Maximizing Pilgrimage Experiences As a Tool to Increase Spiritual Maturity Within Saint Joseph’S Church Participants

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MAXIMIZING PILGRIMAGE EXPERIENCES AS A TOOL TO INCREASE SPIRITUAL MATURITY WITHIN SAINT JOSEPH’S CHURCH PARTICIPANTS

A MINISTRY FOCUS PAPER SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

MARTIN ZLATIC AUGUST 2013

ABSTRACT

Maximizing Pilgrimage Experiences as a Tool to Increase Spiritual Maturity within Saint Joseph's Church Participants Martin Zlatic Doctor of Ministry School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary 2013

The goal of this study was to maximize results in conducting pilgrimages as a tool for increasing spirituality maturity at Saint Joseph's Episcopal Church. Important to the pastoral situation of Saint Joseph's was the need to accelerate the development of lay leaders for the expanding ministry. Initial successes with youth pilgrimages and short- term mission gave rise to the hypothesis that maximizing the pilgrimage experience would increase spiritual maturity, which in turn would lead to a deeper level of commitment within the participants for ministry. The historical background, demographic trends, and pastoral situation which led to this need are explored. Generational differences are explored which impact both the felt needs and the learning styles of the different age groups. Relevant resources are analyzed that detail the historic roots of pilgrimage from ancient times, the way in which pilgrimage as an archetype transcends cultures and religious traditions, and the similarities that exist between pilgrimage and short-term mission experiences. All of these provide valuable insight into the benefits to be gained, as well as abuses to be avoided, in the practice of pilgrimage. To position the role of pilgrimage within the Episcopal Church, the theology lived in the Church is explored, especially in terms of its natural affinity for a Celtic approach to spirituality, and how this is concretized in the Journey to Adulthood youth program. Biblical pilgrims and extensive benchmarking of pilgrimage in other faith traditions are explored, which shows the historic value of pilgrimage as well as presenting adaptable learning for a present day practice of pilgrimage. Ways of measuring spiritual maturity are explored, resulting in the execution of a quantitative survey. A successful revised pilgrimage process is implemented, which results from a pilot conducted as well as the survey results. A process of continuous improvement is outlined for future pilgrimages.

Theological Mentor: Kurt Frederickson, PhD

Words: 300

To my loving wife, Dee Zlatic, with whom I am blessed to share the pilgrimage of life

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the community of Saint Joseph's Episcopal Church and the professors and staff of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Fuller Seminary for their prayers and patience as we have journeyed through this process together. I especially thank Mr. Dan Muggeo of Daniels and Roberts for his consultation in the survey process.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv

INTRODUCTION 1

PART ONE: MINISTRY CONTEXT

Chapter 1. A GROWING COMMUNITY IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA 8

Chapter 2. A GROWING CHURCH IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA 20

PART TWO: THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION

Chapter 3. LITERATURE REVIEW 36

Chapter 4. THEOLOGY OF THE CHURCH 75

Chapter 5. A THEOLOGY OF PILGRIMAGE 91

PART THREE: MINISTRY STRATEGY

Chapter 6. A STRATEGY FOR A REVISED PROCESS OF PILGRIMAGE 134

Chapter 7. IMPLEMENTING THE PILOT FOR THE REVISED PROCESS 162

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 176

APPENDICES 181

BIBLIOGRAPHY 205

INTRODUCTION

As I stood at the celebrant’s chair that Sunday, with the church and the joy-filled congregation bedecked in a sea of Pentecost red for the annual parish celebration, the combined guitar and drums backed by the booming sounds of the organ rattled the very foundations of the church. With the windsock kite banners of the white dove and red tongues of fire rhythmically waving above the congregation to the beat of the music, the lyrics of the hymn told the truth that “The Spirit of the Lord Is Here.”

The thought momentarily crossed my mind that it would be difficult to find another Episcopal church in this or any other diocese that could match the positive energy here. However, that thought in my mind was overwhelmed by the depth of feeling in my heart that I am exhausted. The Lent and Easter season, already filled with enough sacramental commitments to require a priest to work overtime almost every day, was compounded by pastoral emergencies that seemed to occur daily. The loss of several lay leaders on whom I depended for ministry organization and execution was recently compounded with the loss of two more key persons, one due to an unexpected death and the other to a job transfer. The bulk of their ministry leadership had reverted back to me.

It was a welcome physical relief to me when the time came to sit as the graduating high school student I had chosen to give the senior sermon approached the pulpit. In that moment, the lay altar minister to my right, a leader in the church who has a gift for counting and statistics, leaned over to me and whispered, “Do you realize that over 90 percent of the youth who have ever participated in our pilgrimage experience are sitting

here in the church this morning?” It was at that moment that the Holy Spirit’s inspiration for this project came upon me.

Saint Joseph’s Episcopal Church (hereafter, Saint Joseph’s) has developed a charism for the tremendous amount of ministry leadership in which the laity share. In

March 2001, when I was called to lead this congregation, the strategic planning led to an intentional strategy of increasing lay leadership, which gave rise to accelerated growth in both ministry and members. While most Episcopal parishes of this size would have multiple clergy, Saint Joseph’s continued to thrive with just one priest. In the last few years, however, there has been a turnover of lay leadership due to many relocations and untimely deaths, with a simultaneous influx of new members, most of whom had no prior experience in ministry leadership. With lay leadership decreasing and membership increasing, the compelling drive of this project is the need to increase the number of lay leaders as well as reduce the cycle time for the process.

Tired in body and heart, I was evaluating alternatives for moving forward when the altar minister’s comment was made. Almost every past participant from our youth pilgrimages was either involved in leadership within the service, or had just returned from college and was worshipping at the service. A process of formation called Journey to Adulthood existed for youth, which culminated in the pilgrimage experience.

However, there was no corresponding experience for adults. If the pilgrimage experience could help youth to move to greater spiritual maturity and commitment, perhaps it could work for adults also.

As a corollary support for this hypothesis, there were already positive results from the initial intergenerational short-term mission experiences that I led to the Dominican

Republic. There was a notable resultant increase in involvement and commitment within the church, especially for the adults who participated. Consequently, a pilot adult pilgrimage was conducted in July 2009, with great results in spiritual maturity growth perceived by participants as well as their increased leadership in ministry.

All of the above leads to what has become the aim of this project, which is to maximize the experience of pilgrimage in order to accelerate the process towards spiritual maturity in both youth and adult participants, such that they will exercise their ministry within the church community in more dynamic ways. This would facilitate the rapid development of more lay leaders within the church to replace those who are no longer here, and to accommodate additional leaders required for further ministry growth. From a personal interest standpoint, it would also reduce the amount of stress and strain upon the priest. Moreover, it would rightfully enable the lay people to assume their proper function within the church, since the catechism of the Episcopal Church states that the primary ministers of the church are the laity.

This topic combines a lot of my own personal interest and experience as well. In a conversation with Reggie McNeal during one of our classes, he paraphrased Søren

Kierkegaard, saying that “we live life forward, but we understand it backward.”1 This is certainly true for me as I reflect upon how my past leads me to this present and future concentration. During my seminary days, I had summer jobs in the travel field, which led

1 Reggie McNeal, "Leader’s Self-Understanding" (lecture, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena Campus, Pasadena, CA, June 2005).

to developing trips for seminarians during the seasonal breaks in the school year. I worked with a Scripture professor on designing and leading pilgrimages to the Holy

Land. I was blessed to experience the resultant commitment to faith and fellowship in each participant.

Following my departure from the Roman Church, my fallback career was in travel as well. I worked for two years as a travel director, escorting deluxe travel groups on exotic itineraries such as Yangtze and Volga river cruises, Kenya safaris, and Far East explorations. The connection to pilgrimage here is that the average participant on these excursions was more than eighty years old. This has given me insight into adapting the youth pilgrimage concept to meet the physical capabilities of an adult pilgrimage participant.

A further helpful occupational experience was my two years as a cruise director for a company with small cruise ships, which held only one hundred people. The intimacy of the group required building up a feeling of community within a short period of time, in order to maximize their experience together. Adapting this community- building process is also an important component in the pilgrimage experience.

This personal experience, combined with the success of our prior youth pilgrimage experiences and intergenerational short-term mission trips, becomes the basis for a more intentional approach to pilgrimage for both youth and adults. There is a lot to be gained as well from benchmarking historical approaches to pilgrimage throughout the ages, and these are also considered. Therefore, in order to maximize the effectiveness of pilgrimage experiences in increasing spiritual maturity for the congregation of Saint

Joseph’s, this project will create a revised process for such pilgrimage experiences by incorporating the best of historical aspects of pilgrimage from the wider Church, as well as the collective experience of our past youth pilgrimages and short-term mission experiences conducted from our congregation.

What follows immediately in the first two chapters is a more in-depth look at the community and church context within which this ministry is located. These first two chapters describe the changing demographics in both the community and the church. Out of this context the need for more spiritually mature lay leaders arose. Generational differences are noted which impact both the felt needs and the learning styles of the youth vis-à-vis the adults. The generational make-up of the community and the corresponding traits, learning styles, physical abilities, and life issues of the generations are considered, since they will impact the varied adaptation of the pilgrimage experience for different age groups.

Theological reflection follows in the next two chapters. First, in Chapter 3, an overview of resources critical to the understanding of pilgrimage is presented. In Chapter

4, the theology of the Episcopal Church is highlighted, notably its historical roots in

Anglicanism, and its affinity for the charisms of Celtic Spirituality, which impact both opportunities and challenges for implementing the pilgrimage experience. These two chapters lead up to Chapter 5, where examples from Scripture and benchmarking from other traditions are presented for creating a revitalized pilgrimage experience as an instrument of spiritual transformation. This includes supporting arguments from

Scriptural sources as well as from other religions even beyond Christianity.

Chapter 6 presents the goals for the revitalized practice of pilgrimage as an instrument of spiritual transformation, which was piloted with the adult pilgrimage for summer 2011. Quantitative and qualitative measurements are defined and an implementation timeline and results are presented for adapting the revised pilgrimage process for the youth pilgrimage in 2012, as outlined in Chapter 7. An iterative process of continuous improvement will then be implemented for successive youth and adult pilgrimages.

PART ONE

MINISTRY CONTEXT

CHAPTER 1

A GROWING COMMUNITY IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA

Boynton Beach is located approximately sixty miles north of Miami on the southeast coast of Florida.1 It is named after Nathan S. Boynton, who built a summer residence there for his family in 1894 prior to the arrival of Henry S. Flagler and the

Florida East Coast Railroad. The railroad made it possible for the development of a citrus fruit and vegetable trade, since the area’s climate was ideal for growing such. The city was originally incorporated in 1920 as the Town of Boynton, but was officially incorporated as Boynton Beach in 1941.2

Growing from a Retirement and Tourist Community to an Intergenerational Year-round Suburb

Boynton Beach continued to grow after the years of the Second World War as a farming community, but it also began to thrive as a retirement and winter vacation community. The first “snowbirds” began their retirement migration from the northeast.

1 See Appendix A for maps and location details.

2 Gail Adams Aaskov, “History of Ocean Ridge,” http://www.oceanridgeflorida.com/ TownHistory.htm (accessed March 31, 2011).

In addition, servicepersons returning from the war soon discovered not only the fine weather, but the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean’s gulfstream also made it a prime area for sport fishing.3

With the seasonal and tourist population continuing to increase, the permanent residents supporting these visitors also grew. The population grew to five thousand by

1958, and by 1970 had more than tripled to over eighteen thousand. The continued growth in the senior population was anticipated by the health care industry. In submitting its state-accepted proposal for a satellite hospital expansion in west Boynton, Bethesda

Memorial Hospital presented growth numbers to solicit support for their proposal by stating, “By 2015, the area’s overall population is expected to increase about forty percent to 263,000 residents, the application said. Most of those residents are expected to be seniors.”4

The growth in the senior retirement community has only been exceeded by the growth in full-time professionals with families, largely due to the availability of employment for new businesses. Jennifer Peltz, in reviewing the history of the area in an article for the Sun-Sentinel wrote, “Until about 1979, farms filled the area west of

Military Trail. But developers began to look farther west as Motorola opened a pager plant on Gateway Boulevard and Congress Avenue in 1983 and the Boynton Beach Mall

3 David J. Castello, "A Brief History of Boynton Beach ," http://www.boyntonbeach.com/history/ (accessed March 31, 2011).

4 Jennifer Peltz, “Hospital Receives Approval to Build West of Boynton,” South Florida Sun- Sentinel, June 18, 2005, 3.B, http://pqasb/pqarchiver.com/sun_sentinel/access/85635991.html (accessed April 15, 2011).

opened at Congress Avenue in 1985.”5 This business influx, especially due to Motorola’s growth, led to a population growth rate in the 1990s that Peltz recounts as “almost seven times the growth rate of Palm Beach County as a whole.”6 This growth continued into the current decade, with the Palm Beach County school district (of which Boynton Beach is a part) ranking currently as the eleventh largest school district in the United States.7

Even with the eventual demise of paging and the departure of Motorola from the employment scene, the supporting infrastructure was in place for new businesses to move into the Boynton Beach area to continue its steady growth. The current population for

Boynton Beach proper is now estimated at seventy thousand with the corresponding growing unincorporated area to the west estimated to more than double that total.

The Current Demographics: A Community Ripe for Spiritual Harvest

As a strategic planning tool for the congregations within the diocese, the

Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida’s congregational development office makes available a Ministry Area Profile, created by Percept Group. This customized report gives 2010 demographic data on the population within a five-mile radius of Saint

Joseph’s Church. This data provides encouraging news for Episcopal Church-related activities such as pilgrimage.

5 Jennifer Peltz, “For Burgeoning West Boynton Area, Decade of Growth Brings a Tradeoff,” South Florida Sun-Sentinel, April 1, 2001, 1.A, http://pqasb.pqarchiever.com/sun_sentinel/access/ 70418114.html (accessed April 15, 2011).

6 Ibid.

7 ProximityOne, “Largest 100 U.S. School Districts,” http://www.proximityone.com/lgsd.htm (accessed April 15, 2011).

Within this area, the median age is a mixture of above and below the national average of 36.9 years. Immediately surrounding the church, residents are mostly in the twenty-two to thirty-six range. The area further west is where the seventy to eighty-two age range is predominant. All of these areas have grown 51 percent since 1990, more than double the national rate of 23.3 percent. Estimates are that the area is projected to have a population growth rate of 7.2 percent, which exceeds the national average of 5.1 percent.8

While, as the Ministry Area Profile states, “the likely faith involvement level and preference for historic Christian religious affiliations is about average when compared to national averages,” the preference level for the Episcopal Church is almost twice the national average.9 In addition, “finding companionship,” “finding a good church,” and

“finding life direction” as primary concerns are all equal to or exceed national averages.

