Prone to Wander: A Lenten Journey with Women in the Wilderness

God meets us in the wilderness.

Though most of us have never wandered a literal desert for forty years, we have all spent some time wandering in a wilderness of one kind or another. So, too, have many women across the pages of the Bible. In their stories of doubt and questioning, of dryness and distance, we can find guideposts for the inevitable wilderness periods in our own lives. As we enter into the wilderness season of the church year, this Lenten devotional by Joanna Harader explores the stories of thirty biblical women--from Eve to Mary Magdalene--who had their own such experiences. For some, the women inhabited a literal wilderness. For others, their wilderness was metaphorical. All were drawn closer to God, who does not leave us to wander alone.
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Embark on a Lenten journey with these women in the wilderness through daily reflections, prayer practices, and questions, as well as Sunday blessings accompanied by beautiful hand-cut paper artwork by Michelle Burkholder. From the author of Expecting Emmanuel, Prone to Wander provides resources for using the book in group and worship settings.
As you consider these women who inhabited a swath of wilderness spaces, draw closer to the God who met them--and meets you--there.

Joanna Harader serves as pastor of Peace Mennonite Church in Lawrence, Kansas. Her worship liturgies have been published in the Voices Together hymnal and are used in churches of various denominations. She has written for publications such as Christian Century, Leader magazine, and Shine Sunday School curriculum. She writes regularly for the RevGal Blog Pals blog, as well as her own blog, Spacious Faith, and is author of Expecting Emmanuel.

Michelle Burkholder serves as associate pastor of Hyattsville (MD) Mennonite Church and is a practicing visual artist. One of Michelle’s paper cutout pieces, Loaves and Fishes, can be found in the Voices Together hymnal. After studying art and theater at Eastern Mennonite University, Michelle went on to study the intersections of theology and the arts at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. The connections between art, faith, and spirituality fill Michelle with wonder, curiosity, and joy.