Allured by God: The Desert Journey Home

What does it mean to be truly alive? 

“We entreat you, make us truly alive.” (Eucharistic prayer of Sarapion of Thmuis) I suspect you know the deep longing expressed in those words. It is that longing to be truly alive that led thousands of men and women to the Egyptian desert to study and learn what it means to be human and truly alive.

Their experiences and teachings have come to be known as the “desert tradition” of Christianity. It began in the third century and flourished until at least the late seventh century though its presence and influence continue to be felt today.

The desert they experienced was as much an interior landscape as the sand, rocks, and mountains of the places they lived. It is a place of silence, solitude, and stillness, a time of waiting and temptation, and a place of revelation, conversion, and transformation.

The women and men of the desert have given us their learnings, challenges, and wisdom in short, pithy sayings. They are more interested in experiences of God than in explanations of God. They seek a word of life; saying, “Abba, give me a word.”

The First Sunday in Lent always takes us to the desert. Every year the gospel appointed for that Sunday is about Jesus’ time in the wilderness.

Wednesday Nights During Lent
Come for dinner – stay to be fed! 
March 12, 19, 26 and April 2, 9
Teachings begin around 6:45. 

Each Wednesday evening in Lent we’ll let the wisdom of the Ammas and Abbas guide us into the desert of our own lives and challenge us to become more alive. What, for example, does a green pea on the road have to do with our lives? More than you might think. Come hear what Abba Agathon has to say about that.