Those looking for a new church are most likely to list “adult theological discussion groups” as their most important preference for spiritual development.10 The data also indicates a preference for “active retirement and cultural programs” that is almost twice as high as the national average.

8 Percept Group, Ministry Area Profile 2010: Saint Joseph’s Episcopal Church (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA: Percept Group, Inc, 2010), 10.

9 Ibid., 1.

10 Ibid., 2.

The Target Pilgrimage Participants: Silent Generation and Generation Z

The Percept report demonstrates that “the lifestyle diversity in the area is extremely high with a considerable thirty-eight of the fifty U.S. Lifestyles segments represented.”11 This diversity is consistent with Boynton Beach’s parallel growth patterns of senior retirees and professional families as detailed above. The largest age group are the Silents (currently between the ages of sixty-eight and eighty-five), which comprises one fourth of the total area population. The tail end of the Millennial segment

(born 1982 to 2001 in this study), along with the Generation Z segment (born 2002 and thereafter in this study), is slightly below the national average. However, the population of the Generation Z segment is estimated to almost double within the next five years. It is to these two generations, the Silents and the Generation Z segment, that the current efforts towards pilgrimage are currently directed, due to the Silent generation’s ability to provide the necessary time and treasure for the experience, and due to the Generation Z’s cycle of the church-funded youth program that culminates in this experience. Since this project focuses on these two groups, correspondingly the demographic analysis focuses on these two groups also.

11 Percept Group, Ministry Area Profile 2010, 1.

Financial Demographics for the Targeted Segments12

Average Household Income estimates show that the areas surrounding the church, especially to the west, are much higher ($75,000 to $240,909) than the national average of $69,376.13 This is where a large percentage of the Silent generation age group lives.

This corresponds to the research data that shows that this generation, more than any other, have experienced “a straight line from a cashless childhood to the cusp of affluent elder hood—the smoothest and fastest-rising path of any generation for which income data are available.”14 The remaining zip codes within the study area have a lower average household income ($25,000-$75,000), but none of these areas approach the poverty end of the spectrum. The median ages in these areas are from twenty-two to fifty-six.

Adult Pilgrimage Participants: Silent Generation

Since the Silent generation is the current target for the adult pilgrimage experience, it is important not only to examine the attitudinal characteristics of this generation towards financial priorities, but also how those priorities might affect their stewardship of their time and talent as well. In the landmark work, Generations, the authors William Strauss and Neil Howe point out that members of this Silent generation

12 This is an important consideration, since the adult pilgrimage participants fund their own pilgrimage experience, and also help to fund the youth experience as well. The parents of the youth participants must be able to contribute one-third the cost of their child’s pilgrimage.

13 Percept Group, Ministry Area Profile 2010, 8.

14 William Strauss and Neil Howe, Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584-2069 (New York: William Morrow, 1991), 284.

“have been less successful in forging a sense of national or personal direction than any generation in living memory.”15 Corresponding to this general dissatisfaction with life is that “most aging Silents find themselves wealthier, but more confused as to purpose, than they ever imagined they would be at this phase of life.”16 A more positive development that has sprung from this has been a movement for many in this group “to transform elder hood around a decidedly un-G.I.-like other-directedness. Travel agents report a new boom business in ‘grandtravel’ (grandparent-grandchild trips) and new interest in

‘Elderhostels’ reminiscent of the way the Silent toured Europe as youths.”17

This has two very positive results that support pilgrimage experience. First, the members of this generation who have made this transition to “other-directedness” are now more likely to financially support the experience for the youth. With a current cost of $4,000 per participant, additional financial assistance would give a boost to the financing of the youth pilgrimage.

Secondarily, the members of the Silent generation who have made this transition are more likely to want to invest in the adult pilgrimage experience for themselves.

Making their own spiritual pilgrimage a financial priority becomes a concrete way in which a member of the Silent generation can begin the process of finishing well. In his

15 Strauss and Howe, Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584-2069, 284.

16 Ibid., 292.

17 Ibid.

book by that name, Bob Buford interviews Howard Hendricks about the connection between a person’s life line and their purpose line. Hendricks states,

The average person dies between two and seven years after retirement, and it’s simply because they’ve lost their purpose in life. For most of them, their purpose was wrapped up in their work, and once they’re no longer working they feel they have no meaning in their lives. They retire from something rather than to something. So the best way is to move to something with purpose that just keeps going right up to the end.18

In such a way, making pilgrimage a financial priority could become a way in which a Silent senior can move from a life of striving for success to a striving towards significance. Strauss and Howe point out that members of the Silent generation also

“have been keen on manufacturing points of lifecycle reference around personal (rather than historical) markers. Whatever phase of life they occupy is fraught with what various

Silent authors have labeled ‘passages,’ ‘seasons,’ ‘turning points,’ or other transitions.”19

For a church in need of lay leadership, this personal transition could include a corollary positive implication for one who would choose to create a personal turning point through a pilgrimage experience: a post-pilgrimage participant with lots of time available returning to the parish re-energized, ready and willing to help.

An additional characteristic of the Silent Generation is their high rate of divorce.

In their coming of age years, Strauss and Howe assert that this generation “used early marriage as a fortress against adult doubts about their maturity,” but later on women resented being trapped at home, and by midlife, the divorce epidemic affected this

18 Bob Buford, Finishing Well (Nashville: Integrity Publishers, 2004), 124.

19 Strauss and Howe, Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584-2069, 282.

generation more than any other.20 Within this segment “are a significant number of divorced women who never remarried.”21 This is reflected in the demographic data, which shows that the 29.5 percent of widowed/divorced women living within the five- mile radius exceeds the national average of 21.3 percent.22 With the large percentage of

Silents within the area, one can conclude that there are a large number of Silent generation divorced women, who are of financial means to experience pilgrimage, and might be of a mindset to create a personal transition in their lives through such an experience.23

Youth Pilgrimage Participants: Generation Z

The current Journey to Adulthood curriculum for youth formation at Saint

Joseph’s culminates in the pilgrimage experience. The youth are high-school age when the pilgrimage takes place, with the participants varying in age from fourteen to seventeen. This places the youth pilgrims within Generation Z (also referred to in research literature as Generation I, Generation Next, and the Net Generation). The segment includes those born 1994 and thereafter.

20 Strauss and Howe, Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584-2069, 288.

21 Ibid., 281.

22 Percept Group, Ministry Area Profile 2010, 6.

23 Experience with adult pilgrimages at Saint Joseph’s supports this idea. In 2009, all pilgrimage participants were divorced (or widowed) Silent generation women. In 2011, two-thirds of the participants were divorced (or widowed) Silent generation women. Three of the six people on the current waitlist for the adult pilgrimage experience are also divorced (or widowed) Silent generation women. All live within the five-mile radius of the church.

This is a growing segment in the United States. They are estimated to have grown beyond twenty-three million.24 This is also the segment in the immediate five-mile radius of the church that the demographic data projections estimate will almost double in size

(from sixteen thousand to over twenty-eight thousand) within the next five years.25

Because this is the first generation born into a “post dial-up” world, there are unique characteristics that are emerging about these teens in a growing body of literature, which pose challenges and opportunities for an effective experience of pilgrimage. Sherry

Posnick-Goodwin summarizes these characteristics well in her “Meet Generation Z” article:

They'd rather text than talk. They prefer to communicate online — often with friends they have never met. They don’t spend much time outdoors unless adults organize activities for them. They can’t imagine life without cell phones. They have never known a world without technology or terrorism or Columbine. They prefer computers to books and want instant results. They are growing up in an economic depression and are under tremendous pressure to succeed. Mostly they are growing up fast, and exhibiting behavior far beyond their years.26

Contrary to these preferences of the Generation Z teens, the pilgrimage experience calls for the participants to disengage from technology, communicate face-to-face with each other and with God on a continual basis, experience the beauty of God’s creation outside, and live without cell phones for two weeks. This is a challenge for both the adult

24 Ethan Lyon, “Examining Generation Z: Stats, Demographics, Segments, Predictions,” Sparxoo Newsletter, February 23, 2010, http://sparxoo.com/2010/02/23/examining-generation-z-stats- demographics-segments-predictions (accessed April 21, 2011).

25 Percept Group, Ministry Area Profile 2010, 8.

26 Sherry Posnick-Goodwin, “Meet generation Z,” California Teachers Association Educator Magazine 14, no. 5 (February 2010), http://www.cta.org/Professional-Development/Publications/Educator- Feb-10/Meet-Generation-Z.aspx (accessed April 21, 2011).

facilitators and the youth participants. This is the generation for whom the term “internet addiction” has become a concern so common that John Palfrey and Urs Gasser point out in their book Born Digital, “Clinicians have begun to develop diagnostic criteria to determine whether a child is at risk for Internet addiction.”27

Slowing down the pace of life on pilgrimage is also a challenge for this group.

Ethan Lyon, in his article “Examining Generation Z,” points out, “Growing up on the web, Gen Z lives in a world of instant gratification. Speed Demons thrive on acceleration and next, next, next.”28 Linked with that is the shorter attention span that results, as Lyon explains, “Today, attention spans could not handle even a 400-page book. Fast forward into the Gen Z’s future and everything is broken into bite-size, manageable pieces. Micro miners thrive on small bits of information. Think Boing-Boing in Twitter-length messages. Information is condensed into its very essence.”29

Conclusion: Challenges and Opportunities

The demographic data verifies the opportunities that exist for spiritual growth overall within the Boynton Beach area, with a history of population growth in both targeted segments that is expected to continue, and an openness to spiritual growth as

27 John Palfrey and Urs Gasser, Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives (New York: Basis Books, 2008), 188.

28 Ethan Lyon, “Examining Generation Z: Stats, Demographics, Segments, Predictions,” Sparxoo Newsletter, http://sparxoo.com/2010/02/23/examining-generation-z-stats-demographics-segments- predictions (accessed April 21, 2011).

29 Ibid.

well within the population. The opportunities exist for intentional approaches to the

Silent Generation for pilgrimage experiences as personal transition, especially with the large percentage of the local population they represent, as well as the financial resources they have available. The opportunities also exist for the youth pilgrimage efforts with the

Generation Z population, especially since their numbers are estimated to double within the next five years. However, there are corresponding challenges for customizing the approach to this group, especially given their digital age tendencies that make the disengagement requirements of pilgrimage difficult to sustain. Chapter 2 will examine the church context of Saint Joseph’s, the unique spiritual place which has become an instrument of support to overcome the challenges and maximize the opportunities for both groups.

CHAPTER 2

A GROWING CHURCH IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA

Saint Joseph’s was founded in 1954 on thirteen acres of undeveloped land that had been purchased by a gift from a Presbyterian, Donald B. McLouth. The only designation with the gift was a requirement that a church be built on the property. This land has a natural slope upward from east to west, such that the west end where the church now stands is the highest natural altitude in Boynton Beach. Because of this,

Saint Joseph’s became known as “the church on the hill” from its earliest days. Once the permanent church was completed in 1956, sailors would use the lighted cross on the top of the church as a navigational tool. (When a 2005 hurricane destroyed the cross and light atop the church, sailors began calling the church to find out when it would be replaced.)

In the initial years Saint Joseph’s enjoyed healthy growth, and in 1958 established an Episcopal school on the property as well. The school functioned as a parish school, as an extension of the church, and was under the supervision of the rector and the vestry of the church. The first rector of the church was The Reverend Bruce Powell, who stayed

for six years before transferring to another Episcopal parish in the diocese. His successor, The Reverend James Stoutsenberger, became rector of the church in 1962.

The church continued to experience slow but healthy growth until the time approached for the rector’s retirement in 1984.

This timeframe coincided with the roll-out of the revised Book of Common Prayer after its introduction in 1978. In the midst of the controversy over the replacement of the

1928 Book of Common Prayer, the issues surrounding Father Stoutsenberger’s pending retirement also compromised the health of the parish. At that time, there was an

Associate Priest, The Reverend James Bass, who had a group of loyal followers who desired that he would become the next rector to succeed Father Stoutsenberger.

However, the policy in the diocese was that priests functioning as associates at the time of a rector’s retirement were not eligible to be considered for the position.

There was a period of much discord and accusation that followed, which is to this day shared as “parish folklore” by the shrinking number of senior parishioners who recall those days. In the end, there was a particular Sunday in 1984 when the dissident group of people completed their Sunday worship at Saint Joseph’s. At the end of the service, they processed out, taking with them the copies of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, along with the associate priest Father Bass.1

1This group established its own church, Saint Mary the Virgin Anglican Church, and eventually built a sanctuary approximately five miles southwest of Saint Joseph’s. This church exists to this day as a parish within the Anglican Province of America. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer is still utilized.

A renewed search for a new rector of Saint Joseph’s was begun, and in 1985, The

Reverend Michael Cassell relocated from New York to accept the call to serve as the third rector of Saint Joseph’s. The new rector inherited a congregation that was bruised and broken, yet it seemed that the majority who had remained wanted to push forward.

Christmas attendance had reached a low ebb in 1985 (see Appendix B) but started a gradual climb after his first year.

During his early years as rector, both the parish and the school suffered from the effects of the recession of the early 1980s. The financial drain on the parish in trying to maintain both church and school had reached an unmanageable level, and so the vestry reached a decision to close the school. A group of school parents and teachers came forward with a proposal to create an independent Saint Joseph’s Episcopal School, Inc., whereby the leadership of the new school would be responsible for the maintenance of the buildings, and the church would lease the buildings to the school for $1.00 per year.

This created a positive turning point for both entities, and the church especially began to experience a revival.

“Father Mike,” as he was now affectionately known, moved the church more proactively towards evangelism of new members. More efforts were placed in trying to attract families with children. Within five years, there was a slow but gradual change in the profile of those who attended the weekend services. More families with young children were starting to blend with the older congregation. There was also a perceptible change in the level of acceptance within the older members of the congregation. The

energy and noise of children and youth was increasingly greeted as a positive addition rather than a negative intrusion.

By the early 1990s, the growth in children and young families necessitated a consideration for additional ministries and ministers to be formed. The vestry established a part-time position of Children and Family Minister, and they hired a lay person within the parish to fulfill this role. Father Mike instituted a “Faith-Seeking” program, an adaptation of the catechumenate model of formation for receiving new members into the church. This year-long process helped formation in three ways. Since the Faith-Seeking process was led by lay volunteers, additional ministry opportunities now existed for members of the congregation. In addition, current members of the congregation were encouraged to participate, which, upon their completion of the program, led to their increased commitment and willingness to serve in ministries within the church. Lastly, a formal process now existed for newcomers, modern day catechumens, to be prepared for official reception into the church as members, whether through baptism, confirmation or reception.

As the congregation continued to grow both in size and commitment, a new informal Saturday night service was established. Congregational singing was accompanied by volunteer vocalists and musicians from the parish. Because of the growth in both children and youth participation, an additional part-time staff position was established to concentrate on youth ministry. With a person now dedicated to growing the youth ministry, the increase in youth participation accelerated. By 1996, discussions for a new youth ministry building were underway, and when a donor stepped forward to

fund the project, it was soon begun. The new Saint Nicholas Youth House was dedicated on May 30, 1999, and the Youth Minister was elevated to a full-time position on the church staff.

