark 1:12–13)

The Hebrew word midbar means wilderness — a harsh place that evokes images of emptiness, dryness, disorientation, and exposure. Yet in Scripture, the wilderness is rarely like this. It is a place of formation and covenant renewal, where God meets His people without distraction or illusion. Midbar does not simply mean desert; it's a place beyond control — where life is stripped back and where God speaks with clarity. It is where Israel learns who they are, who God is, and what it means to belong to Him.

A Lent Study: Week 2 - Repent

"Return to me, says the Lord, and I will return to you.” (Malachi 3:7)

Repent is a word that often arrives with baggage. For many, it sounds like guilt, shame, or religious pressure. But in Scripture, the word is far gentler, far deeper, and far more hopeful than the versions we’ve inherited. In the Old Testament, the primary word is shuv — to turn back, to return, to come home. It is the language of movement, not punishment. When the prophets cry out, “Return to the Lord” (Joel 2:13), they are not demanding grovelling; they are inviting restoration. They are calling Israel back to the relationship they were made for.

A Questionable Marriage

I mentioned previously that I'm navigating the Church of England’s Canon C4 Faculty (C4.4) as part of the ordination process due to being divorced and remarried, with my current marriage less than three years old. Despite our relationship being nine years old and marked by commitment, honesty, and a deepening love that's beyond what most couples face, tomorrow, I meet Bishop Rose to discuss my C4 application and my discernment process. The uncertainty about tomorrow sits heavily. It’s hard preparing for a conversation where your life, marriage, and body are all up for interpretation. Every candidate is interviewed by the Bishop, but not all go through C4 Faculty application, and don’t have Canon C4.3 standing ready to evaluate body before vocation. This problem lingers behind the marriage.