Walking in the Wilderness

An Online Lenten Retreat with The Upper Room

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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 [email protected].


To purchase a print version of Walking in the Wilderness, visit The Upper Room online store.

Interested in online learning options based on your favorite Upper Room books? Look for this graphic and click it to learn more as you explore The Upper Room online store.



Your Instructor


Beth A. Richardson
Beth A. Richardson

Beth A. Richardson serves as the director of prayer and Upper Room worship life at The Upper Room and dean of The Upper Room Chapel. She has worked at The Upper Room in various roles, including editor of Alive Now and director of The Upper Room’s website. An Oklahoma native, she is a provisional elder in the United Methodist Church and is a member of the Mountain Sky Conference. Beth holds a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Oklahoma City University. Follow her writings at betharichardson.com.


Course Content


  Together in this Space
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Holy Week — Videos & Comments
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  Easter
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days after you enroll

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the eCourse start and finish?
The eCourse is intended to start with Lent and continue for seven weeks, from Ash Wednesday through Easter. But it will remain open indefinitely. It’s self-paced, so you can decide when to start and when to finish. All live sessions were recorded in 2021 and are available for viewing in our online classroom. It’s self-paced, so you can decide when to start and when to finish.
How long do I have access to the eCourse?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this eCourse for as long as you like—across any and all devices you own. We’ll give you plenty of notice should we need to close the eCourse.
What if I am unhappy with the eCourse?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us within the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.
Who sponsors these eCourses?
This eCourse is brought to you by The Upper Room.

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