Note from Pastor Jana I was a Junior in high school and my youth group went on a mission trip. We stayed at Canyon Camp, but then did work at Wilderness Camp. It was in the same Red Rock Canyons, but the only way in was to park and walk down the side of a steep hill. There weren't any working toilets down in this canyon. It was called Wilderness camp for a reason. We did the work to have a mission retreat because they needed the work done but we also got a discount. I have always loved camp...I never did Wilderness camp, because, well, you heard the conditions. However, we would go down in the canyon and we were cut off from all outside. Cell phones did not work in the canyon. For most, this was troublesome. For me, I always welcomed the "silence". We were surrounded by nature. We had walls of red canyon surrounding us, open valleys, cabins filled with bunk beds. The camp was a majestic place. We were in the wilderness and it gave us an opportunity to explore our faith, deepen relationships with each other, and know God. We often think of Wilderness as a desolate place. We think of it as scary and not the place we want to be. We see it as lonely. Wilderness can be a lot of these things and more. On Epiphany Sunday, we drew stars that had words on them. They were words prayed over and the hope would be the word would be a gift from God for the new year. The word I received was GROW. I feel like being in ministry is all about that word. We want to grow closer to God. We want to grow into a better person. We want to grow the church. Aren’t I working on that already?! Truthfully, it’s about the grow(th) in our lives. The church I love is facing turmoil. I pray for us to grow as a denomination where our love and joy is known in the world. I know there is growth needed around letting go of certain things, but boy, does that threaten my security. Change is all around that threatens the stability we know and love. This can make us feel as though we are in a wilderness where nothing seems to grow. Lent has begun and our new sermon series is centered around the lectionary. The theme is Seeking: Honest Questions for Deeper Faith. Doesn’t that just tie in with growth? Asking questions and seeking answers helps us to grow. Be open to see how God will push you, comfort you, and grow you. Pastor Jana
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