Saint Joseph’s continued to move along healthily. Two milestones occurred as the turn of the year 2000 approached. Both Father Mike and the Bishop of the Diocese of

Southeast Florida, The Right Reverend Calvin O. Schofield, announced their upcoming retirements. Search committees were formed at the Diocesan level for the new bishop and at the parish level for a new rector for Saint Joseph’s.

On September 16, 2000, The Right Reverend Leo Frade was enthroned as the third bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida. His most recent ministry had been as Bishop of Honduras, and he made it clear that his vision was to continue to be a missionary bishop, and that the Diocese of Southeast Florida would be a missionary diocese. He challenged the congregations of the diocese with a goal to double the active membership within their parishes in the next ten years. The support personnel and programs of the diocese would be readjusted to support the congregations in this challenge.

Saint Joseph’s hired an interim rector while the search process continued for the new rector. In early March 2001, I was called to be the fourth rector of Saint Joseph’s.

For the previous three years, since being received into the Episcopal priesthood from the

Roman Catholic Church, I was designated as a worker priest. As such, I continued to witness in the workplace during my career at Motorola, and when in town, I was an

Associate Priest at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Lake Worth, Florida. On

Saturday, March 11, 2001, I flew home from Motorola headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, and drove to Saint Joseph’s to conduct the 5:00pm Saturday service, my first official act as rector of the church.

Motorola had prepared me well for the growing volunteer ministry at Saint

Joseph’s. I had departed the Roman Church in 1985, and had embarked on a corporate career with several positions and companies. For the past eleven years, I had been a manager within the International Networks Division of Motorola, a group commissioned to form new businesses that Motorola had purchased as joint ventures. It was our job to work with the employees of the joint venture to improve the cycle time and quality of their business performance. Since the employees of these joint ventures were not directly accountable to me or to Motorola, it was necessary to instill within them the motivation to institute the process improvements, and to become advocates for such going forward.

This has been, and continues to be, an important facet of my ministry in empowering lay volunteers at Saint Joseph’s.

Shortly after my arrival at Saint Joseph’s, Bishop Frade asked me to be the convener for a diocesan task force that would formalize the vision and mission for the diocese that he had put forth in his initial addresses. As stated in the Catechism within the Book of Common Prayer, the mission of the Church is “to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.”2 Further explanation of this states that “the Church

2 Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Book of Common Prayer (New York: The Church Hymnal Corporation, 1979), 855.

carries out this mission through the ministry of all its members.”3 A crucial component of this is in answer to the question, “Who are the ministers of the Church?” The answer lists in order, “lay persons, bishops, priests and deacons.”4

It is this priority of lay ministry that would become the focus of not only the diocesan mission and vision, but also for the renewed vision of Saint Joseph’s. The vision and mission that the diocesan task force created (see Appendix C) was accepted unanimously at the next Diocesan Convention. It emphasizes the inclusiveness of the scope as to who is welcome, as well as the transformation to which all are called. This transformation would remain important as the vision and mission for Saint Joseph’s also unfolded.

Saint Joseph’s was in the midst of a strategic planning process as well when I arrived as the new rector. On the heels of completing the diocesan vision and mission, I created a parish task force to create a corresponding mission statement for Saint Joseph’s.

The resulting mission statement for Saint Joseph’s is, “To bring all people into the fullness of Christ’s family and nurture their spiritual development.” The second half of the mission statement is meant to echo the transformation contained in the diocesan mission, as well as the diocesan vision of “bringing them in, building them up, tending their needs, and sending them out.”

3 Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Book of Common Prayer, 855.

4 Ibid.

With this diocesan and parish mission as a tool for guidance, Saint Joseph’s moved forward to implement several strategies. Two key initiatives that helped to frame the ministry development were the Purpose-Driven Church framework (adapted from

Saddleback Church in California) and the Child in Our Hands initiatives (adapted from the Youth and Family Institute in Minnesota).5 The former created a structure around which the church ministries could be organized, and the latter ensured that the parish focused on all the milestone moments within the lives of the community.

The Purpose-Driven Church model was adapted by the vestry of Saint Joseph’s, in order to systematize the way in which the many growing ministries within the church were organized. Each vestry member was given a “bucket” under which the five areas of ministries would be organized: Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Human Needs, and

Evangelism.6 Two of the nine vestry members functioned in oversight roles as Senior

Warden and Junior Warden. With five Purpose-Driven “buckets,” that left two additional vestry buckets, which were added based on the developing ministries of the church.

These two additional areas are “Technology/Communications” and “Finance.”

The Child in our Hands program focused the parish on developing processes and corresponding ministries for the milestones within the lives of all generations within the church. For example, the men’s organization (Brotherhood of Saint Andrew) constructs wooden “faith chests” that are presented to the family at their child’s Baptism, which

5 The Youth and Family Institute was renamed Vibrant Faith Ministries in 2010.

6 Saint Joseph’s changed the Purpose-Driven term “Outreach” to “Human Needs” due to confusion in our community as to the scope of “Outreach” vis-à-vis “Evangelism.”

contain various religious books and gifts from the different organizations of the parish.

This is meant to be a physical symbol of the commitment that the congregation voices in the Baptismal rite that they will do all in their power to support these persons in their life in Christ. Similar milestone ministries were developed for communion commemoration,

Bible presentation at the completion of elementary school, entrance into the youth program (as part of the Rite 13 Program discussed below), celebration of entrance into adulthood, blessing of the car keys at the celebration of receiving one’s driver’s license, and high school and college graduation. These ministries continue to evolve, with the addition five years ago of an “Honoring our Elders in Faith” celebration, whereby the

Daughters of the King women’s group sponsors an annual worship and luncheon celebration for all those in the community who have reached the age of eighty years and beyond.

While all of these represented important milestones within the lives of the community, each required volunteer ministries to support them on an ongoing basis. In addition, the mere increase in congregational members brought increased demands upon the one ordained person for sacramental needs. A current chart showing the existing ministries and their corresponding Purpose-Driven buckets demonstrates the growing complexity (see Appendix D).

Given the initial success that the parish had been achieving in lay empowerment, I asked the Bishop and the vestry of the church to agree to an intentional expansion of that lay ministry, given the fact that the mission of the Church, diocese, and parish were now all expressing that. Bishop Frade agreed to a pilot program, whereby trained Lay

Eucharistic Ministers (hereafter, called LEMs) within the Order of Saint Luke healing ministry, would be trained and licensed as Lay Anointing Ministers (hereafter, called

LAMs).7 In addition, the lay leadership agreed that Saint Joseph's would expand their pastoral reach in other areas also through lay ministry. Hospital visitation by lay ministers would be expanded, as well as Eucharistic visitation by additional LEMs. I continued to assure the congregation that when they needed the church, the church would be there for them. It just might not be the priest who showed up with communion.8

With this expanded ministry happening, the need for expanding paid staff and facilities increased as well. The church agreed to expand the position of Children’s

Minister to a full-time position, especially with the increased demands created by the

Child in our Hands initiatives. It was becoming a regular occurrence that groups could not meet due to lack of space available. Storage for the existing ministries had also become an issue. Most of the major events outside of the sanctuary were taking place in the parish hall, and with a capacity of two hundred, the parish was turning people away at important fellowship events. Out of this situation, the Make Room at the Inn capital campaign was launched for the expansion of Saint Joseph's facilities.

7 The expansion of anointing ministry to lay people was permitted under the guidelines provided in the provisional revised worship materials published by the Episcopal Church, called Enriching Our Worship II.

8 While there was some initial resistance to this with some traditionalists, there was overwhelming receptivity to this concept. The lay ministers were uplifted by the confidence placed in them, and the recipients of their ministry were most appreciative. This was made clear to me one Sunday when I took communion to a chronically ill parishioner when a lay minister was unavailable at the last minute. Instead of being greeted with surprise and joy, the person frowned and asked me, “Where is Gene?”

With the expanding youth program, there was also a perceived need for additional concentration on youth. This was especially perceived by one of the major donors to the church, who agreed to provide seed money for the hiring of a person to launch a Sunday service focusing on youth. In the fall of 2005, Saint Joseph’s launched its “Unplugged”

Eucharist. Now each week I was leading and preaching at four weekend services.

The economic downturn resulting from the events associated with September 11,

2001 had a delayed, yet long-lasting impact on the local economy. Combined with the damage caused by two major hurricanes in the fall of 2004 (Hurricanes Frances and

Jeanne), was the closing of the Motorola plant in Boynton Beach. A town that once housed five thousand Motorola employees now had none. The result was the beginning of a turnover of members in the congregation. Just as many families moved or relocated, new families were joining the church. The challenge was that many of the departing families were active leaders in the church, and the new families moving in were not previously involved in leadership within their former church, if they had one. A much higher percentage of “non-Episcopalians” were choosing to join Saint Joseph's than ever before. This not only created a vacuum of ministry leaders in the congregation, but also put a strain on the experienced leaders. A consequence of burnout was inevitable for both priest and lay leadership if the trend was not reversed.

Because of the economic downturn, the capital campaign was also delayed.

Instead of doing the planned three phases all at once, there would now be a phased approach to the construction as the funds became available. The first phase would necessarily include all the underground pipelines and wiring that would be required to

accommodate the future expansion. In order to provide a visible step forward, and instill excitement within the congregation in the midst of difficult economic times, the expansion of the church narthex was included in this first phase.9

Faced with economic challenges as well as ministry leadership challenges, the leadership explored how Saint Joseph’s should most effectively move forward to accelerate the pace of lay leadership development within the church. In purpose-driven terms, the challenge was to facilitate the Spirit’s movement of people’s commitment level inward from the Congregational ring (membership) to the Committed ring (ministry), and

Core ring (ministry leadership). The process of “Faith-Seeking” that the previous rector had instituted for this purpose was no longer effective. New members, who were now more active and involved in other pursuits than ever before, were unable and unwilling to commit to a weekly program that required a year-long commitment. A condensed new membership course had been instituted, called Episcopal 101. This was fulfilling the need for entrance into the church, however, there needed to be additional ways for people to move to greater levels of commitment, and at an accelerated rate.

Anecdotal evidence was showing that members who had participated in short, but intensive spiritual experiences were the ones who were coming forward for ministry opportunities. Cursillo, a weekend intensive spiritual retreat experience offered by the

Diocese on a semi-annual basis, was one of the ways that was proving to be effective. I

9 The timing of Phase One planning coincided with my experience of the Encountering New Ways of Being Church course. As a result of benchmarking adaptable best practices that the students experienced on the course, the narthex was built with a wet bar to provide an additional meeting space, as well as a welcoming labyrinth that continues to be well-used.

was also conducting annual short-term mission trips to the Dominican Republic, and it was happening over and over again that the people who participated in these intensive work weeks were coming back with a passion for ministry as well. This was especially true for those who were most actively engaged in the theological reflection that I led each morning and evening during the mission trip. The challenge then became to look for additional ways that Saint Joseph's could create short-term, but intensive experiences that would lead people to the transformation to which their mission was calling them.

The Journey to Adulthood youth program that Saint Joseph’s utilizes culminates in a pilgrimage experience. This was a proven model of success for the youth. As is mentioned in the preceding chapter, the youth who have completed this pilgrimage are as committed to their church as one could expect a college student or recent graduate to be.

They want to be present at Saint Joseph's, and they want to be involved.

My thoughts turned to this short-term pilgrimage model as a possible additional way to raise up new leaders within the church as well. Since the first youth pilgrimage took place, there had been consistent feedback from the congregation that leadership should offer this to the adult congregation as well. Therefore, I announced the first adult pilgrimage for summer of 2009, and within one week there was a waiting list of ten people beyond the small-group capacity of seven.

Because of the expenses involved in the youth pilgrimage, it was clearly important to find a way to achieve cost-savings for the adult pilgrimage, since the adult

participants would be paying the full cost of their experience. 10 This is where my own personal “pilgrimage” helped. When I had departed the Roman Catholic priesthood, my fall back career was in travel, since I had been active in seminary days organizing group trips to the Holy Land and other places. My first job after the Roman Catholic days was as a travel director, leading groups to exotic places around the globe. Because Saint

Joseph's had now conducted several youth pilgrimages utilizing a travel company, and because of my past experience, I took on the organization of the adult pilgrimage myself.

In this way, we were able to achieve cost-savings for the pilot participants.

The adult pilgrimage took place in July 2009. I experimented with various experiences of spiritual disciplines for the adults. Because of the age and physical limitations of the adult pilgrims, I adapted some of the activities to maximize the experience for the adults. For example, in place of the seven-mile pilgrimage hike to and from Columba’s Bay on Iona, I chartered a boat to sail to Columba’s Bay. En route, I led an Ignatian-style scriptural imaging exercise with the adult pilgrims on the storm at sea

Gospel passage. Once at Columba’s Bay, we were able to conduct the same spiritual activities (labyrinth walk and leaving a rock symbolic of a personal burden) as we do with the youth pilgrimage.

The adaptation of the youth pilgrimage to the adults was easier than anticipated.

The adults were accustomed to longer periods of silence, and there was openness to

10 Saint Joseph’s operational budget funds one-third of the cost for each youth pilgrimage participant. (The youth fundraise another one-third, and the families are responsible for the final one- third.) In addition, the church pays the full cost for the staff and facilitators who participate. For the 2012 operational budget, this total commitment for the youth pilgrimage is over $50,000. After salaries and benefits, it is the largest single line item in the church budget.

longer spiritual exercises as well. The community-building times of meal preparation, dining, and clean-up were especially powerful. There was an affinity in the group for welcoming others to join them and to share their stories with each other.

The most powerful indicator of the pilgrimage success was in the return to the parish. Within six months of returning from the pilgrimage, every pilgrim had embarked upon a new ministry within the church. One became a member of the vestry for the first time. Another took on a ministry of greeting and ushering. Two others joined the ministry of money counters. Another heard of the need for someone to take on lay leadership of the short-term mission teams, and not only agreed to take it on, but also brought in additional new people to help.

With this first pilot adult pilgrimage as positive evidence, I moved forward with this project to maximize the pilgrimage experience as a tool for spiritual transformation for adults as well as for youth. In order to benchmark possible ways to achieve this, the historical role of pilgrimage in the world religions is explored next.

