Pilgrimage 2

Pilgrimage 2

As I mentioned in my last post, I spent time this past summer studying the theme of pilgrimage in order to make some art for a magazine that Kris Camealy was compiling to coincide with a retreat she had planned for March of this year. Unfortunately the retreat has been cancelled, like so much of life in these days of the coronavirus pandemic. 

As promised in that previous post, today I'm going to share some of what I studied on the topic of pilgrimage, as well as more photos from the journal I made to accompany this study.

By definition, a pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place; a spiritual journey; a holy expedition. Often when we think of this word we think of long ago times when people would travel to go to a religious place for observance of a holy holiday. We see the start of this tradition in the Old Testament, where God spoke of his covenant with his people. Part of that covenant was to include pilgrimage:

"Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel." Exodus 34:23

We then see throughout the Old Testament stories and Psalms reference to the annual pilgrimages made to the temple, to Jerusalem. But there is a different use of the term pilgrimage that uses it as a metaphor for viewing our life in Christ as a spiritual journey; a journey of transformation.

A journey implies that a leaving takes place and that we travel with a destination in mind. We see this type of language as we read God's Word, where Christ-followers are on a journey of leaving their former way of life, of living a new life, of traveling on a journey with the destination being that of becoming Christ-like, and with our eyes on our true home. And so we read Bible verses and passages that use terms such as path, road, way:

"You have made know to me the path of life." Psalm 16:11

:...Lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:24

"And a highway will be there; it will be called the way of holiness...it will be for those who walk in that way." Isaiah 35:8

"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to Life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:14

"Blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage." Psalm 84:5

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"Jesus said, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

In fact, in the book of Acts we see many references to early Christians being called "The Way" since they followed the way of Jesus and shared with others the way to be saved. (Acts 9:2; 16:17; 18:25-26; 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22)

With the call throughout the New Testament to keep our eyes on our true home, Christians are often reminded that in this world we are aliens and strangers - pilgrims - who, while we make this place our home, we are merely passing through on the way to our eternal home. And while we have our final destination in view, our focus is on the journey, the process of becoming more and more like the One who redeemed us and called us to this new life.

Living life as a pilgrim calls us to view all of our life as one who is on mission, on a journey, making us all missionaries, whether we travel abroad or stay in our home towns. It's a way of seeing this life through the eyes of an exile in a foreign land. Author Elliot Clark, in his book Evangelism as Exiles, puts it this way:

"In my experience, many missionaries - even volunteers on short-term ministry trips - tend to consciously approach every moment in relation to mission. They saturate their days in prayer. They consider the intended or unintended consequences of their mannerisms and behavior, being careful how they spend their money, how they dress, and how they interact with others. They demonstrate the utmost respect and honor for locals, even to people drastically different from them. They also view random encounters as God-ordained opportunities, so they purposefully speak with just about anyone about their faith."

But then, this thought now leads me away from the focus of my journal and into a focus on  missional living and outreach.  I spoke on that topic last weekend at our Women's Ministry brunch, but I'll save that for another post, maybe "Pilgrimage 3" if there's an interest. Let me know in the comments. :)

So, this study and journaling was all done back in the summer, but in our current times it feels even more appropriate to remember who we are. And also to remember "whose" we are. In times that feel uncertain and even scary, it's good to remember that this world is not our true home. While we journey through this life, we who are Christ-followers are called to a particular way of life and way to live. In the midst of social-distancing and self-isolation, of no church services, of schools and businesses closing, of job losses and economic crisis, I feel the call even more deeply to be on the journey Jesus has called us to. I feel called, now more than ever, to serve those in need and to care for one another, while at the same time practicing wisdom and taking precautions. We need to find ways to care for those who will struggle with food crises during this time. To take care of the needs of the elderly and those who are immune compromised. To minister to the needs of those who are sick and quarantined. I'm finding ways for those in my church to minister in these times and I encourage you to do the same.

I'll leave you with the last few pages of the quotes I found on pilgrimage:

Pilgrimage

A few years ago I attend a retreat called Refine Retreat with my friend Bernice when she was visiting from England. The retreat was hosted by Kris Camealy. I first connected with Kris way back in 2011 when I joined her pre-launch team for her book "Come, Lord Jesus" and then used her book for my Advent art prompts that year. This past summer, in advance of her annual Refine Retreat, Kris asked former retreat attendees to submit art or writing for the 2020 retreat theme of pilgrimage to be used in her Refine magazine.

