This Lenten season at The Loft will be a time of reflection and self-examination to prepare for the ministries that God has gifted and called us to live out, both as individuals and as a community. At its best, the spiritual path of Jesus is an Inward Journey that leads to profound transformation; his spiritual practices, boundary-crossing relationships, and social teachings reveal that his quest toward God set him on a path where he sought to liberate and heal his community from the trauma of empire. Where might this quest lead us today? This is the central question that will animate our conversations during this Lenten season. . The writings and teachings of Howard Thurman will help guide us on our Inward Journey. This Sunday’s gathering will be informed by his essay “Jesus: An Interpretation” from Thurman’s most popular book, Jesus and the Disinherited. The context surrounding Jesus’ life was complicated by poverty and Roman colonial occupation. How might understanding his earthly background help us to recognize the importance of his baptism as a way to prepare for his time in the wilderness, his inward journey? www.TheLoftLA.org