Sarah Bessey, Ep 5: Practices for the Wilderness

Learning to walk and weep and participate with the new life that is possible...

Friends, this is an episode for the ages. We asked Sarah to share a few practices for the wilderness, and she offered a mighty banquet table of wisdom. Just so good! And so helpful. Seasons that shake our faith can feel paralyzing, right? The old habits no longer work, but we cannot see the new pathway ahead. In this episode—and in her book Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith—Sarah gently invites us to explore a few tangible steps.

“It’s as though our choices can bushwhack a path into the wilderness of a new way of being, and the repetition of those choices and habits clears the land into a trail. Eventually, repetition of practices and habits paves the path, so that we can walk down it even when our feet hurt or there’s heavy fog blocking the way. Every day, we are learning to trust we know our way back home.” (KJ Ramsey, who Sarah quotes on page 129)

The full conversation is at the Between Retreats Podcast. (We’ve even added some additional music and reflection for this one. Don’t miss it!)

Today let’s reflect on two of the practices Sarah shared. First, the practice of discovering what we are for (not just against)…

Such a needed word. Being AGAINST something can begin a journey, but only being FOR something can sustain the journey. Sarah writes “Turning away is a good start, but it isn’t going to sustain us over the long haul. Naming what you are turning toward—especially ordinary, good, lovely, nourishing things—is a rebellion against the broken story itself.” (pg 172)

Four questions for reflection:
(1) What is something that you feel deeply against right now? 
(2) What is the holy invitation inside your holy discontent? 
(3) How might God use this angst to propel you into constructive action? 
(4) What do you feel drawn to be FOR?

The second practice Sarah offers is the practice of lament. None of us want to do this. It’s just so painful and difficult. AND YET…we have all been wounded in ways that will either lock us into deeper pain, or launch us into new life and joy. Partnering with God’s grace through the practice of lament is utterly necessary if we want to be free. Grateful for Sarah’s tenderness and wisdom here…

If this touched something inside you, we suggest two tangible next steps.

First, get together with a trusted friend, read Sarah’s Chapter 6: Tell the Truth and Learn to Lament, and tell the truth together. We all must do our inner work—in prayer and alone—but please don’t underestimate the power of sharing and receiving our tender stories. We truly get to carry each other and be carried.

Does a particular friend come to mind as you read this? Who is it? Send them a text! Set something up, either in person or over zoom. Invite them into this journey and see what God does in both of you.

Second, we offer this recorded liturgy to gently walk you through the nine steps of a biblical lament. (Obviously, lament is messy and not a linear, checklist process. But it tends to unfold in certain direction. Church history offers deep wisdom here.)

Guided by David Gungor’s voice, Aaron Niequist’s music, and the powerful vocals of Fatai, this 15 minute guided meditation is available for free download at A New Liturgy No 7: Lament. And you can stream it here…

God is already at work in you today and every day. Even in the wilderness. (Or maybe ESPECIALLY in the wilderness!) And we get to humbly say yes through these simple practices.

May we say yes again today.