It's a great topic, so I decided to spend time last summer studying what God's Word says about pilgrims and pilgrimage. I then made a journal to create art from my study and reading. Kris chose one of the my pages to use in her retreat magazine. It's a great magazine with lots of art and articles from a variety of creatives. 

You can get the Refine Journal here:

I made a concertina book (also known as an accordion journal) to hold my pilgrimage art. It included a little booklet of lined paper on the back inside cover to hold my notes.

The piece that was included in the magazine was taken from this page of my journal.

In my next post I'll dig into what I learned and share more views of my journal.

Unfortunately, with all that is going on in our world with Corona virus, Kris has had to cancel her retreat, which was to be held next weekend.

Around here, we are preparing for 3-4 weeks of social distancing to prevent the spread of Corona Virus which entered our state on Monday. Schools are closed for at least the next three weeks. We are holding our church service this morning, but then will not have a public gathering for worship until Good Friday. At least that's our plan. We'll wait and see how well social distancing keeps the virus from spreading too rapidly. I have not had much time for art in the past few weeks, so I guess this forced slow down could have some advantages in that arena. 

I hope and pray that  all of you who follow my blog are doing well, and that you and your families are safe and healthy. Blessings to all of you on this Sunday morning. :)

A great read for Advent or any time:

Lent Words Day 29: Surrender ~ Guest Kris Camealy

Today our guest writer is Kris Camealy. Kris is an author, Refine Retreat host, and a conference speaker. She has authored two books: Holey, Wholly Holy: A Lenten Journey of Refinement and Come, Lord Jesus: The Weight of Waiting an Advent devotion. In addition, Kris is a fellow Ohioan! I have followed Kris' blog, kriscamealy.com,  for years and in 2016 I was so honored to sit on the book launch team for Kris' Advent book. My 2016 Advent art journal and blog posts were a journey through her book. 

I want to especially thank Kris for contributing to Lent Words this week as her Refine Retreat begins on Friday. Please pray for her and all who will be attending.

Thank you Kris for contributing to our Lenten journey!

Please follow this link to Kris' post for today's Lent Word, surrender: 

http://kriscamealy.com/on-surrender

Kris' books:

Lent Words Day 16: Wilderness

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 

After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry."

Matthew 4:1-2

The practice of the Lenten season of fasting for 40 days is modeled after Jesus' time in the wilderness. Kris Camealy, in her book Holey, Wholly, Holy: A Lenten Journey of Refinement, says,

"The significance of the 40 days most commonly reminds us of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness before the beginning of His short ministry on earth. As the church reflects on Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness, we are called to practice our faith in ways that stretch and bend us beyond what is comfortable."

In the Bible there are two major stories of time in the wilderness: the one in the Gospels of Jesus' time of temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). The other is the story of the Israelites 40 years in the desert (wilderness), as Deuteronomy 8:2 says, it was a time when God humbled and tested His people "in order to know what is in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands". What is significant about these wilderness times is that we are told in both accounts that these were times led by God. Wilderness times in the Bible are a time of preparation, a time of overcoming temptation. Author Jenny Phillips, in her book Jesus and Wilderness, says,

"The wilderness of the Bible is a liminal space—an in-between place where ordinary life is suspended, identity shifts, and new possibilities emerge. Through the experiences of the Israelites in exile, we learn that while the Biblical wilderness is a place of danger, temptation and chaos, it is also a place for solitude, nourishment, and revelation from God. These themes emerge again in Jesus’ journey into the wilderness, tying his identity to that of his Hebrew ancestors."

During the Lenten season, as we fast and seek God, we symbolically follow Christ into the wilderness. We voluntarily enter into a time of wilderness living. 

Again from author Kris Camealy:

"As the church is traditionally stripped for the Lenten season, so we, too, find ourselves naked before the Lord, shamed by our awareness of our weaknesses, constant stumbling, and self-righteousness. Jesus suffered all varieties of temptation in the wilderness, and as such, His faithfulness to the Father and His God-nature were put to test. Because He knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), He endured a trial that we could never possibly endure apart from Him. On the cross He took on our shame, and His shame becomes our glory as we allow Him to clothe us in Himself. In different ways, God tests our faithfulness. He refines us through trial and suffering so that when we emerge, we might better reflect His glory to the world."

