Pilgrimage

Edition four:
Pilgrimage
editions • Glimpsing God 1
Editions 4.indd 1 23/11/2015 15:07

9 780851 693958
© The Shoreline Consultancy 2015
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John 14: 26
Pilgrimage
conversation one
Pilgrimage
the open road
conversation two
the open road
taking and leaving
becoming present
alone and together
living with uncertainty
sacred encounter
pilgrim living
Pilgrimage
To become a pilgrim is to undertake a particular
kind of journey, a sacred journey which involves
both inner and outer dimensions. Among the
varied reasons people give for deciding to take
such a step, it is often possible to discern a sort
of longing – a desire for something different, for
something deeper than the everyday.
Within our increasingly secular culture, many seek spiritual
sustenance as we negotiate the challenges of life, looking
for purpose and direction in a rapidly changing scene.
In the midst of busy lives, taking time and space to find
oneself remains an attractive proposition, which the relative
anonymity of a pilgrim journey can provide. Whether we
are seasoned pilgrims or armchair dreamers, we will find
sustenance for our spiritual journey in the words, wisdom and
beautiful images of these conversation packs.
⟢ ⟡ ⟣
Pilgrimage
the open road
taking and leaving
becoming present
alone and together
living with uncertainty
sacred encounter
pilgrim living
taking and leaving
A pilgrim journey brings into sharp relief much
that we gloss over or take for granted, bringing to
attention those things we truly value. Because of
our decision to be on the move, we are somehow
obliged to make choices about what is essential
and what is peripheral. Life is a process of
continual change and movement in which we look
for patterns and significance. Beyond the whirling
cycle of our days we find tha there still remains a
longing for that which is lasting and eternal.
On pilgrimage we have the opportunity to sift
experience and to choose again those things
we require for inner vitality and balance. But
it may also become clear that we have to shed
other things, which may once have helped us but
which we now find burdensome and obstructive
– be they tasks, habits, ideas, beliefs or even
relationships.
conversation three
However, we must proceed with caution, for
taking and leaving cannot be made lightly. If we
are to be prophetic to an insatiable world, which
uses up and discards too quickly, our choices
should reflect the generosity of God in the way we
share, re-imagine and preserve all that is good.
“Come to me, a l you who are weary and burdened, and I wi l give you rest.”
Within our increasingly secular culture, many
still seek spiritual sustenance as they try and
negotiate the challenges of life. For some, there
appears to be a crisis of hope and they look
for purpose and direction in a rapidly changing
scene. In the midst of busy mobile lives,
taking time and space to find yourself remains
an attractive proposition, which the relative
anonymity of a pilgrim journey can provide.
Pilgrimage is the fourth of a series of resource packs
designed to invite personal reflection and promote spiritual
conversation in a variety of settings.
the open road
taking and leaving
becoming present
alone and together
living with uncertainty
sacred encounter
pilgrim living
Pilgrimage
becoming present
conversation four
Pilgrims, while travelling in hope of Divine
blessings, learn to free themselves of particular
expectations. By becoming truly available to the
present moment we may gently leave behind, for
a while, both regret and ambition. If we manage
to remain so attentive and keep our hearts open
to new experiences we will be amply rewarded,
for wisdom from the past re-emerges in the
present and is charged with new perspectives.
For those physically undertaking a pilgrim
journey, unfamiliar surroundings and new
companions provide a landscape to be explored.
Making space to receive in gratitude what has yet
to be discovered is helpfully complemented by
a determination to embrace and enjoy the gaps
between our plans.
Yet although the classical image of the pilgrim
is one who moves from one place to another,
it is also possible to be on pilgrimage without
leaving familiar territory. By embracing a
deepening quality of attentiveness we can gain
new perspectives in the here and now. In doing
so we can undertake an inward journey and, in
becoming for a time more open to God, we may
see things anew and afresh, marvelling at what
we thought we had already known.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet
your heavenly Father feeds them.”