PART TWO

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION

CHAPTER 3

LITERATURE REVIEW

For the purposes of exploring pilgrimage as a tool of increasing spiritual maturity, a good working definition is presented by Ian Bradley, who defines pilgrimage as "a departure from daily life on a journey in search of a spiritual well-being. It involves leaving home, making a journey, arriving at a destination that usually has some religious significance, and then returning home."1 A more in-depth adaptation of these common patterns within pilgrimage was provided through the anthropological studies of Victor and Edith Turner, who apply to pilgrimage the common elements in rites of passage of

"separation, margin or limen, and reaggregation. The first phase detaches the ritual subjects from their old places in society; the last installs them, inwardly transformed and outwardly changed, in a new place in society."2

1 Ian Bradley, Pilgrimage: A Spiritual and Cultural Journey (London: Lion Hudson plc, 2009), 11.

2 Victor Turner and Edith Turner. Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture (New York: Columbia University Press, 1978), 3235-3239, Kindle.

The middle element of liminality is described by the Turners as an interruption from ordinary life that results in an 'in-between" state (the Latin word limen means

"threshold"). As the Turners describe, "During the intervening liminal phase, the state of the ritual subject (the 'passenger' or 'liminar') becomes ambiguous, he passes through a realm or dimension that has few or none of the attributes of the past or coming state, he is betwixt and between all familiar lines of classification."3 When applied to pilgrimage, the Turners suggest that the term should be modified, since pilgrimage is not required as a rite of passage. As the authors state, "Since it is voluntary, not an obligatory social mechanism to mark the transition of an individual or group from one state or status to another within the mundane sphere, pilgrimage is perhaps best thought of as 'liminoid' or

'quasi-liminal,' rather than 'liminal'."4

The experience of the pilgrim during this transitional quasi-liminal phase is marked by a confusion, a disorientation, or even an uncomfortable feeling out of place, because the pilgrim has not yet fully integrated his or her experience.5 The Turners expand on pilgrims in this phase:

3 Turner and Turner, Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, 181-186, Kindle.

4 Ibid., 578-582, Kindle.

5 The achievement of the quasi-luminal state for a pilgrim assumes that the person has physically traveled a far enough distance beyond their familiar setting in order to be on the threshold of the unfamiliar and new. As the Turners point out, "If mysticism is an interior pilgrimage, pilgrimage is exteriorized mysticism. The point of it all is to get out, go forth, to a far holy place approved by all" (Turner and Turner, Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, 329-331, Kindle). While the distance of movement is beyond the scope of this paper, the actual "leaving home" and "journeying" as part of Bradley's definition of pilgrimage are an important consideration. The topic of distance of movement in pilgrimage is explored in detail by Robert Stoddard (cf. Robert Stoddard, "Defining and Classifying Pilgrimages," Geography Faculty Publications (Lincoln: University of Nebraska, 1997), Paper 2, http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ geographyfacpub/2.)

They pass through a cultural realm that has few or none of the attributes of the past or coming state. Liminars are betwixt and between. The liminal state has frequently been likened to death; to being in the womb; to invisibility, darkness, bisexuality, and the wilderness. Liminars are stripped of status and authority, removed from a social structure maintained and sanctioned by power and force, and leveled to a homogeneous social state through discipline and ordeal.6

This unsettling luminoid experience enables the pilgrim to let go of one's old identity, and enter a spontaneous encounter as an equal with the surrounding people, since the differentiation, partiality, and social structures are abandoned for a time. The resulting communitas sustains pilgrims through the inconveniences and discomforts, and enables all to be treated as equals. As the Turners explain, "Much of what has been bound by social structure is liberated, notably the sense of comradeship and communion, or communitas."7 In Heart of Lightness, Edith Turner describes her understanding of communitas by writing, "I now see it as unconditional love, outside any undifferentiated respect for rank, moral status, and social structures. It flourishes best in those precious in- between times when stress about status is low and nobody bothers about rank."8

The final phase is reaggregation, or reincorporation. Victor Turner expands on this final part of the rites of passage developed first by Arnold van Gennep by stating,

"The ritual subject, individual or corporate, is in a relatively stable state once more and, by virtue of this, has rights and obligations vis~vis others of a clearly defined and

'structural' type; he is expected to behave in accordance with certain customary norms

6 Turner and Turner, Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, 3239-3244, Kindle.

7 Ibid.

8 Edith L.B. Turner, Heart of Lightness: The Life Story of an Anthropologist (New York: Berghahn Books, 2006), 93.

and ethical standards binding on incumbents of social position."9 In maintaining the similarities to rites of passage, the pilgrims then return home to their normal state, but they have been changed by the experience. For most, they have been renewed, and gained a new perspective on themselves in relation to God, to others, and to the world.

Pilgrimage in Judaism

The experience of these phases of pilgrimage is consistent throughout the recorded history of religion.10 The earliest account of pilgrimage is from God's initial call four thousand years ago for Abraham to "Go from this country" (Genesis 12: 1a).11

The call to pilgrimage continues five hundred years later through the original Exodus story.

When Moses received the Law from God at Sinai, there were specific requirements of appearing before the Lord on three major feast days. Even before the official presence of God, symbolized in the Ark of the Covenant, had a specific place, there was already established for the Jewish people a requirement for the performance of pilgrimage. As Simon Coleman and John Elsner point out in their work Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, this differentiated pilgrimage in Judaism from the

9 Victor Turner, The Ritual Process (New York: Aldine de Gruyter, 1969), 95.

10 In following Bradley's definition of pilgrimage, an argument could be made that Adam and Eve were the first Biblical pilgrims, depending on one's interpretation of their actual historical existence. They did journey from their daily lives in Eden in search of spiritual well-being.

11 All Scripture quoted in this paper is from the New Revised Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.

ancient Greeks, in that “the activity of pilgrimage was conceived as an approach to the presence of God, which was embodied not in any holy scriptures but in the specific text which God himself had written on Sinai and which was kept in the Ark.”12

The Exodus from Egypt itself was certainly the original extended pilgrimage of the Jewish people. By the time of Amos (eighth century B.C.), it is clear that pilgrimage was a well-established ritual for the Jewish people. I Kings 12 tells how King Jeroboam

II placed two golden calves in order to stop the people from journeying on pilgrimage up to Jerusalem. He does this out of fear that their resulting allegiance will be shifted.

In addition, the exiles that the Jewish people faced throughout their history could also be viewed as pilgrimages. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon’s Temple in 586

B.C., which prompted the Babylonian exile. Later, the last Temple was destroyed in 70

A.D., and an exile that lasted almost twenty centuries resulted. During these periods of exile, for the most part it was not possible for Jews to pilgrimage to their homeland. As a result, “the motifs of exile and return have become central to Jewish tradition, experience and identity.”13 Passover and Sukkot festival narratives incorporate many references to wandering as a result.

Some important associations result in the Jewish tradition of pilgrimage. As

Coleman and Elsner point out, “Exile became associated with iniquity.”14 These ideas

12 Simon Coleman and John Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions (Cambridge, MS: Harvard University Press, 1995), 34.

13 Ibid.

14 Ibid.

are expressed in several places. For example, Lamentations 1:8 states, “Jerusalem sinned grievously, so she has become a mockery; all who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans, and turns her face away.” Similarly,

Lamentations 2:7 states, “The Lord has scorned his altar, disowned his sanctuary; he has delivered into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces.” Likewise, Lamentations

4:22a concludes, “The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter Zion, is accomplished, he will keep you in exile no longer.”

Since exile became associated with iniquity, then appropriately return to Zion became associated with redemption. As Coleman and Elsner point out, “Particularly in

Isaiah, the restoration of Jerusalem was used as a metaphor for the restoration of the people.”15 What results from this outlook is an overall view of the eventual pilgrimage back home to Zion as redemption. A corollary is that such redemption will “bring other nations into the orbit of the Temple’s powers.”16 Thus, pilgrimage in Judaism connotes not just movement, but also “restitution in moral and spiritual terms.”17

The longest exile for the Jewish people was the time from the destruction of the last Temple until the creation of the modern state of Israel. The themes of exile, return, and redemption found expression in Jewish worship, in the absence of the Temple, and for those who could not pilgrimage to Jerusalem. In order to maintain continuity:

15 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 35.

16 Ibid., 36.

17 Ibid.

Synagogues were more than meeting places: they housed the Law (Torah) which, in embodying Jewish tradition, provided a distant echo of the Ark itself. The Passover service, not only a ritual embodiment of exile and return, but also one of the biblical pilgrimage-feasts, became a remembrance of Jerusalem. It was an occasion on which Jews affirmed their future return to the Promised Land with the phrase ‘next year in Jerusalem’. Thus, even without the Temple, prime qualities of Jewish pilgrimage – sin, atonement, diaspora, redemption and veneration for the dead – were preserved and relived in the rituals of the tradition.18

The experience of historic scattering and exile gave rise to the yearning for the return to Zion. Another corollary that this joint yearning gave to the Jewish people in their exile was a desire for unity. As such, the desire for “next year in Jerusalem,” as expressed in the Passover Seder, exemplifies how the Jewish concept of pilgrimage became an instrument of unity and identity for them.

Pilgrimage in Ancient Greece

Pilgrimage can also be traced back to days of ancient Greece. In ancient Greece, pilgrimage helped to establish civic identity. Simon Coleman and John Elsner speak of

The Great Panathenaea, which began in 566 B.C., and was celebrated every four years, which “brought together citizens both from within the city and from the countryside of

Attica, as well as many of Athens’ allies from abroad, to celebrate not only the birthday of their goddess but also their very identity as Athenians.”19 Thus, one of the original outcomes of pilgrimage was to establish identity. As Coleman and Elsner state, “Civic religion, including festivals of pilgrimage to and within one’s mother city, was a

18 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 40.

19 Ibid., 12.

profound way of evoking and establishing identity. To be an Athenian meant, at least in part, to be a participant of such civic festivals as the Panathenaea, Plynteria or

Dionysia.”20 Not unlike modern day religious processions, the pilgrimage “fulfilled the explicitly political purpose of binding the participant populace of citizens together as

Athenians in a common identity through their relations to a shared deity.”21 This sense of reaffirming identity is also a positive aspect to adapt in developing a modern practice of pilgrimage.

The ancient Greek pattern of pilgrimage, however, achieved something of a differentiating factor as well. As Coleman and Elsner explain, pilgrimage also

“celebrated difference – an Athenian’s being Athenian rather than, and in opposition to, being Theban, Corinthian or Argive. By defining identity in this way, such festivals contributed to the intense sense of rivalry and competition between the fiercely independent Greek states.”22 While a modern focus of pilgrimage can help pilgrims discover who they are, certainly there is not a desire to instill rivalry and competition.

This would result in a negative impact that should be avoided in a modern day practice of pilgrimage.

The Greeks achieved a common identity through their practice of pilgrimage by linking their identity with particular places. Their identity was linked with the holy sites associated with the myths of Athens. As Coleman and Elsner explain, “One reason why

20 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions., 13.

21 Ibid.

22 Ibid., 14.

pilgrims returned to their homeland in the civic festivals of ancient Greece was to strengthen the umbilical cord that linked them through their home city to their ancestors and their mythical origins.”23 While a modern day practice of pilgrimage does not entail

“going home” in a physical sense, perhaps the notion of “going home” in a spiritual sense is a concept to be explored also as a possible positive outcome.24

This affirmation of identity through pilgrimage took on an even greater significance for the ancient Greeks as their diversity increased. As time progressed, different Greek cults blended with Syrian and Egyptian religions, and this developed into a blend of combined worship, shrines and rituals. Authors Coleman and Elsner point out that, in terms of pilgrimage, the changed political, cultural and social context led to a

"transformation of the way in which individuals saw their identity. In a world where political power became increasingly remote, and where one’s home city came to signify little more than the place of one’s birth, pilgrimage may have affirmed a deeper and more personal identity than nationality.”25 Because of the increasing religious diversity that exists today, this is another area where the practice of modern day pilgrimage could lead to a greater understanding of identity for pilgrims.

Another common practice in Greco-Roman religious practice of pilgrimage was the rituals that took place prior to the pilgrimage itself. Though some of these practices

23 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 15.

24 While a later section will affirm that there is no direct historical link between the present-day Episcopal Church and the ancient Celts, it is a definite characteristic of the faith experience of many modern day Episcopalians that they have "come home" when they discover Celtic spirituality. This will be explored in a later section.

25 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 20.

tended to go beyond the extreme of everyday acceptance, there is a way in which they enabled both the pilgrim and those who encountered the pilgrim to understand the special nature of the experience. Coleman and Elsner elaborate:

These complex rituals, involving sacralising marks (the shaved head and eyebrows – marks used also by Theravada Buddhist monks), preliminary sacrifices and abstinence from home comforts such as hot water or a bed, are merely the initial or purification rites prior to the actual approach to the sanctuary . . . They mark the special character of this particular journey, undergone under unusual circumstances, by which all who met the traveler would know that he was a pilgrim. They make the journey itself into a ritual.26

For a modern day practice of pilgrimage, these pre-pilgrimage rituals would need to be revisited. The exploration will be to find the ways in which appropriate rites could be practiced that would achieve the desired end of instilling within the pilgrim (and the bystander as well) a sense of the set-apartness, or sacredness of the pilgrim.27

Just as rituals were performed prior to the pilgrimage itself in the ancient world,

Coleman and Elsner also point out that “on the pilgrim’s arrival, other rituals and activities mark the occasion and place.”28 In addition, in both Christian and non-

Christian history, there is a similarity in common arrival rituals of encirclement. The same authors point out that “the act of encircling the sacred goal ritually defines a sacred space as well as marking the fact that the pilgrim has arrived there. The culmination of a

26 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 25.

27 In the age of terrorism, Homeland Security experts have cautioned about such external identifying marks of a group from the United States traveling abroad.

28 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 25.

spiritual journey is thus physically embodied by an action which is remarkably similar in form across very different religions.”29

While these rituals in ancient observance seem a bit beyond the scope of modern day propriety, still there is the opportunity to explore how modern day pilgrimage experience could be enhanced by a modified version of these rituals. Jean and Wallace

Clift assert the importance of these pilgrimage rituals that speak to the unconscious. In their book, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, the authors state,

Frequently, at the pilgrimage site, there are specific ritual actions which the pilgrim performs in order to be in touch with the reality of the place. Through the ritual actions (in addition to having simply made the journey) the pilgrim makes a connection with that which was the goal. It is unlikely that the pilgrim thinks about the ritual actions taken as ‘speaking to the unconscious,’ but the pilgrim may well be ready to affirm the deep inner meaning that the experience has provided.30

These authors acknowledge the legitimate abuses that took place in regard to pilgrimage in the medieval church. However, they also believe that such objections come “in part from a failure to apprehend the role of symbols and symbolic action.”31

Another important focus of ancient pilgrimage was to learn how the local people worshipped. There is a great description of Greece written by the traveler Pausanias in the second century. Pausanias, a Greek from Ionia in Asia Minor, went as a pilgrim not only to the most famous temples in Greece but also to many of the more remote and less celebrated shrines. As Coleman and Elsner point out, “One of the pilgrim’s lessons in

29 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 32.

30 Jean Dalby Clift and Wallace B. Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage: Outer Action with Inner Meaning (New York: Paulist Press, 1996), 15.

