January 10, 9:00 am
Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom (registration required)
with The Rt. Rev. Phil LaBelle, Bishop of Olympia
For centuries, Christians have been following Jesus’ lead and heading into the wilderness to find God. Wilderness experiences—both those intentionally taken in the natural world and those unplanned and taken metaphorically —strip away what’s unnecessary in our lives and give us an opportunity to pay attention to the inner workings of the soul. Belden Lane suggests that while there are times when we descend into difficult times in our lives, it is then that we “may discover our greatest joy in having survived the night, in finding resources we did not know we had, falling back on a strength that was more than ours.” During this day, we’ll discuss the realities of being in the wilderness—whether a hiking trail or a difficult season of life—and contemplate how to prepare for those times with spiritual practice, discovering how we can cross the threshold from a time of descent to one of delight.