Matt 6: 26
Matt 11: 28
Conversation 2 Taking and Leaving.indd 1 17/11/2015 15:12
For believers, pilgrimage is also about
rediscovering how the stories of our lives fit into
a wider context. It is about re-connecting with
the wider Christian story, which is so deeply
embedded in our history and culture. As we walk
in the footsteps of pilgrims from earlier times, we
may find ourselves caught up in their experience
and the perennial invitation to journey again with
our travelling God.
We are grateful for the sponsorship of
this resource by Churches Together in
Britain and Ireland who suggested the
overall theme and also contributed to
its production.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.
Luke 4: 1-2
www.shorelineconversations.com
Conversation 1 ­The Open Road.indd 1 17/11/2015 15:11
r
Pilgrimage
the open road
taking and leaving
becoming present
alone and together
living with uncertainty
sacred encounter
pilgrim living
Pilgrimage
alone and together
Every faith journey is unique to the individual
concerned, cerned, even though there are patterns and
similarities between us. As pilgrims we have a
two-fold opportunity: to spend time in solitude
reflecting on our own; and to enter conversation
with fellow travellers committed to the same
endeavour.
conversation five
Pilgrimage
Our ultimate guide, of course, is the Holy Spirit
whose presence we discern in the unfolding of the
journey and companionship of those we might not
otherwise meet. et. For the normal cultural and social
barriers become eroded on pilgrimage and we are
informed by the stories of others, particularly those
with whom we share bread and table. We gradually
begin to trus these companions and our horizons
are widened as a consequence.
Pilgrims throughou the ages have sough to
offer practical assistance to other travellers,
recognizing their own dependence on the kindness
of others. As we journey on we are invited to
reflect on the experience of the many people on
the move throughou the world today. These global
companions include the refugees and asylum
seekers we hear about so frequently, often fleeing
war and persecution, both secular and religious, in
search of a better life.
As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and
walked along with them; bu they were kept from recognising him.
Luke 24: 15-16
conversation six
the open road
taking and leaving
becoming present
alone and together
living with uncertainty
sacred encounter
pilgrim living
living with uncertainty
There may be times during our pilgrimage when
the journey becomes more difficult. We travel in
faith rather than certainty and there are periods
when we may even lose our sense of direction.
Ye these painful passages have much to teach
us abou the reality of the human condition and
our dependence on God and other people. Many
who walked this way before us as fellow seekers
or followers of Jesus, experienced times of
abandonment when they listened in vain for ‘the
still, small voice’.
the open road
taking and leaving
becoming present
alone and together
living with uncertainty
sacred encounter
pilgrim living
Pilgrimage
sacred encounter
conversation seven
The ebb and flow of the pilgrim journey finally
gives way to the proximity of our chosen
destination. To this sacred place we have come
to seek some form of encounter er with Divinity. Yet
these things cannot be conjured up, assumed
or taken for granted. Sometimes our point of
arrival raises more questions than it answers,
particularly when first approached.
To be a pilgrim is to experience a certain amount
of alienation, for you are taking a different route
to many of your fellow citizens. This sense of
dislocation is found in the original meaning of
‘pilgrimage’ which comes from the Latin word
‘peregrinus’. This carries the idea of ‘passing
through’ somewhere which may not be one’s
ultimate destination.
pilgrim living
Patience is often required as we contemplate the
mystery of God and renew our acquaintance with
the essence of the Christian story. Here we find
a profoundly counter-cultural message in the
stories and the images we find – no more so than
in the journey of Jesus to Calvary ary and beyond.
So even if the culture in which we live seems
increasingly inhospitable, we must cling to the
hope in our hearts and not be discouraged.
There remain rumours of transcendence in the
unexpected encounters along the way and our
promised true home is heaven itself.
Conversation 4 Alone and Together.indd 1 17/11/2015 15:12
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer fo lowed him.
‘You do not wan to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve.