Author Ruth Haley Barton says this of wilderness on her blog, transforming center.org:

"Oftentimes we think of wilderness as being a harsh and punishing place; however, it can also be a place where we find clarity, discover inner strength, and experience the salvation that comes from God alone. It can be a place where we experience God's steadfast love."

As we travel though this season of following in Jesus' steps through the wilderness, may we take comfort that God uses these times to shape us and form us into His holy people. May we see clearly our call to reflect His glory to the world and know that this wilderness time is beneficial to our souls and to our calling. And in this wilderness time, may we find clarity, discover inner strength, experience God's salvation and His steadfast love.

Join us for Lent Words 2018 -  A Creative Challenge Through the Season of Lent. More about it in this post. There is also a private Facebook group for the Lent challenge:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/LentWords/

Why Lent?

The other day, I mentioned that I am working on redeeming part of my childhood story. We come into adulthood with perceptions we gained through our experiences in childhood. Some are good, some are bad, some are skewed by the lens of our experience and our feelings that have been shaped by those experiences. Many of us spend a good portion of our adulthood re-forming those childhood perceptions to resemble something closer to reality.

I was born and raised Catholic until my early teen years when my parents divorce led to my mother's parting of ways with the Catholic Church. I entered adulthood with many of my perspectives of God and religion shaped by what I saw in childhood. Many of the adults in my childhood lived out a faith that was only seen on Sunday mornings, so I had this image of faith being hypocritical, wearing a false mask. As a result, I saw many of the church traditions as empty ritual. In my late 20's when I came into a relationship with Christ and began reading the Bible with adult eyes, I felt anger at a church that abandoned my mother when she needed them the most. I felt anger over their rituals that didn't seem to lead people to the life expressed in God's Word. In the church I began my faith walk in, traditions such as Advent and Lent were not observed, and so I continued with my perception of these being empty ritual.

A few things have happened in the past few years that have begun to re-shape some of my childhood perceptions, things that have started this journey of redeeming words and traditions. It started with Advent for me. I won't go into that part of my story today. But if you would like you can read some of it here. Anyway, over the past few years I have experienced healing, renewal and have found great life and faith in the Advent practices, so I decided that in 2018 I would follow the Christian year and now we find ourselves at the start of Lent.

A funny thing happened last year: I went to the Ash Wednesday service at my church for the first time. I had stayed away in the past due to the above mentioned perspective from my childhood. But, in all honesty, out of the redemption I experienced observing Advent over the past few years, I decided I was ready to tackle some other church traditions. So, I attended the Ash Wednesday service, received the ashes on my forehead and made a significant discovery. My aversion to the Ash Wednesday service, that I had viewed as empty ritual, actually had nothing to do with the practices that went on in the service. What did happen that night was a migraine was triggered. I suffered from migraines from my pre-teen years into my late 30's. Some, it turned out, were hormonal, but others are triggered by  changes in my routine or by external forces, mainly through my sinuses.  Things like low barometric pressure when storm fronts comes through, certain artificial smells from candles, perfumes, potpourri, etc. impact me and can trigger a migraine. I can pretty much keep them under control now by keeping routine eating and sleeping habits and by trying to avoid things that trigger my sinuses. So the thing I discovered at the Ash Wednesday service was that the incense used traditionally in the service is a trigger for my migraines. I cannot remember how early my migraines started but I was fairly young - under 12 at least. It was both ironic and freeing to discover that something I had lumped together with the "empty ritual" of my childhood was not actually a negative feeling due to a bad religious experience, but was simply a reaction to a bad physical experience! Something I can have some control over to some extent. This experience really helped further the journey I have been on to be free from false perceptions and to live authentically. 

In God's Kingdom good comes out of bad - this is redemption, this is His story in our lives. For me, these perceptions of religion I came out of childhood with have served to shape me into a person who values authenticity.

This week we begin the journey of Lent on Wednesday which is know as Ash Wednesday. Lent is a 40 day journey, excluding Sundays, from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The 40 days is meant to remind us of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness facing temptation. Lent includes periods of self-reflection, denial through fasting, repentance and confession, and ultimately ends in rejoicing and celebration for the life we have in the resurrected Christ. We will explore all of this in Lent Words 2018, a Creative Challenge Through the Season of Lent. Throughout the period of Lent there will be blog posts here a few times a week based on the words and associated passages written by myself and some guests. I invite you to participate in the Lent Words Facebook group, the Everyday Journals Facebook group and on Instagram (use #lentwords2018). The list of Lent Words can be found on this blog post or in the Lent Words Facebook group.

