Lent is a traditional time of reflection, meditation, and preparation. Pick up an “Into the Wild” Lenten devotional in the Narthex or download a digital copy. The Season of Lent is a season of walking into the wild, a 40-day journey filled with wild beasts, wild love, beauties, challenges, gifts, and visions. A journey that begins with ashes, and ends with joy. Gethsemane Lutheran congregants and friends are invited to take this adventure with Henri Matisse, one of the more daring, influential, and beloved artists in modern history. He once said he “liked to pray with a pencil: at the moment I go every morning to say my prayers, pencil is in hand; I stand in front of a pomegranate tree covered in blossom, each flower at a different stage, and I watch their transformation..filled with admiration for the work of God. Is this not a way of praying”? People of the Lenten journey-young and old-grab a pencil ( or a crayon, or a paintbrush!) your favorite Bible, and a decent internet connection (all the paintings referenced in the devotional can be found online – see the Companion Link Sheet for guidance). Week by week, with the words of Scripture and the art of Henri Matisse as a guide, head into the wild-all the way to the beautiful, joyful love of the coming new day!