John 6: 66-67
the open road
taking and leaving
becoming present
alone and together
living with uncertainty
sacred encounter
pilgrim living
The return to norma life brings both joys and
challenges. The value of any sacred journey is
most clearly seen in the frui that is produced
in the lives of those involved. In the period after
we return home we are invited to reflect on how
have we been changed by the experience both
for ourselves and for others. Often the answer
is more than jus that of an individual response.
We return to Christian communities who have
been raised up to present a message of hope
to the world. But our churches, too, are on a
pilgrim journey, trying to relate in new ways to
a society which views what we have to offer with
scepticism and suspicion.
Many Christians have rightly sought to relieve the
sufferings of others, yet somewhere in our faith
tradition is the belief that suffering is something
that may be learned from, strangely embraced
and somehow turned to profound significance.
Waiting in the silence, as before the empty tomb,
we are invited to consider the reality of pain and
loss and wonder with growing confidence in the
God who makes life out of death, goodness out
of evil; and reconciliation out of discord in the
triumph of the resurrection.
Conversation 5 Living with Uncertainty.indd 1 17/11/2015 15:13
Perhaps in the notion of pilgrimage there are
grounds for optimism. Holding on to our own
heritage and our faith in Christ, we can journey
with others in renewed confidence. As living
examples of reconciliation, can we not mend
relationships and encourage the creation of new
networks of solidarity and connection? In ways
that demonstrate the love of God for everyone,
we can be life-long pilgrims, constantly seeking
renewal and transformation in the light of the
resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’
When he had said this, he breathed his last.
Luke 23: 46
Conversation 6 Sacred Encounter.indd 1 17/11/2015 15:13
Pilgrimage
“The Holy Spirit, whom the Father wi l send in my name, will teach you a l things and wi l
remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Conversation 7 Pilgrim Living .indd 1 18/11/2015 13:47
Pilgrimage
Within our increasingly secular culture, many
seek spiritual sustenance as we negotiate the
challenges of life, looking for purpose and
direction in a rapidly changing scene. In the
midst of busy lives, taking time and space to find
oneself remains an attractive proposition, which
the relative anonymity of a pilgrim journey can
provide. Whether we are seasoned pilgrims or
armchair dreamers, we will find sustenance for
our spiritual journey in the words, wisdom and
beautiful images of these conversation packs.
Pilgrimage is the fourth of a series of resource
packs designed to invite personal reflection and
promote spiritual conversation in a variety of
settings.
We are grateful for the sponsorship of this
resource by Churches Together in Britain and
Ireland who suggested the overall theme and also
contributed to its production.
Forthcoming packs and Editions in the series
will include Soul at Work. Also available are
Glimpsing God, Journeying Spiritually with
Children and Aloneness.
www.shorelineconversations.com
© Shoreline Conversations 2015
Published by Shoreline Conversations
Venture House
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Heswall
Wirral CH60 0AE
w: www.shorelineconversations.com
e: info@shorelineconversations.com
Edited by Lynne Ling
e: lynne.ling@shorelineconversations.com
t: 07734 607486
Design by 25 Educational
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e: mark@base25.com
t: 0151 632 1657
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Edition four:
Pilgrimage
Welcome to our fourth issue of Editions, created to complement the conversation
packs we will be producing at regular intervals over the next few years.
r
Stephen Wright, who wrote for the last Edition about journeying spiritually
with his grandchildren, this time turns his attention to pilgrim journeys he
has taken and people he has met.
y Sarah Friswell works in a cathedral which seeks to welcome visitors
as modern-day pilgrims and meet their needs in a spirit of Benedictine
hospitality.
i Elizabeth Rundle takes us on an armchair pilgrimage around the Holy
Land, where the stories of the Old and New Testaments come to life.
a Paul Heppleston leads small groups of travellers to remote places and
here reflects for us on the spiritual challenges and delights of being ‘away
from it all’.