31 Ibid., 17.

going to a temple was to learn how the locals worshipped, and to worship as the locals did. This is why Pausanias is so insistent on recording the altars at Olympia according to the ritual order in which they were used.”32 This can be another important area of exploration for a modern practice of pilgrimage. How the itinerary and daily agendas are formed can either enable a pilgrim to experience the local customs, or it can be an obstacle for such to take place. The importance (or not) of such local experience is a significant area to be considered for adapting a modern day pilgrimage experience.

In summary, as Coleman and Elsner state, “Pilgrimage in the ancient world was remarkably similar to pilgrimage in the world religions that began in the Near East –

Judaism, Christianity and Islam.”33 It enabled the pilgrims to gain a sense of their identity, and rituals both prior to the pilgrimage and upon arrival enabled them to reinforce the sacredness of the journey. In addition, experiencing the local worship customs was an important focus. How these characteristics can be applied to modern pilgrimage are areas to be explored.

Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca

Islam is the only one of the world’s major religions that specifically requires a pilgrimage. As Coleman and Elsner quote the Koran, “Pilgrimage to the House is a duty laid upon people which they owe to Allah, those of them that can afford the journey

32 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 27.

33 Ibid., 29.

thither” (3.98).34 The hajj signifies proper devotion to the will of God, and literally means ‘an effort.’ Not even a majority of Muslims actually fulfill this once-in-a-lifetime expectation. However, “Even though perhaps only ten per cent of the world’s 600-700 million Muslims manage to undertake the journey before they die, the thoughts of the entire umma (the Islamic community of faith) are likely to be with the one or two million who reach Mecca each year.”35

It is very clear that Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca has an intended unifying effect.

As Coleman and Elsner point out, “For some Muslims, the injunction contained in the fifth pillar of Islam provides a key to the unity of peoples professing the Islamic faith.

Pilgrims to the House of Allah are required to strip themselves of all marks of identity except those which indicate their allegiance to Islam.”36

The idea of unity and identity within the purpose of Muslim pilgrimage is further expressed in the timing of the hajj. There is a specific timing in proper participation in the pilgrimage to Mecca. The hajj should be:

carried out between the eighth and the thirteenth days of the twelfth month of the Muslim year. Thus, it occurs at the zenith of the annual calendar, bringing it to a close. Like Christian pilgrimage to Rome or Jerusalem at Easter, it draws the community of believers together not only in a single place but during a single, sacredly charged time. A journey to Mecca undertaken at some other time is seen as a ‘lesser’ pilgrimage (an umra, or ‘visitation’). As a practice enshrined in the Koran, but also influenced by earlier, pre-Islamic traditions, the pilgrimage is

34 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 53.

35 Ibid.

36 Ibid.

made up of a series of formal rites, with specific injunctions for each of its stages.”37

This idea of identity of the Muslim pilgrim is further expressed in the required vows and attire that each must agree to take on:

Before pilgrims even pass the boundary stones that mark the edge of the holy territory of Mecca, they prepare themselves by vowing to abstain from worldly actions during the pilgrimage, including the development of emotional or sexual ties. Men put on robes made of two plain white sheets, while women wear plain dresses, and it is frequently believed that pilgrims will present themselves at the Last Judgment dressed in the clothes they have worn at Mecca. All personal adornment, including signs of wealth, is forbidden.”38

There are specific arrival rituals connected with the hajj also. The central point for the pilgrim at Mecca is the Ka’ba, a small cube-shaped building made of granite, which the Koran states was built by Moses and Ishmael after they had settled in Arabia.

A special black stone (probably a meteorite), embedded in the north corner, is the subject of special veneration. Upon arrival, the pilgrim kisses the black stone. Because of the crowds, oftentimes a pilgrim cannot physically reach the black stone. Consequently, the pilgrim calls out a salutation to it. Then, there is an encircling approach that is followed:

"They also swirl in a continuously moving circle round the Ka’ba. The ritual of walking round it seven times is said to have been invented in imitation of the angels who circle the throne of Allah. Then, the pilgrims must run between two hillocks, in commemoration of the actions of Hagar, searching for water for her child, Ishmael."39

37 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 53.

38 Ibid., 58-59.

39 Ibid., 60.

Other pilgrimage rituals are also observed. One of the most important parts of the hajj occurs after the ritual at the Ka’ba. The pilgrims journey twelve miles to the Mount of Mercy at Arafat. Here Muhammad is said to have preached his final sermon, and an entire day is spent by the pilgrims in sermons and prayer. This is known as the “day of standing.” Then, on the same day, the pilgrims hurry to collect stones for the next day’s events, known as the stoning of the pillars. At Mina, "Each pilgrim throws forty-one stones over a period of three days at the pillars, which are taken to represent Satan.”40

Although not mentioned in the Koran, this ritual stems from the tradition that Abraham threw stones at the devil when he was tempted to disobey God’s command to sacrifice his son.

There is an advisable limit to the expression of piety on pilgrimage. Going beyond such boundaries tends to move more into idolatry, which accounts for some of the historical opposition to pilgrimage. For example, in Medina, the second holiest in the

Muslim world,

Notices forbid visitors to prostrate themselves before the tombs of the Prophet and his successors. The presence of such signs hints at the difficult balance the hajj must strike between the abstract piety expressed in the Koran and the tangible, physical reminders of faith expressed in rites associated with pilgrimage. The former runs the risk of losing its appeal in the real world of feeling, sensation and need; the latter, however, can come dangerously close to idolatry.41

Another important aspect of the Muslim hajj that has unifying qualities is the sacrifice of an animal that is performed. As Coleman and Elsner point out, “Union with

40Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 61.

41 Ibid.

others beyond the Holy City is expressed most powerfully at the time of sacrifice, since it is not only Muslims participating in the hajj who kill an animal, but ideally all believers, no matter how distant, can share vicariously in the actions of the pilgrimage.”42 Granted, there is no animal sacrifice involved in modern day Celtic pilgrimage. However, the idea of those who remain home somehow participating vicariously in the pilgrimage experience is one to be considered. If ways can be developed to achieve this, the unifying aim of pilgrimage could be reinforced in a stronger way.

This purpose of pilgrimage to create unity and identity has become complicated in the history of the Muslim hajj. Pilgrims come to Mecca to have “the ultimate expression of Muslim unity…as they presume they will be able to understand other pilgrims and share essential customs and practices.”43 What happens in reality is that they encounter a plethora of other people, who speak languages they cannot understand. The resulting shock from not being able to understand other Muslims, rather than reinforcing a sense of unity, “may make it seem impossible ever to achieve.”44 The authors reference historical incidents, where during such conflicts, not only has a sense of unity not been achieved, but rather violence and death have resulted.

Malcolm X experienced the same diversity on pilgrimage as the Muslims who lost their sense of unity, but returned home with an opposite frame of mind and heart.

Coleman and Elsner describe his experience of pilgrimage:

42 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 63.

43 Ibid., 65.

44 Ibid.

For Malcolm X, leader of a struggle for black autonomy in the United States, the pilgrimage raised the issue of identity, and more especially race. In a context where all appeared to be reduced to the same level – eating, sleeping and praying together – he found himself living with people who in his own country would have been considered white. By voluntarily undertaking the hajj, he had to face the fact that the faith made no distinction between people other than that between believer and non-believer…White people could no longer be seen as irredeemably racist. It was as though the experience of Islam and the hajj not only stripped ‘the white’ from their minds, but also forced Malcolm X to rethink the assumptions on which his life had been based.45

Thus, two different impressions of unity are taken away from the same experience. Pilgrimage causes a re-examination of one’s world view in both cases. In some way, a modern pilgrimage experience needs to create a space for discussing and processing such. Granted, the physical risks experienced in the Muslim hajj do not come into play in a modern day experience of Celtic pilgrimage, yet the issues of diversity to be encountered on pilgrimage is an important issue to consider with pilgrims, so that the unifying purpose is not lost. Muslim pilgrimage historically shows “how a pilgrimage for all believers can represent a powerful principle of universal allegiance and practice within a religion whose impulses can so easily be diverted into localized and parochial expressions of the faith.”46 This consideration of the potential unifying aspects of pilgrimage is especially important for pilgrims of the Episcopal faith, where de- centralization and local expressions of faith are similarly so common.

45 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 67.

46 Ibid., 73.

Christianity and Pilgrimage

For Muslims, Muhammad required pilgrimage. For Buddhists, Buddha at the least recommended it. For Christians, Jesus, however, made no such requirement or recommendation in words to his disciples.47 The years of persecution immediately after the death of Jesus made pilgrimage impossible. Yet, once Constantine had made

Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire, Christian pilgrims began journeying to holy places.48 Constantine’s mother, Helena, popularized pilgrimage to Jerusalem by her own travel there.

Egeria, a Spanish nun of the late fourth century, is another such early pilgrim whose writings about her extended pilgrimage to the Holy Land survive to this day. In her Diary of a Pilgrimage, she expresses awe at her first-hand experience of the places she had previously only read about in Scripture. As Egeria states, “All one had to do was think of a text, and the authentic spot could be provided. Truly this was a world which one had but to ‘see and touch.’”49 Her descriptions of everything she saw helped her audience back home in their understanding of the Biblical sites and stories. As Egeria herself writes, "I know it has been rather a long business to write down these places one after another, and it makes far too much to remember, but it may help you, loving sisters,

47 The intentionality with which Luke's Gospel states that Jesus "set his face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9: 51b) for his final journey does display many pilgrimage characteristics.

48 A case can be made that the first true Christian pilgrims were the Holy Family themselves on their travel. Some would argue that the shepherds and Magi who travelled to the manger could also be considered the first Christian pilgrims.

49 Egeria, Egeria: Diary of a Pilgrimage, ed. George E. Gingras (New York: Newman Press, 1970), 18.

the better to picture what happened in these places when you read the holy Books of

Moses."50

Egeria also describes in detail the complexity of the liturgy that had already developed by the late fourth century. Her writing emphasizes the importance of liturgical ritual actions in heightening the pilgrimage experience, a point that will be later re- emphasized in this chapter. For example, as J.G. Davies points out, "Kissing is one of the most sensitive modes of touching. It was the favoured method for venerating the cross when it was exposed near Golgotha; Egeria is the first to describe this simple ceremony."51

Egeria's writing also shows the importance of prayer as an integral part of the pilgrimage experience. For example, at one point in her journey, Egeria states, "I decided to go to the land of Ausitis to visit the tomb of the holy man Job in order to pray there."52

She makes many trips out from Jerusalem during her pilgrimage time, the purpose of which always seems to include prayer. As James Harpur comments on this example in

Egeria's writing, "Prayer indeed is the distinctive activity of pilgrimage: not an account has survived that does not refer time and again to this activity."53

50 Egeria, Egeria's Travels, ed. John Wilkinson (London: S.P.C.K., 1971), 97-98.

51 J.G. Davies, Pilgrimage Yesterday and Today (London: SCM Press Ltd, 1988), 56.

52 Egeria, Egeria: Diary of a Pilgrimage, 70.

53 James Harpur, Sacred Tracks: 2000 Years of Christian Pilgrimage (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2002), 228-229.

Opposition to the practice of Christian pilgrimage arose as early as the late fourth century, when Gregory of Nyssa wrote a powerful attack against it. Coleman and Elsner quote Gregory’s second epistle in this regard: "When the Lord invites the blest to their inheritance in the kingdom of Heaven, He does not include a pilgrimage to Jerusalem amongst their good deeds.”54 Gregory argues that

travel to Palestine 'is found to inflict upon those who have begun to lead a stricter life a moral mischief,' for the journey offered many temptations – not least the sinful ways of those who live in the Holy City and the dangers to women pilgrims en route of sexual misconduct with their male escorts. More deeply, he suggests that ‘change of place does not effect any drawing nearer to God’.55

The authors summarize the statements of Gregory, Augustine, and Jerome that present arguments against a theology of place:

Gregory’s case, theologically, was that what matters in spiritual terms was the individual’s heart and not the places he or she happened to visit. God could not be confined to Palestine. Other bishops agreed. St Augustine wrote (letter 78, 3): 'God is everywhere, it is true, and He that made all things is not contained or confined to dwell in any place.' St Jerome, one of the Church Fathers most in favour of pilgrimage, said in a sermon: 'By the cross I mean not the wood, but the Passion. That cross is in Britain, in India, in the whole world….Happy is he who carries in his own heart the cross, the Resurrection, the place of the Nativity of Christ and of his Ascension. Happy is he who carries Bethlehem in his own heart, in whose heart Christ is born every day.' (Homily on Psalm 95)56 Throughout Christian history, those who have most forcefully argued against pilgrimage have insisted "that, however useful holy sites, relics and images may be, they are not necessary for salvation."57 What does not emerge from the historical voices in

54 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 80.

55 Ibid.

56 Ibid., 80-81.

57 Ibid., 81.

opposition to pilgrimage is most important: there is no one who presents a thorough theological explanation that details how the concept of pilgrimage could not have the possibility of resulting in positive spiritual transformation. It is clear in the historical

Christian sources that pilgrimage should not be a requirement from either a theological or scriptural viewpoint. However, the potential existence and corresponding value of a theology of place are considered in the chapter that follows, which is integral to a more positive viewpoint to pilgrimage as a spiritual discipline to be encouraged.

An important characteristic of pilgrimage that developed even in early Christian times is the importance of the journey itself. As Coleman and Elsner point out,

Much more time was spent going to and from the sacred goal than in the holy place itself. In pilgrimage the act of travel acquired an importance perhaps almost as great as that of the rituals and relics at the sacred centre. To travel safely pilgrims often went in convoy, as a group of fellow-seekers rather than separate individuals. Swiftly, Christianity bred an ideology of solidarity with other pilgrims, and even of equality, whereby, whatever one’s social station, as a pilgrim one was the equal of others on the same path.58

The importance of the pilgrimage journey itself grew in such a way that it was soon seen as an act of worship unto itself. Even though he is a critic of pilgrimage, Gregory of

Nyssa writes, “Our carriage was, in fact, as good as a church or monastery to us, for all of us were singing psalms and fasting during the whole journey. (Letter 2, PG46, 1013,

B)"59

58 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 88.

59 Gregory of Nyssa, quoted in Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 88.

In the Saint Joseph's experience of pilgrimage, this concept has been confirmed at first anecdotally, and consequently part of the intentional strategy of the pilgrimage experience. On the first pilgrimage, a mix-up in the reservations made by the youth minister resulted in the group needing to leave the Iona youth hostel one night earlier than expected. Another group was arriving, and Saint Joseph's reservation had been booked for one night shorter than the group had thought.

The pilgrims suddenly had a day in their itinerary with nowhere to stay. What resulted was an additional stop for one night at a youth hostel on the island of Mull, which happened to have just enough beds for the group to stay for the one night required.

