During this season of Lent, we have been focusing on several different spiritual disciplines or spiritual apps that are meant to help us to become more fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. All of these disciplines that we have looked at during these six weeks; fasting, observing the Sabbath, Prayer, Holy Communion, following the Christian calendar, and Pilgrimage, are time tested and tried and true ways of helping us grow closer to God.
Today, we look at the spiritual app of pilgrimage. In his book, “Sacred Travels: Recovering the Ancient Practice of Pilgrimage,” Christian George reminds us that pilgrimage is one that is practiced by the major world religions. Muslims travel to Mecca. Buddhists to Mount Kailash, Hindus to Kedarnath, Jews to Jerusalem. Christians to Rome.
One of the central themes of Lent is that God calls us to go on a journey with Jesus which eventually takes us to the cross, but then also to the glorious empty tomb and the celebration of Easter.
Many of the Psalms are known as Psalms of Ascent which were psalms that the people of God would have sung as they made their pilgrimage from wherever they lived to the city of Jerusalem. One of those Psalms is Psalm 121. Picture many families after walking several miles, all of the sudden looking up and in the far distance seeing for the first time the Temple in Jerusalem situated high on a hill leading the people to break out into song, “I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
The story of the bible is a story of God’s people being led on a journey, a pilgrimage. God is not static. God is always on the move. Remember, the first two letters of “God” spells the word, “go” which is very appropriate since God’s people have always been a pilgrim people who journey from place to place seeking to extend God’s blessings to the people and places they visit.
I Peter 2:11 picks up on this theme of pilgrimage when it refers to those who follow Jesus Christ as aliens. The word, “aliens” is sometimes translated as strangers. And if you follow the translation of that word from Greek to Latin, we actually get the word, “pilgrim” in English. I Peter 2:11 is referring to those who follow Jesus as pilgrims.
So what are the ways that the spiritual app of pilgrimage can make a huge difference in our lives? Well, I think there are basically these four ways:
Number one – Going on a spiritual pilgrimage can help us appreciate God’s creation. Many of us like to travel and I’m sure that right now, you can think of at least one breath taking moment that you will never ever forget. It was that awe inspiring and beautiful.
The second way that a spiritual pilgrimage can deepen our relationship with God: It helps us to see God’s involvement in human history. When we read the bible, we read about events that are located within history and historical events. In fact, Luke, who wrote one of the four Gospels, was known as a 1st century historian who with great detail describes the events of Jesus’ day.
And even after the biblical witness, there have been countless numbers of saints who have done incredible things as people of faith. It’s when we visit these places where they lived and ministered that we gain a deeper appreciation for the historical time period in which they lived.
A third way is that a spiritual pilgrimage can be a way to challenge our faith. While some spiritual pilgrimages can take us to the height of God’s beauty, there are also some sites that can challenge our faith and our preconceived notions about who God is and what that means about who we are.
A fourth way that a spiritual pilgrimage can deepen our faith: It can help us to be more faithful in being followers of Jesus Christ. By spending time in places where Christians have faithfully lived and served, their example inspires us to also follow Christ at all costs.
And then, this fifth way: Since spiritual pilgrimages often are done in groups, they have a way of deepening relationships. Travel has a way of forging memories that will last for a lifetime, memories reminding us of the adventure we shared together as God’s people.
As I’ve been thinking about this spiritual app of pilgrimage over the past several weeks and how it can help us to grow in a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, I came up with three different types of pilgrimages that we can take.
The first kind of pilgrimage I thought about is a long distance pilgrimage. In his book on pilgrimage, Christian George shares several long distance pilgrimages over the past several years that have had a huge impact on his Christian faith.
Over the next few minutes, let’s go on a virtual pilgrimage to some of these holy sites that Christian George mentions in his book. I’ll share his personal reflections on each of his pilgrimages. We don’t have a lot of time to stay at each site so don’t blink or you might miss it.
First stop, Canterbury, England. This is the site of Canterbury, Cathedral which continues today to be the central location for the Arch Bishop of Canterbury and serves as the central location for the world wide Anglican Communion.