Paul’s article includes the sentence: ‘Every journey calls us to leave home-base
and venture out into what may be the unknown, returning home with a renewed
perspective on life and on the place where we started.’
We hope that the material in this magazine, together with the Pilgrimage
conversation pack and the website www.lentpilgrimage.org.uk will nurture in
you a desire not only to travel to new places geographically, but also to be willing
to face up to places outside your comfort zone in every aspect of life, ready to
learn and to grow in faith, wisdom and understanding as a life-long journey.
Lynne Ling
Editor
editions • Pilgrimage
e
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PILGRIMAGE
ISN’T JUST FOR THE HOLY
Stephen Wright shares insights from pilgrimages he has undertaken
in beautiful landscapes and industrial wastelands
My first (forced) pilgrimage was at school –
made to read Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
The elements of the classic pilgrimage (Latin
‘peregrinus’ - stranger or wanderer) are found
therein; groups or individuals journeying to a religious
shrine in search of healing or spiritual guidance. The film
‘The Way’ exemplifies the contemporary combination of a
tough physical journey, prayer and worship, encounters
with persons and places, all of which challenge us inwardly,
shaking and shifting our perceptions of self, others, faith
and God.
Pilgrimage of all sorts, long or short, has become hugely
popular again. Well-known, traditional routes like that to
Santiago de Compostela (requiring resources and ability
to walk many hundreds of miles) contrasts with the trend
toward self-created routes. Almost invariably ‘walked’ (feet
on the ground seems to aid the shift of consciousness) I
have recently met people going from Durham Cathedral
to the Angel of the North to lay a wreath, another group
walking the stone circles of the Isle of Lewis, yet another
following ley lines to Glastonbury Tor.
It’s not just the journey that matters, but the consciousness
with which we do so. If we travel to any sacred site to
marvel, photograph and gather facts we will have a very
different experience than a reverent approach seeking to
deepen our relationship in God. As the former we are mere
tourists, the latter true pilgrims.
A couple of years ago I pilgrimaged from Iona to Glasgow.
Over 13 days and 155 miles I passed through bucolic idyll
and industrial wasteland, stayed in nurturing B&B’s and
some rubbish ones, traversed mountain and valley, sailed
can we also find God in the people we meet
along the way who challenge us, in places
that are not glorious or in the detritus in
the street?
r
Shoreline Conversations
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pilgrimage stretches us
at every level, physical,
psychological, spiritual…
across ocean and loch and tramped through bog and along
city streets. I met folks of all sorts of along the way, had
conversations rich or shallow, and was often asked “Why
Iona to Glasgow? Surely it should be the other way round?”
Such judgements create dualism; God in this place but not
in that place.
Lately pilgrimaging around Cumbria, creating a circuit
connecting the Mungo/Kentigern churches around the
Northern Fells, I found myself again questioning the notion
of some places as sacred, others not. Certainly it can
seem easier to see God in beautiful landscapes or loving
encounters. But can we also find God in the people we
meet along the way who challenge us, in places that are not
glorious or in the detritus in the street?
As I have grown older I have come to appreciate that the
sacred is everywhere. There is nowhere that God is not.
Perhaps that is one of the ‘products’ of pilgrimage – an
evolution of consciousness, of realisation that it’s not
about where we are in place and time, but our awareness
of God wherever and whenever that matters. Thus, we do
not necessarily have to endure some arduous journey over
great distances and at great cost (in many senses) – even
the thought of that can put people off. Pilgrimage isn’t just
for the ‘holy’ or those who feel the need to struggle. A short
walk to church, the effort to find time and place at home to
meditate, walking the labyrinth of our interior realm as well
as a labyrinthine journey in physical reality; this everyday
interplay of one with the other that creates transformation
in our relationship with self, the world, God is perhaps the
essence of pilgrimage.
We do not have to suffer on pilgrimage – to travel half the
way on our knees or stretch our bodies beyond limits. The
thought that we only gain something if it hurts is suspect.