I would like to offer a few resources if you are looking for reading material through the Lent season:

I would also recommend reading today's blog post by author Shelly Miller. If you sign up for email notifications she is offering a free download of her Lent book: A Sabbath Journey for Lent: Sacrifice a Day for Rest and Experience the Sacrifice of Christ Anew.

You will see quotes from the above resources in my art and in my blog posts throughout the season.

A note about Amazon links on my blog:

I am giving Amazon affiliation a try, which means I may receive a small percentage off sales made through clicking on the Amazon links found on my blog. There is no additional cost to you.

Advent Day 2

Today's word is wait.

"And it will be said in that day,
“Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

Isaiah 25:9

"All of Advent reminds us that God is making us ready. The waiting, the hoping - it all points us to the miracle unfolding, the grace of God comes into our barrenness and fills the space with Himself."
Kris Camealy, Come, Lord Jesus

"Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Advent creates people. New people.”The newness we experience in Advent only comes because of the steadfast love of God. Because He loves us, God gives us this time, a season of waiting, which isn’t passive at all. As we anticipate and prepare for Jesus’ arrival, our hearts can’t help but be transformed–we become new people, in the fullness of Jesus’ presence. This is what God’s steadfast love looks like in action." ~Kris Camealy, Come, Lord Jesus

        "I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,

    and in his word I put my hope.

I wait for the Lord

    more than watchmen wait for the morning,

    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Israel, put your hope in the Lord,

    for with the Lord is unfailing love

    and with him is full redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel

    from all their sins."

Psalm 130:5-8

The Advent Words 2017 prompt and Scripture reading calendar can be found in this post or in the Facebook group.

Welcome to Advent Words 2017!

Advent officially begins on Sunday. We are just two short days away form the beginning of the season and the art challenge! In the midst of preparing for the holiday - buying presents, preparing for meals, attending events - we can slow ourselves down for just a bit each day and delve into Advent and what is most important about Christmas ~ Jesus Christ.

Advent has been call a "two-fold gaze", looking back we remember that Christ has come, while getting in touch with the longing the Israelites had for the Messiah. Looking forward we anticipate Christ's promised return. The word Advent simply means "coming", taken from the Latin word adventus. 

"He has come and is coming. One day, He will come again." ~Kris Camealy

In her book Come, Lord Jesus, author Kris Camealy says, "Advent in the church, is a season of preparation rimmed with hopeful expectation." My practice of Advent preparation over the past years has been to reflect on Scripture passages, quotes and devotions through art journaling. This year I have launched my own Advent art challenge (see original post here), and today I am sharing the prompt calendar to give those participating time to prepare before we begin on Sunday.

Participate in any creative form you choose ~ art journaling, commonplace book, photography, poetry, memory keeping, collage, etc. If you would like to download a PDF of the calendar you can do so here. Warning: it is a large file.

You can also join our Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/adventword2017. There you can share your art and join the conversation. You can share on Instagram as well with #adventwords2017. Join us!

Midpoint

July is the midpoint of the year and I find myself looking back - in fact, I've been doing a lot of that lately..but I'll save that for another post. Right now though I find myself at a place of contentment within this year. It's had some pretty rough spots, but it has also held some places of growth and healing, and of trying new things.

I have been on a journey over the past 6-7 years to find ways to use my voice. It has felt like a deep calling from God. Art, photography, and this blog have all been ways that have enabled me to, both find and use my voice. Last week I tried using my voice in a completely new way: I preached!

I have used my voice in different small ways before in our Sunday service - leading the service, doing an announcement, even partnering with my pastor a few times when we have talked about being missional or about outreach. But this was the first time that I took a passage of Scripture and preached a full message from it. You can hear it on our church website by clicking on the picture below:

Again, in a future post, I'll write more about the journey behind the message I preached. For now I just want to touch on the experience of it. I found myself amazingly calm and at home in the midst of speaking, which totally shocks me looking back at it. I was quite nervous in the time leading up to it. I love digging into Bible study and contribute from my studying on a team at our church which  collaborates to help form our Sunday messages and service. But taking what I have studied and turning it into a 30 minute message - that made me nervous! Being vulnerable and sharing parts of myself live and in-person in front of a bunch of people - that made me nervous! Yet I also experienced growth in the midst of it. And I think, in some way I haven't totally figured out yet, it was another step in my journey to becoming whole - my word for this year.