What could have been seen as a disaster, turned out to be a group bonding experience that in turn became a spiritual highlight for the group. The unplanned adventure that required trust in both God and each other created an atmosphere of openness for the youth to feel freer to explore their spirituality. The idyllic setting in a remote part of the island provided a backdrop for the artists and writers in the group to create. The experience culminated in the youth taking the initiative to plan a foot washing ceremony and liturgy as well.

Coleman and Elsner point out the sacredness of travel itself as part of the pilgrimage journey:

Travel itself becomes part of the ritual of pilgrimage, a holy activity whose practices include psalms and fasting, whose society is the company of holy men, whose very means of transport has become the equivalent of a church. From its earliest beginnings such travel was regarded as a sacred activity which bred a mutual atmosphere of being outside the ordinary licences of secular life.60

60 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 89.

This historical progression of thought has occurred also in the pilgrimage experience of

Saint Joseph's. Following the impact of the first group's experience, more attention was given in future groups to emphasize the importance of the journey itself. In this way, even though the destinations from group to group might be the same, there is never a pilgrimage that is the same as the previous. Opening the participants up to the possibilities of seeing God at work in every moment of the pilgrimage becomes a tool of their spiritual transformation. For many, such a practice of the presence of God thereby becomes a lasting habit after the pilgrimage.

In this continued historical progression, Coleman and Elsner point out that by the sixth century, "the very act of pilgrimage itself became a paradigm for piety, for holiness.

Someone who had been on pilgrimage could be held up – not only in his or her lifetime, but perhaps even more so after death – as an ‘athlete of Christ’."61 In the Saint Joseph's experience, this is most evident in the adult pilgrims who have inculcated into their lives the spiritual habits honed on the pilgrimage experience. They are becoming such athletes, as the survey data reveals in the corresponding chapter that follows.

The next major historical development in Christian pilgrimage led to many abuses, and consequent criticism of pilgrimage. This resulted from the occupation of the

Holy Land by the Muslims, and the subsequent call of Pope Urban II in 1095 to rescue the Holy Land. The pilgrimage crusades that followed led to additional abuses. Coleman

61 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 91.

and Elsner state, "Many of those who went on crusade, in a mixture of piety and aggression, religion and opportunism, gained little save, perhaps, salvation itself. Others had the image of booty, and even of carving themselves a kingdom in the east."62

The Crusades only brought temporary relief in terms of access to Jerusalem for

Christian pilgrims. The Muslim control of the Holy Land continued for many centuries thereafter. A corollary development to the occupation of the Holy Land was the development of other pilgrimage sites in Europe. As Coleman and Elsner state,

"Sanctified sites could, in effect, duplicate the shrines of the Holy Land, either through imitation, the appropriation of relics from Palestine itself or the generation of indigenous local relics.”63

The crusade motivation for pilgrimage, along with the rise in the prestige of sacred relics led to more abuses of pilgrimage. Coleman and Elsner point out that pilgrimages

could also play a part in determining the nature of salvation. Through the system of ‘indulgences’ a pious act such as pilgrimage received a reward from the Church in the form of remission of punishments for sin, so that time spent in purgatory after death could be shortened dramatically. The system reinforced both the importance of the Church and the idea of pilgrimage as a transaction.64

This idea of physically outward acts assuring one of spiritually inward rewards met increasing opposition. A group of people known as the Lollards, who were followers of John Wycliffe in the fourteenth century, criticized "the hypocrisy involved in granting

62 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 96.

63 Ibid., 104.

64 Ibid. 109.

indulgences and the idolatry involved in the apparent worship of images."65 In a similar fashion, in the fifteenth century, Catholic scholar Erasmus attacked the pilgrimage "as a form of superstition which discouraged the internal cultivation of faith and increased the power of corrupt religious orders."66

Likewise, Martin Luther opposed the system of indulgences, “and argued against what he saw as the overemphasis on ‘good works’ and consequent denial of justification by faith implied by such acts as pilgrimage.”67 As Jean Dalby Clift and Wallace Clift point out in their book The Archetype of Pilgrimage, "In a sense, Luther had to condemn pilgrimages, for they were so tied up with the abuse of indulgences which was the chief occasion for his break with Rome.” 68 Similarly, John Calvin “came to regard pilgrimage as a vain attempt to gain salvation through mere action and emphasized instead an interiorisation of faith."69

The above views against pilgrimage, especially in light of the indulgences connected with pilgrimage, and the perceived over-emphasis on relics and other physical accessories to worship, remained prominent in Protestantism. However, an alternative viewpoint developed in the Russian Orthodox faith. As Coleman and Elsner summarize,

"Orthodoxy never rejected the sensual world of icons, incense, and liturgical drama.

65 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 117.

66 Ibid., 117-118.

67 Ibid., 119.

68 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 29.

69 Ibid.

Instead, in the practice of pilgrimage as a way of life, many Russians (both lay and clergy) found a spiritual path in the imitation of Christ. People dressed in pilgrim’s costume so that their social station could vanish in the face of their sacred vocation, and they would live by begging."70

This attitude is illustrated in The Way of a Pilgrim, a book read as part of Dallas

Willard's Spirituality and Ministry (GM 720) course. The book details the inner spiritual journey of the pilgrims, as well as the physical journeys. However, as Coleman and

Elsner point out, "getting to the goal is far less important for this pilgrim than the process of the journey itself."71 The pilgrim in the book sets out for Jerusalem, but never gets there. In his retrospective reflection, he still sees the value in his pilgrimage experience, not unlike that which the Saint Joseph's youth experienced in their "detour" to Mull:

At the beginning I most certainly grieved that my desire to be in Jerusalem was not fulfilled, but I realized that divine providence had directed this and I comforted myself with the hope that the Lord, the Lover of mankind, would accept my intention as an act and would not leave my wretched journey without some spiritual benefit. And in reality this is what happened, for I met people who informed me about things which I did not know, and in this way guided my poor soul to salvation. If necessity had not directed me on this journey, then I would not have met my spiritual benefactors.72

Such a positive viewpoint on pilgrimage provides support for pilgrimage itself. As long as the proper motivation prompts the pilgrim, and the proper interior attitude sustains the pilgrim, there are many positive benefits to be gained. As Coleman and Elsner

70 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 125.

71 Ibid., 125.

72 Helen Bacovcin, trans., The Way of a Pilgrim (New York: Doubleday, 1978), 98.

summarize, "What marks the value of this kind of pilgrimage and sets protective blessing upon it is not the outer quality of the destination, but the inner strength of the pilgrim’s prayers."73

The Archetype of Pilgrimage

For many pilgrims, the journey of pilgrimage has become a symbol of the overall journey of one's spiritual life. In their work, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, Jean Dalby and Wallace Clift explore how pilgrimage itself is an archetype, a microcosmic journey that represents the macrocosmic journey of one's life. They re-state the previously mentioned work of the Turners, and summarize how their anthropological studies show that pilgrimage "has the classic three-stage form of a rite of passage: separation, that is, the start of the journey, when one separates from the ordinary life and place; the liminal stage, which includes the journey itself and the sojourn at the shrine and the encounter with the sacred; and the return, the homecoming."74

The research into the middle or liminal stage is "marked by an awareness of a temporary release from social ties which in itself can contribute to a sense of renewal and refreshment. We tend to feel 'freer' when we are away from home."75 This reality gives an overall reason how a bigger leap in spiritual transformation can be achieved through the experience of pilgrimage. However, the same authors also point out the difficulties in

73 Coleman and Elsner, Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions, 125.

74 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 12.

75 Ibid., 12-13.

the liminal stage as well. As Clift and Clift state, "This experience can also have a shadow side. For example, soldiers may do things in occupied enemy territory that they would never do at home, or students going away to college may come to rue their first explorations of having no parental restraints.”76 This would correspond to the historical abuses of pilgrimage that led to the condemnation of pilgrimage by some, which were discussed above. An acknowledgement of this issue is helpful in the planning of pilgrimage so that such abuses do not occur.

In addition, the pilgrimage journey also involves difficulties, perhaps even dangers, and a sense of isolation. While the practical nature of danger needs to be addressed, the sense of isolation can also have a positive impact.77 As the authors state,

"There is usually a strong sense of community and oneness with other pilgrims that develops. One encounters the communal experience of other human beings. A new dimension of one’s sense of identity may occur.”78 This community-bonding experience has been an important component in both the adult and youth versions of pilgrimage at

Saint Joseph's, as evidenced in the survey results in Chapter 6. A sense of community becomes an important facet to maximize in all three phases of the pilgrimage: the start, the liminal stage, and also the return.

Clift and Clift's research spans all denominational expressions of pilgrimage, and they summarize fifteen major reasons why people go on pilgrimage. These main

76 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 13.

77 These dangers are addressed in a later chapter through the benchmarking of Outward Bound pilgrimage-type journeys.

78 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 13.

motivations are summarized as: to go see the place where something happened; to draw near to something sacred; to achieve pardon; to hope and ask for a miracle; to give thanks; to express love of God; to answer a sense of inner call to go; curiosity: to see why others go there; to get outside the normal routine of life so something new can happen; to reclaim lost or abandoned or forgotten parts of oneself; to admire something beautiful; to make a vacation more interesting; to honor a vow made in response to an extreme situation; to go because one’s neighbor did this and one wants to be among the privileged; to prepare for death.79 Coleman and Elsner underscore this last reason for pilgrimage in discussing the Muslim hajj to Mecca. These older Muslims often "see the journey as an important part of their life-cycle, a conclusion to lives of activity and effort.”80

There are also some common motifs that cross historical and denominational boundaries of pilgrimage experience. These motifs provide valuable information for the evaluation and future planning of pilgrimages for the target audience. The research not only affirms current positive aspects in place, but also provides insight into additional considerations for changes, additions, and deletions to the Saint Joseph's pilgrimage process.

The first common motif explored is difficulty of access. As Clift and Clift state,

“The difficulty of the pilgrimage site may be expressive or symbolic of the fact that all growth, all change in life requires effort, requires a movement away from the place where

79 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 42-62.

80 Ibid., 65.

we have been, requires a willingness to leave the comfort of the status quo behind.”81

This positive aspect of the pilgrimage trek is an important consideration for the Saint

Joseph's pilgrimage to Iona from Edinburgh. The day begins very early with packing the luggage, checking out of the hotel, then traveling to the west coast of Scotland to Oban.

The shopping for groceries for five days is quickly done in order to arrive on time at the check-in for the ferry to Mull. All the personal luggage, plus the group luggage and groceries are dragged onto the ferry. Upon arrival at the east coast of the island of Mull, the luggage is then dragged off the ferry and onto the bus to cross to the western coast of

Mull. After a one-hour bus ride, mostly on one-lane windy roads, all the luggage is then dragged onto the ferry to cross the channel to the island of Iona. The proprietor of the hostel then meets the group at the pier on Iona. The luggage is loaded up onto the trailer and transferred to the youth hostel. Subsequently, the pilgrims embark on the thirty- minute walk to the north end of the island where the youth hostel sits.

Each pilgrimage group has often reflected on how this trek could be made easier.

However, the difficulty of the access to Iona achieves several important things. First, the group experiences the physical effort, which becomes a metaphor for discussing the effort that spiritual transformation requires. Secondly, the group also has to work together to achieve the successful movement and transitions of pilgrims, luggage and groceries. Leaders begin to emerge in this process, which starts a recurring reflection theme for the group of the importance of servant ministry. Thirdly, each leg of the

81 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 69.

journey brings the pilgrims one more step removed from the busyness and noise of an industrial city, eventually arriving at the quiet and solitude of nature that surrounds the

Iona youth hostel.

A second common motif for pilgrimage is the wearing of special clothing. As

Clift and Clift state,

In the understanding of Jungian psychology, clothing is often-for example, in dreams-symbolic of persona issues. What one wears indicates how one is holding oneself out to others. With the special clothing sometimes worn on pilgrimages, it is as if the old persona is being set aside, at least for the time being. One puts on a new outer wrap to express the goal of the inner experience.82

Clift and Clift also make the point that a sense of oneness or community can be reinforced "when there are special clothes or emblems that all the pilgrims wear or special rituals they practice together.”83

The issue of special clothing becomes complex in the modern world of terrorist threats. Although leadership has given much thought to special pilgrimage shirts, blazers, and even hats, the United States Department of Homeland Security has consistently advised against this for groups traveling abroad. The similarity in interior group attitude towards others is emphasized. The sewing group in the church has consistently handcrafted small pocket crosses that the pilgrims distribute to those who help them along the way. In this way, the identity of the group is communicated to each helping person along the way, without making an outward visible statement to the public.

Likewise, many other daily rituals have been developed and practiced to reinforce

82 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 71.

83 Ibid., 74.

the sense of oneness and community. Each session of morning and evening prayer, each

Eucharist, each spiritual discipline, and even each hike are designed to help the pilgrims

"experience a sense of oneness or community with the other pilgrims making the journey."84 Considerable time is spent with the group gathered for theological reflection on the day's events. As Clift and Clift point out, "One needs the community in order to hear about the possibility of such an experience and then to help one interpret what has happened in order to integrate the experience."85 Not only does this help the person clarify their experience by putting in into words, but it also brings the community closer together.

Rituals involving water are also seen as a common motif in pilgrimages. The authors explain, “All these symbolic qualities of water suggest why water is important in a transformation ritual such as pilgrimage: cleansing, purifying, refreshing, renewing – in fact, life itself. Water is so symbolic of life—life on the planet came out of water in the beginning and all of us, individually, came out of birth waters."86 As Saint Joseph's is an Episcopal church where Baptism is the primary sacrament, reminders of one's baptism are threaded throughout the liturgical year. One way this is emphasized in the pilgrimage experience is a pilgrim renewal of Baptismal promises towards the end of the pilgrimage, at the conclusion of which there is a sprinkling with holy water to remind the pilgrims of their Baptism. Likewise, a foot-washing rite at the conclusion of the Pilgrim's Walk on

84 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 74.

85 Ibid., 76.

86 Ibid., 77.

Lindisfarne fulfills both a physical need, but even more has become a sign of servanthood as each pilgrim washes the feet of the person who finished the walk after them.

Clift and Clift discuss the importance of leaving something behind, and in so doing, demonstrate how this pilgrimage practice illustrates Jungian ideas:

In the Jungian idea of the path of individuation it is understood that the ego must bring the sacrifice. That is, as the center of consciousness, the ego must give up something of its control in order to listen to and to integrate material from the unconscious. The ego has to leave behind something of its old understanding of itself. In some cases, on a more unconscious level, what is left behind on the exterior journey may symbolically represent what is being left behind on the interior journey of the spirit.87

This rationale assists in understanding why such rituals have been so impactful on Saint

Joseph's pilgrimages. On each pilgrimage, a stone is chosen by each pilgrim at

Columba's Bay on Iona. The traditional story is that Saint Columba put himself into personal exile because of some wrongdoing he had committed in Ireland, and to do penance for himself he would sail away until he could no longer see his homeland. There he would establish a monastery, which became the first Iona abbey. The pilgrims choose a stone that represents for them something that they too wish to leave behind, whether it is a burden, regret, or pain. These stones are placed in the middle of the labyrinth at

Columba's Bay by each person prior to their walking the path back out.