The consciousness with which we approach pilgrimage –
the surrender of the will, the intention, the desire to make
the effort – is of equal if not greater importance.
It’s not so much where we pilgrimage, but that we
pilgrimage. Through prayer and effort in faith, working
through scripture, opening to the guidance of spirit, all
these and more, we come to know that the sacred we
seek is within. The outer journey however long or short
paradoxically takes us deeper inwards. The place to which
we pilgrimage and encounter God most readily is in that
“inner chamber” to which Jesus pointed (Matthew 6:6).
Pilgrimage stretches us at every level, physical,
psychological, spiritual. That’s what pilgrimage does to
us, yes does to us. Although we do all the walking and
organising, it may become clear to us that it was not so
much that we take a pilgrimage, but that pilgrimage takes
us. On my own journeys I realised I had not so much sought
God, but that God had sought me.
if we travel to any sacred site to marvel,
photograph and gather facts we will
have a very different experience than a
reverent approach seeking to deepen our
relationship in God
Stephen Wright is an ordained
interfaith minister and member
of the Iona Community living in
Cumbria. He works as a spiritual
director for the Sacred Space
Foundation.
The Sacred Space Foundation,
Fell End, Mungrisdale,
Cumbria CA11 0XR
t: 01768 77983
w: www.sacredspace.org.uk
e: jeannie@sacredspace.org.uk
editions • Pilgrimage
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HERITAGE
HOSPITALITY
Sarah Friswell considers what our heritage sites can offer the modern day pilgrim
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When I first came to work at St Edmundsbury
Cathedral I quickly learned that the context
in which I would be working had grown out of
the Benedictine heritage, with the Abbey of
St Edmund being a major centre of pilgrimage in medieval
England. Welcome therefore was and is paramount and
the ‘right’ sort of welcome – a Christ-like welcome for all -
imperative.
More recently, I have taken on the role of volunteer Chair
of the Methodist Heritage Committee. The Methodist
understanding of heritage is not so much to do with history
as it is with the intentional mission opportunity that our
heritage provides. Why are our chapels ordered as they
are – often with the pulpit central? Why do most people
think that all Methodists are teetotal? Being engaged in
Methodist heritage is about using those distinctly Methodist
ideologies or practices to tell others of our faith and to
encourage them to explore faith issues themselves.
welcome is paramount and the ‘right’
sort of welcome – a Christ-like welcome
for all – imperative
So are modern day tourists exactly the same as medieval
pilgrims? There are similarities.
In medieval times, the popularity of a shrine or sacred site
depended on the number of saintly miracles attributed.
Popularity is still a key feature today. The honey pots attract
huge numbers, whereas smaller lesser known places often
struggle to get noticed. Nowadays we use modern media to
promote ourselves and win new and repeat visitors. Even in
medieval times your loyalty to a shrine counted, meaning
less time in purgatory.
Tourists love a good cup of tea and somewhere to buy a
small gift of their visit (their modern day equivalent of a
pilgrim’s badge) – just the same as a medieval pilgrim.
We need to meet their needs, in a spirit of Benedictine
hospitality.
Of course there are differences. Today we get in our cars,
coaches and trains and travel at speed. The medieval
pilgrim used his feet, at best a horse, and made a time
consuming commitment to go on pilgrimage.
my experiences have led me to
the belief that people who visit
churches are potential pilgrims
A recent response recorded in the visitors’ book at Englesea
Brook Chapel and Museum of Primitive Methodism
indicates the importance of what is being done: “A very
special place to learn about our Methodist heritage.
Thanks for a warm welcome.” And those offering welcome
are affected too. A volunteer on duty at City of Edinburgh
Methodist Church for an open day commented: “It was
absolutely fascinating to have people genuinely curious and
opening up about themselves and their concerns.”
My experiences over the last few years have led me to the
belief that in fact people who visit churches are potential
pilgrims. Those of us in the church need to provide an
authentic and transformational experience for them – even
if the visitors themselves would never call their visit a
pilgrimage.