It was at this spot on a cold December day in the year 1170, that Thomas a’ Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, knelt before angry knights who had been given orders by King Henry II to have him killed because he had spoken out against the king.
Thomas a’ Becket was kneeling in prayer upon the altar when the knights stormed into the cathedral. “I am prepared to die for my Lord” he whispered. After striking him several times with their swords leaving him for dead, one of the knights famously said, “We can leave this place. He will not get up again.”
After the martyrdom of Thomas a’Becket, amazing things began to happen at Canterbury Cathedral including incredible healings and miracles all near the tomb of the martyred archbishop. Word began to spread about what was being reported and before too long, hordes of pilgrims during the past 800 years have been visiting this site.
In the Middle Ages, Canterbury Cathedral became the most popular pilgrimage site rivaling even the great sites in Italy, Spain, France, and Israel. Chaucer’s famous Canterbury Tales was inspired by the enormous popularity of the pilgrimage to Canterbury during his day.
Christian George made his pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral in 1995. He was especially moved by the twelve beautiful stained glass windows that tell the story of Thomas a’ Becket’s life. Those windows left a lasting impression on him and caused him to think how he was allowing his life to reflect the beauty of God to the people around him, just as Thomas a’ Becket did through his faithfulness to Jesus Christ.
Next stop – Skellig Michael, Ireland. Approximately 500 years after the birth of Christ, Christians came to Skellig Michael and built a monastery on its summit. This was during a time when it was popular for Christians to follow the example of St. Anthony who was a Christian pilgrim who had retreated to the African desert to preserve the Christian faith which at the time was being contaminated by secularized Roman society. Anthony gave himself to a life of discipline, meditation, and solitude.
Irish monks of the sixth century did not have a desert to flee to, but they did have an ocean. Skellig Michael was the most distant island of the known world, the last bit of earth one could stand on before falling off the edge.
This is the mountain that Charles Lindberg saw from his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis as he was making his non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in May of 1927. He was surprised by how enormous it was, jutting 700 feet out of the water. The name, Skellig is an Irish word, for “rock.” Lindberg barely avoided a collision with this mountain while in flight.
In 2004, Christian George made his pilgrimage to this Irish monastery located at Skellig Michael. It was a dangerous journey for him and he does not recommend this pilgrimage because of the risk that is involved in climbing up the steps of the mountain.
Taking a boat to the island was an adventure in and of itself. Choppy waters made the way to the island very difficult but looking back to the shore, Christian could see the many shades of green of Ireland’s landscape.
The captain of the boat then pointed out Skellig Michael. The enormity of this mountain overwhelmed him. Skellig Michael is the top of an underwater mountain, rising like a phoenix from its ocean ashes.
In A.D. 825, Viking Norsemen from Scandinavia also arrived at this mountain and after hiking up the side, they kidnapped the abbot of the monastery and starved him to death. They also stole their possessions.
During the Middle Ages, Skellig Michael served as a lighthouse for the world. During a time of high illiteracy, this is where the monks translated the scriptures and preserved the Christian tradition. They worked in rooms called scriptoria, engraving the Gospels not only in words but also with art. This is why the Irish are known for having “saved civilization.”
Reading Christian George’s dangerous climb up the side of Skellig Michael made my palms sweaty as I felt like I was climbing with him. Listen to what he says: “A thousand year old stairway took us to the top of the island where the monastery was located. 600 cracked and weathered steps held us to the hills – not an easy climb. At times, the path was only two or three feet wide and when wet, it was extremely slippery. One little accident, a slight slip of the sole, and the poor pilgrim would get an up close look at the sharp rocks hundreds of feet below. I would have been less concerned about falling off the cliff were it not for the 30 mile an hour wind gusts that slammed into us at all the wrong moments. At times, I actually crawled on hands and knees up the rigorous slope. Better safe than sorry.”
When Christian George and his group finally arrived at the top, they explored the six beehive huts, the two chapels, and an ancient overgrown cemetery. Christian George stood there wondering how those monks could have ever withstood the cold of winter and the constant threat of the Vikings. As he walked into the roofless rocky chapel, he felt a common heritage with the hermits who had worshiped in this room. He felt their fears were his fears. Their creeds were his creeds. Their Christ was his Christ.
