Beth A. Richardson

Walking In The Wilderness

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 15:04:28 GMT

Living through social and political upheaval can sometimes feel a lot like wandering in exile through a spiritual desert.

The Upper Room invites you to join us this Lent for an online retreat in which we will hold sacred space for one another and connect with God throughout each day. You may feel like you are walking in the wilderness, but you are not alone. The Holy Spirit travels with us.

The book of Joel reminds us:

"Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for [God] is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing" (Joel 2:12-13, NRSV).

Together, we will embrace the challenge of remembering God?not just during formal worship or daily meditation but throughout the day, a skill to be developed over time, a practice learned over a lifetime. We will also gather weekly for online worship and engage in times of prayer and reflection on scripture. We come hungry to this season of Lent?hungry for words of life, for rituals of preparation, for practices to help us on our way.

Together, let's remember God, receive words of life, and walk through the days of Lent.

Featuring Beth A. Richardson's book Walking in the Wilderness: Seeking God During Lent, our online retreat will include a variety of elements available to you anytime in our online classroom:

Daily devotional readings from the book, available in the online classroom
Space for comments and interaction with other eCourse registrants
Recordings of live sessions from 2021, available for viewing.
Optional: private classrooms and closed discussions are available just for your group or congregation.**

Walking in the Wilderness: Seeking God During Lent is an honest Lenten devotional that invites us to remember God as much as we can; in doing so, we will maintain a true center during this holy time.

We invite you to engage as you are able. You are not required to participate in every element of the online retreat.

Join our open group and make new friends, or request a private classroom for your group of 5 or more and delve into Walking in the Wilderness: An Online Lenten Retreat with The Upper Room with those you know.

Week One: Entering the Wilderness | Isaiah 58
Week Two: Wandering in the Wilderness | Exodus 16
Week Three: The experience of Exile | Ezekiel 37:1-14
Week Four: Singing the Songs of Exile | Psalm 137
Week Five: Jesus in the Wilderness | Luke 4:1-13
Week Six: The Wilderness of Holy Week

Private group breakout rooms are available during these live events.

* For private classroom pricing and information, contact us at UReLearning@UpperRoom.org.

Christ Beside Me, Christ Within Me

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 15:01:49 GMT

Practice seeing blessings all around you! Upper Room author Beth A. Richardson invites us to practice the Celtic way of seeing God in everyday life. Through Beth's written blessings and stories, we're invited to live into a regular practice of gratitude and noticing?practices that encourage us to be aware of God all around us. Drawing on her own Celtic heritage, Beth weaves personal story and written blessings into a book you'll want to have ready for life's ordinary and extraordinary moments.

In our online course, you'll meet Beth through brief videos, hear her read aloud both story and blessing, and be guided in writing blessing prayers of your own.

Our eCourse includes:

All essential content from Beth's book, Christ Beside Me, Christ Within Me: Celtic Blessings.
Introductory video for each section.
Audio recordings of Beth reading blessings and telling her family story.
A place to share your thoughts and blessings with others who will join in along the way.

Christ Beside Me, Christ Within Me

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:00:21 GMT

Many Christians long to sense God's presence in their everyday lives but don't know how. Inspired by the ancient form of prayer practiced by the Celtic people, Beth Richardson offers a multitude of short prayers—blessings—that embrace every aspect of daily life.

A sense of joy about ordinary moments of the day pervades this book. Many of the blessings came to Richardson during one of her daily activities—walking her dogs. As she welcomed the day, she thought about celebrations, challenges, and other situations people she loved were facing.

The result is a lovely collection of prayers that recognize God's presence in each moment, from waking to sleeping, from birth to death. The blessings will help readers acknowledge the richness of the gifts of life; express their feelings about special moments such as births, marriages, and graduations; offer words to pray during times of struggle; and give them a way to pray for the world and all its people.

KEY FEATURES

Short, simple prayers to read aloud or memorize
Organized for simple accessibility
Digital versions feature color photography

Walking in the Wilderness

Sat, 14 May 2022 04:13:28 GMT

People of faith are struggling these days as they watch unbelievable events unfold. The United States, once a refuge for immigrants, has closed its borders to many of the world's most vulnerable citizens. Fear of people different from us has created an atmosphere of hatred, incivility, and violence. We are living in a time of wilderness and exile.

Yet the wilderness is a familiar place for those who follow Jesus. Like Jesus, we spend 40 days in the wilderness. During Lent God calls us to examine ourselves, repent, and make room in our lives for the Holy One.

Walking in the Wilderness is meant to be a companion for readers' journey through Lent. It may be studied by individuals or groups. The book includes daily reflections for Ash Wednesday through Easter. Sunday of each week introduces a spiritual practice for the wilderness. The practices for the six Sundays of Lent are Being Present, Lament, Lectio Divina, Trust, Compassion, and Hospitality.

Each reading contains a quotation from an Upper Room resource, a short scripture passage, an insightful reflection and prayer written by Richardson, and a single word for readers to carry with them throughout the day.

"We come hungry to this season of Lent," Richardson writes, "hungry for words of life, for rituals of preparation, for disciplines to help us on our way." Walking in the Wilderness provides a spiritual feast for readers during what is often the most challenging season of the Christian year.

The Uncluttered Heart

Sat, 14 May 2022 02:32:15 GMT

It's a time when we prepare our lives—hearts, minds, and spirits—for the coming of the Christ child. We sweep out the corners of our hearts, cleaning up the clutter, to make space for God's hope, peace, joy, love, and presence.

The Uncluttered Heart offers four weeks of guided reflection through the weeks of Advent on through Epiphany. Each day provides a

quotation
scripture passage
reflection
prayer

This book includes a study guide for groups.

Child of the Light

Sat, 14 May 2022 02:15:41 GMT

If the Christmas season has become more of a chaotic consumer ritual rather than a nurturing spiritual time, you need this brilliant "Advent survival guide"!

If you set aside just 10 minutes per day, Child of the Light will help you find your quiet center amid the stressful flurry of the November/December busyness. As you read the book's brief readings inspired by the season's carols and hymns, your spirit will be lifted, and your thoughts will be redirected to the purpose of the season: preparing for the coming of Christ.

"Take time for God: that's exactly the challenge God gives us during this season of preparation," writes Richardson. "Personally and culturally, this time of year already seems to race out of control toward a Christmas finish line. In Advent, we are invited to take time out…[In] doing so, we nurture our spiritual self, that sometimes fragile part of us who longs for a connection with God."

The reflections extend past Christmas to Epiphany, January 6, encouraging you to live into the joy of Christmas beyond traditional seasonal celebrations.

A 5-week study guide is included at the back of the book, offering a simple structure for meetings: centering, reflecting, reading scripture, going deeper, and closing. The use of hymns and carols will engage even the most nonmusical among us to fully appreciate the lyrical richness of the season.

Do you long for a more sacred and measured observance this year? Be joyfully carried through the pre- and post-Christmas pandemonium as a child of the light!

Christ Beside Me, Christ Within Me

Sat, 14 May 2022 01:12:57 GMT

KEY FEATURES

Short, simple prayers to read aloud or memorize
Organized for simple accessibility
Digital versions feature color photography

Christ Beside Me, Christ Within Me

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:23:45 GMT

KEY FEATURES

Short, simple prayers to read aloud or memorize
Organized for simple accessibility
Digital versions feature color photography

Walking in the Wilderness

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:07:09 GMT