In the mid 1990s a review of the work of cathedrals was
undertaken and published in a report called Heritage and
Renewal, in which it states:
For all its potential dangers, mass tourism and travel
ought to be welcomed as often powerful means
of opening closed minds. Any church interested in
ministry and mission cannot but be interested in all
kinds of people on the move, and be willing to face the
reality that people inevitably affect places.
Many of our visitors say that they believe in God but yet don’t
attend church. We hear a lot about spiritual ‘searching’.
Pilgrimages to the traditional sites (or indeed to new
ones) or to mark anniversaries seem to be very popular.
They provide a valid expression of pilgrimage – journey,
companionship on the road, interaction with communities
and a personally life-changing experience. If you add in
factors such as the health benefits of walking, it begins to
look very attractive as a way to spend some ‘quality’ time.
The popularity of pilgrimage is growing – it’s on the TV,
there are books on the topic and the word is used in secular
as well as sacred settings. I believe the potential to awaken
spiritual journeying in our secular world is there and the
church needs to grasp this opportunity. We are all on a
journey – life’s pilgrimage – and the places we go, people
we meet, conversations we have enrich us immeasurably on
the way. Pilgrimage provides a way of bringing the sacred
and secular together.
Sarah Friswell is PR, Pilgrimage and Visits Manager of
St Edmundsbury Cathedral and Chair of the Methodist
Heritage Committee (www.methodistheritage.org.uk)
The Cathedral Office
Abbey House, Angel Hill
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk IP33 1LS
t: 01284 748726
w: www.stedscathedral.co.uk
e: pr.manager@stedscathedral.org
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in the footsteps
OF JESUS
Elizabeth Rundle, a Methodist minister who has accompanied pilgrims to Israel/Palestine
regularly over the last 26 years, shares some of the highlights of her visits
Pilgrimage, what’s that, you ask? So different from
a holiday in that a pilgrimage seeks to engage
spiritually at particular places. These moments
of inspiration enable ancient scriptures to break
into contemporary lives with an immediacy and relevance
to excite and challenge. Pilgrimage gives an opportunity
to engage in the rhythms of prayer at each holy site,
to acknowledge the praise and reverence of unfamiliar
languages, and open ourselves to shared Christian faith.
Why might I go? In the fourth century AD Cyril, Bishop of
Jerusalem, wrote: “Others only hear but we both see and
touch”. And it’s this search to see for ourselves and to touch
the stones which has led millions of Christian pilgrims
from all over the world in search of the ‘thin places’; those
moments when the reality of God’s presence becomes
overwhelming.
In The Holy Land, past, present and future fuse together
as nowhere else in the world. Remember when Jesus
drove the merchants out of the Temple (Mark 10:15-16)
he reiterated the words of the great prophet Isaiah (56:7):
“My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”?
Travelling in the Holy Land today, the first thing to strike
the senses is that it truly feels that all nations are present.
Gentle songs in Portuguese drifting over the Sea of Galilee,
Korean prayers rising on the Mount of Olives, vibrant African
costumes swirling through the streets of Old Jerusalem – it
echoes Acts 2:1: they were all together in one place!
in The Holy Land, past, present and
future fuse together as nowhere else
in the world
Whatever the time of year, strains of “While shepherds
watched their flocks by night” can be heard in the
Shepherds’ Fields. Looking up the hill towards Bethlehem,
the pilgrim gazes at fields resonant in Old Testament
stories: Naomi, Ruth and Boaz; the boy David composing
his psalms while guarding his father’s sheep; and of course
Joseph with the heavily pregnant Mary trudging up the hillpaths
to find lodging in the town. Today’s shepherds add
that touch of authenticity to a landscape where the twentyfirst
century impinges relentlessly on the ancient.
Moving up into Manger Square brings us to probably the
oldest church in the world, the Basilica of the Nativity.