The next pilgrimage destination – Rome, Italy. Christian George made his pilgrimage to Rome and St. Peter’s Basilica in 1999. He arrived to participate in the annual patron feast of Saints, Peter and Paul. Saint Peter’s square was packed with people.
It was a pilgrimage that helped him to appreciate what Catholicism has contributed to Christianity. Even though Christian George is a Protestant, this trip gave him a sense of shared unity with brothers and sisters from another Christian faith tradition.
He climbed the Spanish Steps, saw the Trevi Fountain, ate Italian ice cream near the Coliseum, visited the Pantheon, the Roman forum, Trajan’s column, the Arch of Titus, and many, many other sites. Since both Peter and Paul had walked the streets of Rome, it was humbling to think about the beginning of the early church.
We don’t have time today to visit Christian George’s other pilgrimage sites like Wittenberg Germany and the Reformer, Martin Luther; Assisi, Italy and St. Francis; Isleham, England and the great preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon; Buchenwald, Germany and the concentration camp of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Long distance pilgrimages can be a wonderful way to grow in our faith.
Penny and I have hosted a group trip to England to retrace the life and ministry of John Wesley and to Italy to visit the holy sites of the Christian faith. I led a group to the Holy Land back in 1995 which made a huge difference in my reading and understanding of the scriptures.
Since it’s been a while since Penny and I have led a long distance spiritual pilgrimage, and in celebration of our church’s upcoming bicentennial year, we would like to invite you to consider joining us on a trip to England to visit the places of John Wesley and the early Methodists. We’ll be in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Bath, Worcester, Gloucester, Coventry, Epworth, Stratfford, and Oxford. This trip will be in July of 2012. More information about this trip will be available in the next month or so.
In addition to long distance pilgrimages, there are also what I would call short distance pilgrimages like spiritual retreats. These can be as short as one day, an overnight, a weekend, or even longer. There is something about getting away from our familiar surroundings and spending that time with God. Some of the most meaningful spiritual moments in my life have occurred at a church camp or at a retreat. It was at a weekend retreat when I heard and responded to a call from God to enter into the pastoral ministry.
Many of you have had similar experiences of drawing closer to God through a retreat experience. It might have been an Emmaus weekend which is a three day weekend held at a nearby setting or another type of retreat or conference in which that time away made a huge difference in your faith journey.
In addition to long distance and short distance pilgrimages, there is also what I would call, pilgrimages of the heart. These are closer to home type of journeys. The church year provides us opportunities to go on these kinds of pilgrimages. This Lenten season of 40 days has served that purpose and we are about to enter one again as we begin Holy Week and reflect on the last days of Jesus’ life. Palm Sunday is the beginning of that journey, the conclusion of Jesus’ long pilgrimage throughout the gospel account.
These are the three pilgrimages that can help our faith stretch and grow. Long and short distance pilgrimages and pilgrimages of the heart.
Like many pilgrims who had gone before him, Jesus, upon arriving at the crest of the summit, would have been overtaken by the beauty and majesty of Jerusalem as it glistened by the rays of the sunshine.
Jesus enters the city by riding on a young donkey and as he heads down in the Kidron Valley, the crowds wave their palm branches, spread their cloaks along the road for him, and begin to sing another Psalm of Ascent, this time, it’s Psalm 118. It’s a song of victory, a hymn of praise to the God who defeats all his foes and establishes his kingdom at last.
Hopefully everyone received a palm branch as you came into the sanctuary this morning. In the Middle Ages, spiritual pilgrims would arrive to their homes waving palm branches, which signified that they had been on a spiritual pilgrimage to a holy site.
As we leave from worship today, I hope that our palm branches will remind us that we are all called to go on a pilgrimage whether it be for a long distance like Rome, Italy or a short distance, like an Emmaus weekend at Camp Akita, or the journey we are about to make this week for Holy Week, as we journey with Jesus to the cross and to the empty tomb.
Martin Luther from the 16th century once said, “If I rest, I rust.”
Lao Tzu from 500 B.C. said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
If you’re looking for a way to make that first step, there’s an app for that. And it’s called Pilgrimage.
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