I shared a quote in my message from this summer's Grace Table Book Club book, Rhythm's of Rest by Shelly Miller. I find I keep coming back to this quote. It is ruminating in my soul. Especially when I combine it with a quote from a message my pastor preached from Galatians 5:16-21 earlier this summer. He said:

"There are these pockets of resistance within us that we continually struggle against." ~Doug Rumschlag

Shelly Miller writes mostly about practicing Sabbath. I find that God has so much for my whole being in the topic of Sabbath and rest. You can learn more about Shelly, her book, and Sabbath on her blog www.shellymillerwriter.com. 

While I'm sending you to read blogs I'd also like to send you to Kris Camealy's recent blog post, "When It's a Slow Transfiguration". I really resonated a great deal with what Kris' wrote in it.

On the art front, today I completed my final Rolodex scrap collage card for the 100 Day Project. While the project officially ended on the 12th, I'm okay with getting done late because IT'S DONE! It was a good challenge. It challenged me to work small, to use up scraps of paper and ephemera, and to get creative almost every day. I ended it with a favorite quote from Dr. Seuss. I like to end my travel journals with this quote, and believe me, this 100 day project has been a journey!

For the last seven weeks of the 100 Day Project I combined it with the ICAD (Index-Card-A-Day) challenge, using many of their prompts. The ICAD challenge doesn't end for another nine days. I'm feeling the itch to move on to other projects, but I may keep going and finish this one since I'm so close to the end. I have posted my 100 Day Project and ICAD cards on Instagram. (Link in the right hand sidebar.)

I feel somewhat caught up now. :)

I'll be back sometime this week with more on my journey and some thoughts on Commonplace books. I recently read a blog post about them and it reminded me how much I have loved this practice in the past.

So, how are you doing midpoint in the year?

Advent Day 25

Merry Christmas! This is the final day of Advent. The One we have waited for has come! 

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

I have totally enjoyed this journey through Advent and through Kris Camealy's book, Come. Lord Jesus: The Weight of Waiting. You can follow Kris at Kriscamealy.com and at gracetable.org. Thank you for traveling this journey with me! May you enjoy the favor and presence of Christ today and through the new year.

Advent Day 24

"Let’s not hurry through this night. Let us sit awhile beside the manger, in the muck of the stable, in the mess of our actual lives and soak in the glory of this truth. Immanuel. He is here. Even as we wait for His final coming, He is present. Sit still for a few minutes where you are. Can you feel Him beside you? Can you sense His mercy for you, can you hear the love He sings down over you? Listen — His life is in you, let the rhythm of your heart fall in sync with the pulse of heaven."

~Kris Camealy, p 118

Resources:
Come, Lord Jesus: The Weight of Waiting by Kris Camealy. Available at Amazon.
Come, Lord Jesus Advent Book Club at Creative and Free.
Visit my church's website where we are offering a weekly Advent theme devotion and resources on our blog: Grace Church 

Advent Day 23

"We wait for Jesus, and yet He has already come. His presence, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, our invisible helper, remains with us, not only with but within those who believe. Jesus told His disciples, “and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17).

He dwells with you and within you, but still, we wait for His coming. This is not an easy idea to understand, and this is what we mean when Christians describe living in the “already and not yet.” We are encouraged here not to grow weary, not to let our hands go limp and weak in the work that God has given us to do in the meantime. He has tasked us with a purpose, go therefore and make disciples–go, tell people about Jesus. Invite others to open their eyes to the story they too are living in, whether they acknowledge it or not. Our King whom we wait for is already in our midst. He is currently at work, writing the story that’s already been written. Our prayers, our worship, and our outreach are one of the ways we get to participate in this fantastic epic unfolding. The Lord is  in your midst (vs. 15)–Heaven touching earth". ~Kris Camealy, 110-111

Resources:
Come, Lord Jesus: The Weight of Waiting by Kris Camealy. Available at Amazon.
Come, Lord Jesus Advent Book Club at Creative and Free.
Visit my church's website where we are offering a weekly Advent theme devotion and resources on our blog: Grace Church