Entered by a small door, the church is built over cave
formations common around Bethlehem. Descend the steep,
uneven stairs to the caves below the church to find the
iconic Silver Star denoting the traditional site of Christ’s
birth. Also in this labyrinth are the caves where Jerome
spent 40 years translating the Bible from Greek to Latin.
It feels like another world, the air heavy with prayer and
incense.
But it was in Nazareth that Jesus spent most of his
life. Although the village He knew is a bustling town,
nevertheless the contours of the hills and the far-ranging
vistas remain the same. In the last few years pilgrims have
been able to visit The Nazareth Village, a reconstruction of
life in the time of Jesus. Eating a ‘biblical meal’, watching a
donkey turn the grinding stone, hearing scripture read from
a scroll in the stone synagogue, time stands still.
There remains only one water source in Nazareth, bubbling
beneath St. Gabriel’s Church, but the main attraction is the
three-tiered Church of the Annunciation. Here, around the
walls and in the cloisters, countless countries have donated
tender representations of Mary with the baby Jesus.
Jesus the man left Nazareth for Capernaum on the shore
of the mesmeric Lake of Galilee. Breathing the warm air,
listening to the bird-song and looking to the timeless hills,
this for most pilgrims is their ‘thin place’. The churches
of Mensa Christi, Tabgha and Beatitudes each hold the
legacy of millions of Christians who have prayed in the
places where Jesus taught. The ruins of the Capernaum
Synagogue give a sense that if you turned round, Jesus
would be standing next to you. And maybe the most moving
moments of all are those spent in a boat, silently in the
middle of the lake.
However, it’s in Jerusalem where the pilgrim experiences
the pathos of the Garden of Gethsemane, the trauma of
Golgotha and the Resurrection mystery of the empty tomb.
From this city, the prophet Isaiah foretold: “The Law will go
out from Zion, the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah
2:3). This Holy City embraces all the tragedy, pain, hope and
potential of our flawed humanity. The traveller arrives as a
pilgrim, but returns home a witness.
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this Holy City embraces all the
tragedy, pain, hope and potential
of our flawed humanity
‘Elizabeth has a great love for
and understanding of the lands
of the Bible. As chaplain to the
first Methodist Women in Britain
pilgrimage to Israel/Palestine
in November 2015, she inspired
the group of 34 women with her
wonderful prayers and insights.’
– Jill Baker, pilgrimage leader.
editions • Glimpsing • Pilgrimage God o
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wild journeying
AS PILGRIMAGE
Paul Heppleston tells of the special insights borne of travelling to remote places,
returning home with a renewed perspective on life
in wild far-from-daily-life locations
with inspiring landscapes one can
see things with fresh eyes
10 a
Shoreline Conversations
Editions 4.indd 10 23/11/2015 15:07

Romantic dreams? Maybe; maybe not. Wild-ness
conjures up images of a landscape untouched
by mankind. To some the word is negative; to
dreamers it opens up shangri-la. Truth to say,
they’re hard to find these days and one needs to go to
mountains, shores and deserts to find what we would
understand as real wildness. But maybe there’s another
interpretation where we simply see wildness in places
where we can be alone, with minds uncluttered by day-today
thoughts and concerns. ‘Wild camping permitted’ is an
open invitation to go where you like, so maybe there’s also
an element of freedom not found in the regimented daily
routine of life. And where did Jesus go to gain refreshment?
To the wild-erness.
Journeying takes one to where the destination is often
less important than the actual travelling. It calls to mind
TS Eliot’s well-known words from his Four Quartets ‘…the
end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started
and know the place for the first time’. These journeys may
be through a changing landscape – or even the developing
circumstances of life, but what alters in the deepest sense
is the heart of the traveller. The destination to which we
return after our exploring will still be the same in essence;
but our perception of it, our interpretation and response to it
will have altered because of our having gone on the journey.
It will be us who change – and if that’s disturbing, best stay
where you are.
