The Purpose of Pilgrimage​​
  It’s my last day in the office before my trip to England. Although I have been looking forward to the trip since it was announced in October or so last year, I find myself less ready than I thought I’d be. So, as I am thinking about my to-do list, I was also thinking about how I need to center myself for this pilgrimage.
   It would be easy to go on a trip like this, with many wonderful historical sights to see, and merely get caught up in the beauty of what has been. However, this trip is a pilgrimage, which means that as we read the sights and consider the history, we have to be vulnerable and allow the sights to read us as well.
   The Wesley’s didn’t set out to start a new denomination. They just wanted people to experience a faith that made a difference. At the time, going to church was largely determined by the neighborhood you were born in and your social class. But attending church and following Jesus are two different things, and the method to really experience Jesus brought about a revival that the Church of England couldn’t contain.
   As I move through the sites I must wonder about my own revival and that of our church. How can we more deeply experience God’s love and grace? How can we allow it to transform us and our communities? How can it take our neighborhoods from being indifferent to engaged?
   So many of you have shared that you will be praying for my safety abroad. Might I also ask for you to pray that we all might get swept up in this movement and the gifts it can bring us.

​

5 minute Survey
Today’s question: Which cookie is the best cookie?
Let me know here!