Subsequently, each stone, initialed by the original carrier, are anonymously distributed to another pilgrim at evening prayer that night. It becomes the duty of that pilgrim to "carry the burden" of the other pilgrim, and to intentionally yet anonymously

87 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 80-81.

pray for that pilgrim for the remainder of the journey. At the end of the pilgrimage, when the group is leaving the island of Lindisfarne, the group has a short stop and prayer on the causeway crossing back to the mainland. At that point, each pilgrim takes the corresponding prayer partner by the hand, leads the person to the edge of the road, and returns the stone so that each pilgrim can throw that burden into the water beyond the road. The physical act becomes a lasting memory that helps to reinforce the letting go of whatever burden or pain has been carried.

Just as leaving something behind is a common pilgrimage motif, so too is taking something home. As Clift and Clift state,

What one takes home is an outer symbol of the inner experience-a reminder that enables the experience to continue to live in one’s daily life. If, as we suggest, pilgrimage is expressive-even if on an unconscious level-of a desire to make a connection with some value that reaches beyond our everyday experience, then the token we bring home helps to keep that experience present to us.88

For each of Saint Joseph's pilgrimages, a cross is selected that the pilgrims collectively feel best represents their particular group. The crosses, each to be hung in the church building itself, become a reminder to the pilgrims each time they enter or depart.

The overall importance of analyzing pilgrimage as an archetype is the transforming power that an archetype brings. As Clift and Clift state, “Archetypes are highly charged centers of power and exert such a fascinating and possessive influence upon the conscious mind that they can produce extensive alterations in the person."89 In

88 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 81.

89 Ibid., 151.

addition, pilgrimage as an archetype creates an opportunity that must be facilitated for its utmost effect in a person's transformation. As Clift and Clift explain, "The appearance of an archetype always indicates the need for some change, but people rarely change on the basis of sheer reason. The archetype itself, when it can be understood and related to in a meaningful and appropriate manner, can act as a transformer.”90

Clift and Clift also examined various rituals of pilgrimage that "further illuminates the archetypal nucleus of meaning the pilgrim hopes to find.”91 Some of these are easily adaptable to a modern day pilgrimage experience. For example, circumambulation, as the pilgrim encompasses the bounds of a shrine, is one that is achieved by the pilgrim's walk across the channel to Lindisfarne, the prayer walk around

Lindisfarne itself, and the trek to the Iona youth hostel from the ferry.

"Connecting collectively with one another and with the spirit of the site" give pilgrims a sense of shared unity in their experience.92 This has been an important part of the Saint Joseph's pilgrimage experience that has developed over time, whether it is singing the Bunessan hymn tune as the bus passes by that town on Mull, or upholding the tradition of singing the hymn Sanctuary inside Saint Margaret's Chapel in Edinburgh

Castle. Such patterns create a sense of shared unity within the group and with all those who have done the same on previous pilgrimages from the church.

90 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 151.

91 Ibid., 154.

92 Ibid., 159.

Clift and Clift also state that "another way of making connection with new meanings lies in the common ritual at pilgrimage sites of telling the story of the site. It may be the story of what happened at the site or how the transcendent is demonstrated there."93 This verifies the effectiveness experienced when pilgrims are assigned a particular site to research and report to the group on location, especially when the pilgrim reporting displays their anticipated enthusiasm for finally experiencing that about which they have researched. As Clift and Clift state, "It will evoke memories, hope, awe, a sought reality.”94 This was so evident to one of the adult pilgrims that the person gave a donation to sponsor a gift to be given on the youth pilgrimage for the most outstanding pilgrim report.

A final important emphasis in Clift and Clift's research into pilgrimage as archetype is that there is value in the pilgrimage experience, rather than merely staying home for the inner journey. As these authors conclude, the pilgrimage journey itself is

"a way to further the religious movement of life as a pilgrimage toward that which bears meaning and which calls the pilgrim forth, which Jung called the process of individuation, the connection of the pilgrim with something beyond self. Somehow the pilgrim makes that connection by making the journey."95

93 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 159-160.

94 Ibid., 160.

95 Ibid., 169.

Re-discovery of the Value of Pilgrimage

Christian George, in his book Sacred Travels, places the value of pilgrimage in the realm of spiritual disciplines. Elaborating on the importance of spiritual exercise and inward conditioning that Richard Foster espoused in Celebration of Discipline, George positions pilgrimage "as a discipline of sanctification, not justification. Pilgrimage does not save us. Rather, it is a grace that reminds us that salvation is a journey with Christ as our guide and heaven our goal."96 George's expanded description of pilgrimage evidences its value today as a tool for spiritual transformation:

Pilgrimage is relevant today for many reasons. It moves us from certainty to dependence, it helps us discover God's involvement in human history, it challenges and stimulates our faith, and it invigorates us to be like our Lord in thought, word, deed and devotion. Pilgrimage is an outward demonstration of an inward calling -- to follow Christ, wherever the steps may lead. For hearts that hunger to escape the chaos and find the quiet, pilgrimage is a proven discipline.97

Further support for the practice of pilgrimage is given in the very etymology of the word, as used by Peter when he states that Christians are "aliens and strangers in the world" (I Peter 2:11). Parepidemous is the Greek word for "strangers" here, which when transliterated into Latin became peregrini, and then pilgrim in English. George summarizes that "pilgrimage affirms our calling to live as aliens and strangers in this land, and when it is properly practiced, each adventure deepens our understanding of the

God who calls us to be in this world but not of it."98

96 Christian George, Sacred Travels (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006), 16.

97 Ibid., 24.

98 Ibid., 25-26.

As an avid chef, this author especially relates to George's kitchen metaphor to express the transforming power of pilgrimage for the spiritual life:

Pilgrimage is a marinating process. The Bible is bursting with people who traveled to places of retreat where God seasoned and tenderized them, preparing them to take the next step of the journey. Moses marinated in the desert for forty years before leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. The apostle Paul marinated in the Arabian Desert for three years before becoming the missionary of the millennium. Even Jesus spent forty days and nights marinating in the wilderness, dueling with the devil before beginning his public ministry.99

A corollary benchmarkable process is short-term missions. Jonathan Rice points to research findings that have "accurately described how closely the language used to describe the effect short-term mission trips have on their participants—getting out of one's comfort zone, spiritual transformation, suffering—mirrors ancient language about pilgrimage."100 Similar to short-term missions, pilgrimage has disciple-making as part of its purpose. The Transformission authors, Michael Wilder and Shane Parker, specify what that means: “New Testament scholar John Harvey observes that for 'Matthew, the focus of the disciples’ mission is less one of public proclamation than one of intensive instruction. This perspective of course, is in accord with Matthew’s portrait of Jesus as a teacher who repeatedly instructs his disciples at length and in depth.'”101 A desired goal,

99 Christian George, Sacred Travels, 46.

100 Jonathan Rice, “The New Missions Generation,” Christianity Today 50, no. 9 (September 19, 2006), http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/september/19.100.html (accessed on February 1, 2012).

101 John Harvey, “Mission in Matthew,” Mission in the New Testament, ed. W. Larkin and J. Williams (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1998), 131-32, quoted in Michael S. Wilder and Shane W. Parker, Transformission: Making Disciples through Short-Term Missions (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2010), 22.

therefore, common to both short-term missions and pilgrimage, is the spiritual transformation of the participants themselves.

The authors of Transformission point out that "God is doing something remarkable in the lives of students and their adult leaders as they actively participate in short-term missions. Our conviction is that short-term mission is one way God is taking the gospel to the nations and, concurrently, transforming the individual participants.”102

There is a “missionary” aspect of pilgrimage, in that there is the impact of blessing on those with whom pilgrims come in contact. They too “become a blessing” in the anecdotal experiences seen through the years.

The important cross-over learning from short-term missions is the crucial nature of design and implementation. As the authors of Transformission point out,

The difference maker is that those that add value to the ongoing field effort are 'done well.' Snags emerge when STM (short-term mission) experiences are poorly conceived and badly executed. By contrast, those that are done well foster real cultural understanding, cross-cultural advocacy, awareness, and lifelong involvement. The determining issue is what it means to be faithful to the STM vehicle – to do it well.103

One of the trends in short-term mission work that increases its effectiveness is the emphasis towards seeking a community and a sense of belonging, which is achieved by working in teams. This emphasis, easily transferable to the pilgrimage process, becomes even more important when viewed in the context of the importance ratio attached to building community, which the survey data discussed in Chapter 6 will show.

102 Michael S. Wilder and Shane W. Parker, Transformission: Making Disciples through Short- Term Missions (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2010), 4.

103 Ibid., 50.

CHAPTER 4

THEOLOGY OF THE CHURCH

When Columba set off from Ireland in 563, he displayed what was the practice of early Celtic pilgrims, as "he does not appear to have had any clear idea of his destination."1 This example of the Celtic practice of perigrinatio gives early support to the concept of pilgrimage as more of a journey than a destination. This openness to the journey carried over into the work of Celtic missionaries, who "adapted their methods to the social and cultural mores of the people whom they were seeking to convert."2 As

John Philip Newell writes in Listening for the Heartbeat of God, "There was no desire to change everything or to sweep away all that had gone before it; instead, the gospel was permitted to work its mystery of transformation in the life and culture of the people. The gospel was seen as fulfilling rather than destroying the old Celtic mythologies."3

This is an important consideration for the varying approaches to pilgrimage. If pilgrimage is to be a tool of spiritual transformation, then these approaches must be

1 Ian Bradley, The Celtic Way (London: Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd., 2003), 19.

2 Ibid., 20.

3 John Philip Newell, Listening for the Heartbeat of God (London: SPCK, 1997), 27.

adapted to the needs of differing participant age groups. As Ian Bradley states, "Celtic

Christianity spread so rapidly through the British Isles partly because its evangelists tailored it so well to the norms and needs of a rural and tribal society."4

Theology with Celtic Similarities

The corresponding Celtic approach to soteriology is important because it assists in the long run in avoiding the abuses of pilgrimage that emerged over time in Christianity.

As Ian Bradley explains,

Within the Christian tradition there have been two very different ways of viewing the nature of the work accomplished by Jesus Christ or what in technical theological terms is known as soteriology. One takes as its starting point the biblical story of the fall and the doctrine of original sin and sees Christ's work as being our salvation from sin and its terrible world, and the human condition, seeing it not so much as radically tainted by sin but rather as immature and incomplete, and viewing Christ as the one who perfects creation and lifts it up to God.5

While the Church of Rome (traditionally seen as represented by Augustine) has gravitated more towards the former view, the Celtic approach (traditionally seen as represented by Pelagius) has been more towards the latter approach. Pelagius was

"unhappy with Augustine's stress on the doctrine of the fall and his notion of original sin as an inherited defect passed on from generation to generation."6 In this regard,

"Augustine maintained that the smallest baby was inherently depraved and that if it died

4 Bradley, The Celtic Way, 20.

5 Ibid., 51.

6 Ibid., 63.

unbaptised it would go to Hell and suffer damnation."7 John Philip Newell affirms that by such a viewpoint, Augustine "developed a spirituality that accentuated a division between the Church, which was seen as holy, on the one hand and the life of the world, perceived as godless, on the other."8 Pelagius "felt that babies were born innocent and that baptism was a sign and seal of God's gracious love for them rather than an operation which had to be performed to avoid their dispatch to Hell."9

These two differing viewpoints were dealt with at the Synod of Whitby in 664.

As John Philip Newell points out,

The most significant concept to emerge at the Synod of Whitby in 664 was the Celtic mission's perception of John as listening for the heartbeat of God. It revealed that this tradition did not begin with the Celtic Church and people like Pelagius, but was part of an ancient stream of contemplative spirituality stretching back to St John the Evangelist and even to the Wisdom tradition of the Old Testament. It was a spirituality characterized by a listening within all things for the life of God.10

While supporting the role of Baptism as the official entrance rite into Christianity, the

Child in our Hands approach to milestones ministry at Saint Joseph's supports such positive facets of a Pelagian approach. While not crossing the heretical threshold into stating that humans can save themselves, Baptism is not viewed as a magical transaction.

It is a milestone celebration in the ongoing journey of the person, always performed with the essential support of the church community present. As Dallas Willard states,

7 Bradley, The Celtic Way, 63.

8 Newell, Listening for the Heartbeat of God, 6.

9 Bradley, The Celtic Way, 63.

10 Newell, Listening for the Heartbeat of God, 7.

"Matthew 28 emphasizes the importance of fellowship. It is about inviting them and enfolding them into Trinitarian Fellowship, or simply put -- call them into the family, and then teach them how to live and love in the family."11

This Celtic approach is rooted in their celebration of the goodness of creation, which Ian Bradley describes as springing from three main roots, the first of which is biblical. As Bradley states, "It is impossible to read far in the Old Testament without being struck by the theme of the essential goodness and preciousness of the natural world in the eyes of God and one needs to go no further than the opening chapter of Genesis to read the recurrent refrain 'and God saw that it was good' applied at the end of every stage of the creation process."12

The second root is from the Celts' pagan inheritance, for "the pagan Celts had enormous respect for the natural world and took great care not to pollute water supplies or unnecessarily damage trees. They retained this attitude of reverence and respect for nature when they became Christians."13 Many stories are told of the close connection that the Celtic saints maintained with nature and animals. Columbanus summoned beasts and birds to himself. Saint Cuthbert had two otters dry his feet after coming out of the water. Saint Columba had a horse rest on his chest and weep on the day Columba died.

Even the Celtic crosses on Iona "graphically illustrate the Celts' blending of pagan nature

11 Dallas Willard, "Spirituality and Ministry" (lecture, Fuller Theological Seminary, Sierra Madre Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, CA, June 2009).

12 Bradley, The Celtic Way, 53.

13 Ibid., 53-54.

religion and Christianity by displaying carvings of birds, animals and plants on one side and scenes from the Bible on the other."14

Thirdly, and most directly, "Celtic Christians derived their sense of the goodness of creation from living so close to nature and having the time and the temperament to study and contemplate its variety and beauty."15 This is an important practical consideration for the planning and execution of pilgrimage. The design and delivery of the pilgrimage experience emphasizes a firsthand experience of nature as much as possible. This is essential for youth, whom the generational research shows are less and less likely to spend time away from indoor electronic connectivity. For adults, it is equally important, but adaptations must be made for their lesser physical capabilities.

For example, youth will hike the three miles to Columba's Bay; the adults will travel by sail boat.