Pilgrimage gives fulfilment for many in travelling to places
of religious significance seeking a deepening of their
spiritual life. Every journey calls us to leave home-base
and venture out into what may be the unknown, returning
home with a renewed perspective on life and on the place
where we started. Those journeys can be called pilgrimages
just as much as walking the Camino. Leaving one’s homebase
can of course be done without getting out of your
armchair but in truth it’s no easier; importantly neither is it
necessarily less rewarding. As age creeps on these interior
pilgrimage journeys become far more significant.
Putting those three key words together helps one to see
that pilgrimage is more than a spiritual journey visiting
special places. It’s about leaving one’s homeland and
familiar experiences – moving to a position of dependence.
Abandonment to the grace of the wind of the Spirit doesn’t
mean you don’t book tickets and accommodation, but it
does mean that there has to be an element of uncertainty
which opens us up more to God. Occasionally, plans will fall
through, and we need to weigh up the value of making the
pilgrimage so totally secure that almost every eventuality is
covered. Whether God likes it that way is another matter.
Wild journeying makes demands to a degree far beyond that
which the normal regularity of life involves, but we can taste
the wholeness of life, as well as an awareness of changes
that will need to be undergone at some future stage.
places where we can be alone,
with minds uncluttered by dayto-day
thoughts and concerns
We are not the first, for Celtic spirituality finds God’s
revelation of Himself in creation – the Celts’ second Big
Book. As in Ignatian spirituality, it sees ‘God in all things’
and a wise eastern yogi wrote that: “if you can’t see God in
all things, you can’t see God at all”. In wild far-from-dailylife
locations with inspiring landscapes one can see things
(and life) with fresh eyes. And it’s during times like this that
we touch God’s creation – perhaps literally, lying on the
grass of a hillside, feeling the sun’s warmth on our face,
dangling hands in a tumbling mountain stream, or allowing
our face to brush tree blossom.
The really hard journey is the one made from your armchair,
needing discipline and strong focus. So it’s a help to
realise that Jesus plays a part in this story too - pilgrimage
journeying can often take us to the edge-places and it’s
here, paradoxically, that one finds The Centre. There’s just
one condition – that we look for Jesus, expect Him and
claim His very presence. Then we will find him, at the edges
of society and in the wild, untouched parts of our planet and
of our minds, patiently waiting for us. He’ll look up with a
smile and say: “Ah – at last; I’ve been hoping you’d come.
Here, sit down”. And as he breaks a loaf you’ll realise with
great clarity that, at last, you’ve found your true com-panion
on the journey.
Paul Heppleston is a member of the
Iona Community and a journey leader
with Journeying, taking small groups
of people to islands of Scotland and
Wales. He often wonders what makes
these small places so much of a draw
for people.
Journeying
18 Holyland Road, Pembroke,
Pembrokeshire SA71 4BL
t: 01646 279478
w: www.journeying.co.uk
e: info@journeying.co.uk
See also www.wild-journeys.co.uk
editions • Pilgrimage
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Editions 4.indd 11 23/11/2015 15:08

Arise Within Me
Arise within me, Holy mystery, Holy friend
keep danger near enough for the summoning of protection
keep doubt strong enough for the deepening of trust
keep despair near enough for the stirring of hope
keep darkness strong enough for the glimmering of light
keep hostility near enough for the sustaining of peace
keep fear strong enough for the arousing of love
keep greed near enough for the lavishing of generosity
keep uncertainty strong enough for the bolstering of courage
keep surprise near enough for the gifting of grace
keep chaos strong enough for the flowering of creativity
keep divinity near enough for the perfecting of humanity
Arise within me, Holy mystery, take me to hallowed ground.
Carolyn Smyth
‘Bare Feet and Buttercups’
www.iona.com
www.shorelineconversations.com
12 Shoreline Conversations
© The Shoreline Consultancy 2015
Editions 4.indd 12 23/11/2015 15:08