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The Second Week of Lent: Sara Macro Forrest—A Story and an Opportunity
Last week's Sunday school session was about the Hebrew concept of "midbar" (wilderness). The wilderness of the Old Testament is a place where wonderful and terrible things happen. Here is an excerpt from last week's lesson:
For many of us, when we leave our familiar school or home to go somewhere new like a new school or camp – it is really difficult. Nothing is familiar – schedule, people, food – nothing. It is scary. You may want to go back, even if where you came from wasn’t that great. But even though it was hard and there may have even been some tears involved, most of the time it turned out pretty well. (Even if the new place did not turn out so well, you probably learned a lot about yourself in the process.)
Midbar is Hebrew for “wilderness.” It was a scary and frightening place. It seemed empty and lifeless compared to Egypt. Even though the Israelites were free, they did not like it. But something very important happened there in this empty place, away from the “comforts” of Egypt. The people of Israel met God there.
The art project asked children to draw a time in their lives when they struggled, or were in a wilderness or didn't know what to do (or were tempted). You can see the outcome on the Parish Hall bulletin board. Some of the kids drew pictures of staying alone in a tent at camp, jumping off a big rock into a lake, or realizing that the teacher in a classroom is in charge, and that it doesn't always work out to challenge the teacher. But the lesson reminds us that "God is Always with You, Even in the Wilderness".
One child brought up the "Footprints in the Sand" poem. [http://www.wowzone.com/fprints.htm] She described it to us and reminded us that “…when we see only one set of footprints, that's when God carries us through the hard times.”
I've decided that for my Lenten practice this year I'm going to do something a little unusual, but I hope it will be fruitful. My Baha’i friend suggested this on SoulPancake (http://bit.ly/ckuxf1 Rainn Wilson's-- aka "Dwight Schrute" of The Office’s-- blog)
Now, the opportunity: Draw on your innate creativity and make a collage that represents your soul over the past year.
No one else can tell your story like you can. Here are some guidelines to help you get started:
1. Make a list of your highlights, low points, and learning experiences of 2009.
2. Find some old magazines, bits of paper, small objects or photos and cut out the images/words that resonate with the experiences on your list.
3. Layer the images and words and attach them to a surface (using glue, wire, tape—whatever).
4. Upload your collage here, and tell us how it felt to tell your story using art.
Can you muster the courage to share the life of your mind, soul, and emotions?
So, I'm going to do that project. And, I'm going to continue to work on prayer, because I'm starting to feel like it's really effective! Eventually, I’ll post the outcome on my blog: http://grandforet.blogspot.com/
My soul has been through a wilderness in the past year. It was a wild and transformative place. I feel like I have found a path, and felt God’s presence too. I hope that a visual description of my journey will be helpful, and prepare me for living the miracle of Easter.
P.S. If you are looking for a great movie about the life of Jesus that is appropriate for kids ages ~ 4 yrs and up, I recommend “The Miracle Maker” [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0208298/]. It’s claymation but visually amazing with a wonderful voiceover cast. It would be a great preparation for Easter during Lent for kids. A central character is Jairus’ daughter who was healed by Jesus – kids can relate to her.
Next Week…Thomas Ward
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