Lent: Wisdom in the Desert

Week 1 – Anthony of the Desert - Reigniting my Passion for Jesus - Starts 15 February

We will embark on the season of Lent by walking with Jesus into the wilderness, and introducing the Desert Fathers and Mothers; our companions on this journey. Together we will fix their eyes on Jesus, so that we might approach Easter with a heart of prayerful pursuit.

Week 2 – John Cassian - Intensifying my Hunger for Holiness - Starts Sunday 22 February

This week our journey in the wilderness focuses on the human battle against sin, and our Holy Spirit-empowered invitation to become more like Christ.

Week 3 – Macarius of Egypt - Loving Silence and Solitude - Starts Sunday 1st March

Jesus ‘often withdrew to lonely places and prayed’ (Luke 5:16). This week, our Lenten journey has leads us into the spiritual practice of silence and solitude in a noisy and busy world.

Week 4 – Syncletica of Alexandria - The Freedom of Renunciation - Starts Sunday 8th March

This week, our Lenten journey will explore the desert as a place of self-denial. We will unpack the dangers of materialism and choose instead to focus on the heavenly treasure Jesus talked about in the Sermon on the Mount.

Week 5 – Patrick of Ireland - The Foolish Way of Wisdom - Starts Sunday 15th March

This week we join the Desert Fathers and Mothers in their quest to go against the prevailing tide of culture by pursuing revelation and wisdom from God above all else.

Week 6 – Moses the Strong - Choosing the Way of Humility - Starts Sunday 22nd March

This week, our Lenten journey explores the theme of humility. In a world where our popularity feels graded by the size of our platform and reach, the example of Jesus shows a different truth at the heart of the universe.

Week 7 – The Lessons of the Desert - Entering the Holy Week - Starts Sunday 29th March

Palm Sunday remembers the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. In less than a week, Jesus will be arrested and the crowd will turn on Him; cries of exaltation will be replaced with calls for execution. This week we will explore how we move from fickle to faithful in our spiritual maturity; drawing inspiration from the Desert Fathers and Mothers who chose to welcome hardship to pursue single-hearted devotion to God. As the week continues we’ll leave the desert and follow Jesus in his journey towards the cross, and through the grave to offer new life to all.

Available Resources:

• Life Group Guides

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