Enter the Mystery

“Do not be afraid to enter the wilderness,” Fr Colin Sutton assures us, “for Christ is with you.” In this meditation, we delve into what it means to find our own wilderness – where we may find prowling lions but also ministering angels!

Do not be afraid to enter the Wilderness
for Christ is with you.

We do not enter the wilderness
to put ourselves into the way of temptation
or hide away from the world’s evil ways,
but to face the truth about ourselves
in relation to God and to those who journey with us.

We do not enter the wilderness
for spiritual improvement, 
to enjoy a better diet of prayer
or seek some miracle,
for stones to become bread
to deepen our faith.
                                                                                                                               We go to seek healing
not only for ourselves
but for our church
and the world.

The wilderness is the place
where God can strip away
the endless distractions,
the busyness that we hide behind
to prevent any unwanted change in our lives.

We don’t need to travel to a desert
to find our wilderness. 
But we need the space and the resolve
to clear away a path
to quieten our mind and body enough
to hear the silent voice of God
           
We may become aware of the prowling lion
seeking whom he may devour,
but there are also the ministering angels,
our brothers and sisters in Christ,
who will help us to see the wilderness experience
as an opportunity for growth,
for renewal,
for a grace filled fresh start.
   
For if it is Christ himself who invites us
to break bread with him in our upper room,
to keep vigil with him in his hour of agony,
and to stand at the foot of the cross
(and not just admire the two figures 
who are there when he needed them).
Then he is also with us in our wilderness.

For through the dry dust of ash
when it is crossed shaped on our bodies
comes the water of life,
like an unstoppable fountain,
and Christ himself invites us to drink
from the well that will never run dry,
that will turn our wilderness
into a fruitful orchard of the Spirit.

And he will be there to welcome us
to show us his hands and sides
now made glorious.


Love of Jesus, fill us
Joy of Jesus, surprise us
Peace of Jesus, flood us
Light of Jesus, transform us
Touch of Jesus, warm us
Strength of Jesus, encourage us
By your glorious wounds, heal us
and bring us with all your saints
into your kingdom of perfect peace