{"id":4471,"date":"2018-03-13T22:10:38","date_gmt":"2018-03-13T21:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/?p=4471"},"modified":"2022-02-08T16:39:10","modified_gmt":"2022-02-08T15:39:10","slug":"testing-ground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2018\/03\/13\/testing-ground\/","title":{"rendered":"Testing ground"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\n(Photo: Lindy Twaddle)<\/span><\/p>\n

 
\nThe Dictionary of Biblical Imagery<\/a><\/em> has a lengthy entry on Wilderness<\/strong>, ending with the following summary: <\/p>\n

“… the wilderness is an ambivalent image in the Bible. If it is a place of deprivation, danger, attack and punishment, it is also the place where God delivers his people, provides for them and reveals himself.”\n<\/div>\n

 
\nSome of this tension is found in this short reading that ties together the baptism and temptation of Jesus, with the Holy Spirit playing an active role in both:<\/p>\n

Mark 1:9-13: The Baptism and Testing of Jesus<\/h3>\n

9<\/sup> At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. 10<\/sup> Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove<\/strong>. 11<\/sup> And a voice came from heaven: \u2018You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.\u2019<\/p>\n

12<\/sup> At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness<\/strong>, 13<\/sup> and he was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.<\/p>\n\n

Litany for Lent<\/h3>\n

Because temptation is woven into the fabric of our lives,
\nand we know the weariness of forty days in the desert,
\nand the beckoning power of sweet fruit,
\nand the vain promises of the world,
\nwe need you, God.
\nWe need you, God.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because we see the broken before the whole,
\nand the half empty cup, and the unfinished task,
\nand the thirst in freedom\u2019s quest,
\nwe need you, God.
\nWe need you, God.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because we trust in what we can see,
\nand we are blinded by our prejudices,
\nand we do not know what we do not know,
\nwe need you, God.
\nWe need you, God.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because our need for correctness exceeds our need for truth,
\nand our excuses preempt the cry of the wounded,
\nand our celebration of blessing is mindless of those displaced,
\nwe need you, God.
\nWe need you, God.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because you came among us,
\nand breathed into our sinewy souls,
\nand healed our pain and let us wound you,
\nand loved us to the end,
\nand triumphed over all our hatred,
\nwe need you, God.
\nWe need you, God.<\/strong><\/p>\n

written by Katherine Hawker<\/strong> (inspired by\u00a0Iona Community Worship Book<\/em>,\u00a02002). Posted on\u00a0re:worship<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

From the blog<\/strong>
\nsee also Theme: Ever sustaining<\/a> (Prayer sheet)
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Photo: Lindy Twaddle)   The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery has a lengthy entry on Wilderness, ending with the following summary: “… the wilderness is an ambivalent image in the Bible. If it is a place of deprivation, danger, attack and punishment, it is also the place where God delivers his people, provides for them and … Continue reading “Testing ground”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[13,3],"tags":[126,124],"class_list":["post-4471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible","category-prayer","tag-litany","tag-wilderness"],"yoast_head":"\nTesting ground - Prayer matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The wilderness is an ambivalent image in the Bible. 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They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. \u00a0 \u00a0 Psalm 22:16 Dogs\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "bible"","block_context":{"text":"bible","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/snowy_mountains_dark_foreground.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/snowy_mountains_dark_foreground.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/snowy_mountains_dark_foreground.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/snowy_mountains_dark_foreground.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4448,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2018\/03\/25\/hw18-1-he-suffered-scheming\/","url_meta":{"origin":4471,"position":2},"title":"HW18 #1: He suffered scheming","author":"Irene Bom","date":"March 25, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Photo: Lindy Twaddle) \u00a0 Mark 14:1-2 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. \u201cBut not during the festival,\u201d they said, \u201cor the people may\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "bible"","block_context":{"text":"bible","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/meaning_scheming.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/meaning_scheming.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/meaning_scheming.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4710,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2018\/03\/29\/hw18-5-he-suffered-treachery\/","url_meta":{"origin":4471,"position":3},"title":"HW18 #5: He suffered treachery","author":"Irene Bom","date":"March 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Photo: Lindy Twaddle) \u00a0 Mark 14:43-45 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: \u201cThe\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "bible"","block_context":{"text":"bible","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/meaning_treachery.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/meaning_treachery.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/meaning_treachery.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4519,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2018\/03\/18\/wilderness-encouragement\/","url_meta":{"origin":4471,"position":4},"title":"Wilderness encouragement","author":"Irene Bom","date":"March 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Three short pieces, by way of encouragement. #1 God did not say, \u201cYou shall not be tempted; you shall not be troubled; you shall not be distressed.\u201d \u00a0 God did say, \u201cYou shall not be overcome.\u201d \u00a0 from the United Church of Christ\u2019s Worship Ways Archive and posted on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "bible"","block_context":{"text":"bible","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/crocusses.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/crocusses.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/crocusses.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/crocusses.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4604,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2018\/03\/26\/hw18-2-he-suffered-criticism\/","url_meta":{"origin":4471,"position":5},"title":"HW18 #2: He suffered criticism","author":"Irene Bom","date":"March 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Photo: Lindy Twaddle) \u00a0 Mark 14:3-9 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "bible"","block_context":{"text":"bible","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/moon_and_mountain.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/moon_and_mountain.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/moon_and_mountain.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/moon_and_mountain.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Irene Bom","author_link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/author\/irenebom-com\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/bible\/\" rel=\"category tag\">bible<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/prayer\/\" rel=\"category tag\">prayer<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"(Photo: Lindy Twaddle)   The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery has a lengthy entry on Wilderness, ending with the following summary: “… the wilderness is an ambivalent image in the Bible. If it is a place of deprivation, danger, attack and punishment, it is also the place where God delivers his people, provides for them and…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4471\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}