Spiritual exercise:

Take a walk in the woods this month. The only thing predictable about March weather is that it is usually kind of yucky: it will be rainy and muddy or chilly and snowing or unseasonably warm and pollen-y—we don’t get to pick our wilderness! (If you are not able to walk, dress appropriately and sit outside for as long as you can.) While you are outside, notice all the changes in the world around you; pay attention to the weather and what it reminds you of, smells of, looks like, feels like. Think about other journeys through wilderness you have taken. Reflect on the wilderness journeys of some of the world’s refugees the past few years—from Syria and beyond. What blessings have we been given in our lives? What lessons does the wilderness hold for us?

Suggested Community Reads: Every month Amy Newmark and Jane Spickett suggest some books related to the worship theme. For those who would like to connect a bit more with the theme of “Wilderness,” here are this month’s selections:

Preschool (ages 4-6)

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping (Mélanie Watt)

The Wild Girl (Chris Wormell)

Early Elementary (ages 6-8)

Secret Place (Eve Bunting)

Mid-Elementary (ages 8-10)

Abel’s Island (William Steig)

Upper Elementary (ages 9-12)

Brian’s Winter (Gary Paulsen)

My Side of the Mountain (Jean Craighead George)

Parents and Caregivers

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder (Richard Louv)

Adults

Claiming Ground (Laura Bell)