by Archdeacon Claire Phelps
Dear Family of St John’s
In the weeks leading up to Lent, I often find myself reflecting on what this time of year is really meant to be about. Many of us instinctively begin thinking about what we might give up, or perhaps what spiritual practice we should take on. Yet Lent has never simply been about self-denial. At its heart, it’s an invitation – an invitation to grow.
This year, as a church family, we are journeying together through the Lectio 365 series Wisdom in the Desert. Over the coming weeks we will walk alongside Jesus in the wilderness and listen to the wisdom of early Christians who discovered that the desert – a place of quiet, simplicity, and sometimes discomfort – can also become a place of deep encounter with God.
As I’ve been preparing for this journey, I’ve found myself returning to the challenging words found in Hebrews chapter 5: “You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk… is still an infant.” (Hebrews 5:12–13)
It’s a striking image, and perhaps an uncomfortable one.
Milk is good. It’s exactly what’s needed at the beginning of life. Every child starts there, nourished and sustained as they grow. But we also know that something is wrong if a child never moves beyond milk.
Today we understand that when young children don’t progress to solid food, their development can be affected in surprising ways. Chewing strengthens muscles needed not only for eating, but also for speech and coordination. Encountering new textures helps growth and maturity. Moving onto solid food isn’t simply a change in diet – it’s essential for healthy development.
In other words, growth requires transition.
The writer to the Hebrews suggests that the same can be true spiritually. There is a stage in our faith when we first discover God’s love, learn the stories of Jesus, and begin to trust Him. These foundations are beautiful and necessary. Yet faith is never meant to remain only at the introductory level.
If I am honest, it’s easy – for all of us – to settle into familiar patterns of faith. We return to the passages we already know well. Prayer can become something we turn to mainly in moments of difficulty. Faith risks becoming something that fits around the edges of busy lives rather than something that shapes them.
These things aren’t wrong – they’re often where faith begins. But God lovingly invites us into something more. Growth is always an ongoing invitation.
Solid food, spiritually speaking, involves going deeper. It means spending time with Scripture not just for comfort, but for formation. It means allowing God’s Word to challenge us as well as reassure us. It means learning to sit with God in silence, to listen as much as we speak, and to allow Him to shape our character over time.
This is why Lent matters so much.
Throughout Scripture, the desert is rarely comfortable – but it’s consistently transformative. Israel learned dependence on God there. Elijah encountered God’s gentle whisper there. Jesus Himself entered the wilderness before beginning His ministry. Again and again, the desert becomes the place where distractions fall away and deeper nourishment is found.
In many ways, our modern lives keep us on a steady diet of spiritual snacks – hurried prayers, brief reflections, moments of faith squeezed into already crowded schedules. Lent gently interrupts that pattern. It gives us permission to slow down and to make space for God to feed us more deeply.
That is my encouragement to all of us this season.
The Lectio 365 Wisdom in the Desert journey offers a simple but powerful way to engage daily with Scripture and prayer. Please download the Lectio365 App (ask me if you need help) and use it each day.
Establishing a rhythm of morning or evening reflection will slowly move us from simply knowing about God toward learning how to walk with Him more attentively each day. Our Bible Study groups are also exploring these themes together, creating space to listen, reflect, and grow alongside one another.
Spiritual maturity doesn’t happen accidentally. Like physical growth, it comes through consistent nourishment over time.
Perhaps this Lent is an invitation to take one small step deeper – setting aside a little more time with Scripture, lingering longer in prayer, or allowing moments of silence where God can meet you in unexpected ways.
God desires more for us than spiritual survival. He desires formation – hearts shaped by Christ, minds renewed by His Word, and lives marked by wisdom, compassion, and courage.
Milk sustains the beginning of life, but solid food strengthens us for the journey ahead.
Perhaps this Lent isn’t about doing more, but about going deeper.
We’re being offered the opportunity to ask an honest question: are we content to remain where we are, or might God be inviting us further?
As we journey together through Wisdom in the Desert, may we have the courage to move beyond what’s familiar, to be nourished more deeply by God’s Word, and to discover again the joy of a faith that continues to grow.
With love
Your friend and rector,
Claire