This Celtic approach, while there is no direct historical link, is how the Episcopal

Church expresses faith today, as it lives out its being in the world but not of the world as expressed by Jesus in John 15. This is expressed by Dennis R. Maynard, who authored

Those Episkopols, a book used in Episcopal churches for new member classes by over three thousand Episcopal priests. In his work, Maynard describes three different pieties that are driving forces in different theologies of church. The first of these is "The Good

Citizenship Piety," which is a past-oriented theology, often equated with a lost morality

14 Bradley, The Celtic Way, 57.

15 Ibid., 54.

that must be restored.16 Such a theology emphasizes that humanity "is totally depraved and only by the grace of God can one help oneself. Those who have been chosen by God can be found in the Church where they will prove themselves to be among the chosen by keeping all the rules."17 On the opposite extreme is "The Saved Piety," which is a future- oriented theology which emphasizes "getting people saved."18 As Maynard points out,

"A person must do certain things, say certain words, and believe in a certain way, or they will not be able to get the "assurance of salvation and the hope of heaven."19

The third piety, is a present-oriented "Sacramental Piety," which proclaims that

"God comes to you every day of your life in ten thousand different ways; you need only open your eyes to see."20 Not only does this echo the ideas of Kingdom-living expressed by Dallas Willard, but it also echoes the themes expressed in Celtic spirituality as well.

This piety looks at the spiritual life of a disciple as a journey.

Maynard outlines characteristics of the Episcopal Church that are also found in

Celtic spirituality. While there is no historical link between the two churches, there is a definite affinity of thinking. Maynard states that creation is good in the Episcopal viewpoint. As he states, "When we sing our hymns in the Episcopal Church, we do not

16 Dennis R. Maynard, Those Episkopols (Rancho Mirage, CA: Dionysus Publications, 2008), 2.

17 Ibid.

18 Ibid., 3.

19 Ibid., 4.

20 Ibid., 5.

sing about a sinful and evil world. We sing about the glory of God's creation."21 A characteristic that follows from this is that Episcopalians embrace all of life. As Maynard states, "We resist anything that resembles dualism. We do not believe salvation lies in avoiding the material and concentrating on the spiritual."22

It is important to consider that a more Pelagian approach to theology would foster a resistance to the abuses of pilgrimage as a transaction. Pilgrimage is not an indulgence to be purchased to atone for a failing nor is it a reward to be achieved for its completion.

As Timothy Joyce, in his work Celtic Christianity, points out:

Pilgrimage remains an inviting spiritual phenomenon for two reasons. First of all, it engages the whole person, body as well as spirit. But it is also a social, communal undertaking. The purpose of a pilgrimage is not only to travel somewhere and get to one's destination. It is a journey on which one shares along the way. One shares one's bread, one's stories, one's faith and hope, one's love. One celebrates, along the way, the journey made by those who have gone before. The spectacle of thousands making the trek up Croagh Patrick or spending a weekend on Lough Derg makes me wonder if pilgrimage is not an underused spiritual tool in our times, especially inviting for the young and energetic.23

A commonality of theology is also expressed in the language of prayer. Reflecting on his initial experience with the Celtic prayers that originated in the Western Isles of

Scotland, John Philip Newell writes of their value because this prayer "makes the connection that is so often lacking between spirituality and the whole of life."24 This connection emerges as well in the prayers referring to pilgrimage in the Episcopal Book

21 Maynard, Those Episkopols, 9.

22 Ibid.

23 Timothy Joyce, Celtic Christianity (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1998), 155.

24 Newell, Listening for the Heartbeat of God, 4.

of Common Prayer. These prayers become important points of instruction, since the

Episcopal Church is one that follows the law lex orandi, lex credendi, that is, what is prayed expresses what is believed. As Urban T. Holmes points out, "Whereas some communions have their official theologians and others have their confessions, we have the Book of Common Prayer. Our theology arises out of our common liturgy."25

Utilizing pilgrimage terminology, several prayers in both the funeral rites and in the common of saints within the Book of Common Prayer express a theme similar to the

Celtic idea of connecting spirituality to the whole of life. A prayer regarding saints states, "Grant us during our earthly pilgrimage to abide in their fellowship, and in our heavenly country to become partakers of their joy."26 Likewise, an alternative prayer for the same occasion of a saint states, "You have made us one with your saints in heaven and on earth: Grant that in our earthly pilgrimage we may always be supported by this fellowship of love and prayer, and know ourselves to be surrounded by their witness to your power and mercy."27 These and similar prayers express a belief in the communion of saints, a doctrine defined in the catechism as "the whole family of God, the living and the dead, those whom we love and those whom we hurt, bound together in Christ by sacrament, prayer, and praise."28 The practice of pilgrimage becomes a visible way of

25 Urban T. Holmes III, What is Anglicanism? (Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 1982), 46.

26 Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Book of Common Prayer, 250.

27 Ibid.

28 Ibid., 862.

expressing this unity, especially as it connects the present day pilgrims with the saints who have gone before them.

Another area of theological commonality is in the role of ministry, especially the emphasis given to all people as ministers in the church. In the Celtic mission, "the distinction between religious and lay was not hard and fast, and women, although not ordained into the priesthood, held positions of leadership in the church."29 This primacy of the ministry of the laity carries through to the Episcopal Church today. In fact, the catechism in the Book of Common Prayer asks the question, "Who are the ministers of the church?" The answer begins with the laity, as it states, "The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons."30 This intentional order of listing emphasizes the connection of ministry to one's baptism. Thus, the entire body of Christ is called to ministry.

In all of this discussion of the Roman versus Celtic approach, it is important to affirm that neither viewpoint should be totally removed from consideration. As John

Philip Newell writes,

The great tragedy of the Synod of Whitby is that neither the Peter tradition nor the John tradition should have been displaced. Each represents a way of seeing firmly rooted in the gospel tradition. The decision of the synod was a fundamental rejection of the perspective of the Celtic mission. The St John tradition, with its emphasis on the Light that enlightens every person coming into the world, had inspired the Celtic mission to believe, like Pelagius, in the essential goodness of humanity. Similarly, St John's vision of God as the Life of the world had led this mission to look for the grace of God within as well as beyond

29 Newell, Listening for the Heartbeat of God, 31.

30 Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Book of Common Prayer, 855.

creation. The concept of listening for the heartbeat of God within all things, ourselves, one another and the whole of creation was a feature of the spirituality of the Celtic mission that now began to be displaced.31

In some way, therefore, the practice of Celtic pilgrimage creates an opportunity to incorporate this theology into one's life. As Kate Tristram has noted, "The Celtic saints teach us that we are not monks. There is a way in which we become adventurous pilgrims in their minds, and that is to look on your life as an adventure with God."32 The way in which this theology of church is adapted to Saint Joseph's youth is through the

Journey to Adulthood, or "J2A" program.33

Journey to Adulthood

The J2A program is innovative Christian formation for young people in grades six to twelve. While specifically designed for youth, the J2A curriculum rationale gives insight into the way in which a theology of church is put into practice. The program is divided into three separate two-year experiences, called Rite 13, J2A, and YAC (Young

Adults in Church, hereafter referred to as YAC). Each section of the program has its own rites of passage, such as a Rite 13 liturgy that is roughly based on the bar/bat mitzvah ceremony from Jewish tradition. The middle segment, J2A, “carries the same name as the overarching program name because important foundational work gets done during these

31 Newell, Listening for the Heartbeat of God, 32.

32 Kate Tristram, "Exploring the Celtic Heritage" (lecture, Fuller Theological Seminary, St. Cuthbert's Centre, Lindisfarne, UK, September 2010).

33 Subsequent references to Journey to Adulthood are abbreviated by its trademark name "J2A."

two years.”34 It is at the completion of the J2A years that the pilgrimage experience takes place. The final two years of YAC “helps teenagers make the transition from a separate

‘youth group’ to being integrated and active members in the full community of a church.”35

The J2A program is based on the key concept that “Manhood and Womanhood are gifts from God, but Adulthood must be earned.”36 Overall, it encourages teens to explore the four areas of self, spirituality, sexuality and society, and learn to connect their faith to all areas of life. In terms of J2A being an appropriate follow-up strategy for the

Church and parish’s goal of spiritual transformation, the J2A authors state: “It is our hope that this program fosters an environment of wholeness and authenticity and helps teens develop a life-changing relationship with the God who created them. This journey has the potential to transform not just your youth group, but your entire church.”37 As such, the J2A program puts into practice the mission of the church as expressed in the

Book of Common Prayer, which is "to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.38

The J2A program was developed out of the youth formation experience and discernment of several Episcopal churches in the United States. Their observance of a

34 LeaderResources, The Journey to Adulthood (Leeds, MA: LeaderResources, 2008), 3.

35 Ibid.

36 Ibid.

37 Ibid.

38 Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Book of Common Prayer, 855.

“predictable cycle to the entrance, exit, and re-entrance of individuals in the Church,” was “certainly the case in the Episcopal tradition.”39 This was especially noteworthy for the J2A developers in their experience of the “drop-out” rate of post-Confirmation class graduates. Their own rationale in trying to create a new paradigm for this cycle is based in a belief that this exodus of teenagers is not the optimal solution:

The young person often leaves the Church at the age of fourteen or fifteen. They leave at the very time in life when they are experiencing the most profound changes in their hearts, minds and bodies that they will ever experience in all their lives. They leave when they most need community and responsible adults who can gently mentor and guide. They go into their teenage years. They travel through adolescence and early adulthood without the support and guidance and encouragement of the elders in the Temple.40

In a secular society, the J2A authors question the wisdom of absenting the voice and ears and heart of the Church when youth need them the most. They speak strongly for the need to provide to youth a counter-cultural encouragement to find their true fulfillment in Christ. The J2A authors make a passionate appeal for such fulfilling such a need for youth:

Nowhere in the popular culture will our young people hear a voice calling them into a living relationship with God in Christ Jesus. They will not hear that a life lived in response to God’s call to holiness and responsibility is a life of joy and satisfaction. The culture shouts that joy and satisfaction come from the acquisition of goods and experiences. Buy more, have more, be more, do more, live more. The popular culture will not speak to them the words of faith, humility and obedience.41

39 LeaderResources, The Journey to Adulthood, 7.

40 Ibid., 8.

41 Ibid., 9.

The authors further the argument in establishing the J2A curriculum by referring to the Baptismal and Confirmation covenant, whereby all Episcopalians promise that they

“will do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ.”42 In addition to a failure to do that, in allowing for the absence of our youth, the Church as a whole loses the “richness of their enthusiasm, their questions, their insights.”43 In drawing a Lucan reference to finding the adolescent Jesus in the temple, the authors state that the Church has "lost the chance to be astonished as the elders were with Jesus two thousand years ago. It is essential that we bring that work home to the Church, where it belongs. We must welcome our young people back into the Temple and assure them that we will be there with them for as long as it takes to find the truth of God in Christ Jesus together.”44

This goal is important for Saint Joseph's to fulfill its mission (which comes out of the previously stated wider mission of the church), whereby all are called "to bring all people into the fullness of Christ's family and nurture their spiritual development."

The pilgrimage experience is the culmination of the J2A curriculum. The authors state,

The pilgrimage is an essential component of the spiritual growth and formation of the young people enrolled in the J2A part of The Journey to Adulthood program. As such, it is an essential part of the mission of the congregation. Every effort should be made by the congregation to enable the young people to participate in this pilgrimage and every assistance given to their fund raising efforts.45

42 Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Book of Common Prayer, 303.

43 LeaderResources, The Journey to Adulthood, 9.

44 Ibid.

45 Ibid., 36.

Making pilgrimage a reality at Saint Joseph's thereby becomes a parish-wide process. It enables the congregation as a whole to fulfill the promise made at each baptism and confirmation that "we will do all in our power to support these persons in their life in

Christ."46

In addition, a significant amount of planning is given to making the curriculum and the pilgrimage experience a microcosm of the Christian life journey itself, which is meant to be marked by all aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, especially joy. This is especially expressed in the prayer for young persons in the Book of Common Prayer:

You see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world: Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation.47

Experiencing joy while living in Christian community is emphasized from the very start of the J2A pilgrimage preparation. The very first page of the J2A manual states,

“Individuals confront the struggles of travel in unknown territory, as well as all the demands of living as a pilgrim community for the time of the journey. In the midst of all that these tasks entail, there is the possibility of tremendous joy and laughter and growth

… and the chance to meet our Lord in new and deeply personal ways.”48

46 Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Book of Common Prayer, 303.

47 Ibid., 829.

48 LeaderResources, The Journey to Adulthood Pilgrimage Manual (Leeds, MA: LeaderResources, 2006), 1.

The authors underscore the theme of joy that is intended to be a recurring experience throughout the experience: “Pilgrimage is a time of great anticipation and longing. It is a time to seek the holy in one another and in the landscape of the saints who have gone before us. It is also a time of great fun, laughter, and general enjoyment of God and God’s people!”49 Echoing the dismissal words at each Eucharist, the encouragement given to the pilgrimage planners is “to imagine ways to make your pilgrimage not merely holy and meaningful, but also filled with laughter – a time to go forth into the world rejoicing in the power of God’s spirit!”50

To accomplish this, pilgrimage is placed within the context of a spiritual discipline. The idea is to help the pilgrims to experience a daily spiritual walk within a

Christian community so that they will want to internalize it upon completion of the experience. In other words, the goal is to provide a tangible way to experience the Gospel imperative to pray always in such a positive way that the pilgrims will desire this joy for the rest of their earthly pilgrimage. In this regard, the J2A approach mirrors the Celtic theological approach with which this chapter began. As expressed in the words of Esther de

Waal in Glendalough: A Celtic Pilgrimage:

To be on pilgrimage is to move into a world where the dividing line between past and present, between this world and the next, between what we call sacred and what we call secular, dissolves. The outward journey is also a journey inwards. We have to be prepared to let go of the accustomed patterns and controls that we

49 LeaderResources, The Journey to Adulthood Pilgrimage, 21.

50 Ibid.

impose on our daily lives, and instead to be ready to be open to what lies beyond and what is most often expressed in symbol, image, poetry.51

51Esther de Waal, quoted in Michael Rodgers and Marcus Losack, Glendalough: A Celtic Pilgrimage (Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 1996), 9.

CHAPTER 5

A THEOLOGY OF PILGRIMAGE

Throughout Scripture, God calls people to pilgrimage, meets people on pilgrimage, and sometimes gives understanding to their journey only after the pilgrimage experience. As John Wheeler-Waddell points out about journeys in the Bible, "Remove the texts about real physical journeys and there would be little left."1 Further, the Bible tells the story of a God who is a pilgrim in search of us. Like the lost coin, lost sheep, and lost Prodigal son in Luke 15,

The whole of the Bible tells the story of how God went in search of man, of how the Good Shepherd restored the scattered flock to the sheepfold, of how the Creator refashioned that image of Himself, for so long disfigured by men, for so long broken into fragments by sin. He remade man in the person of Jesus, Christ, offering mankind a new life, a more glorious destiny, a new image of itself, a new model.2

Therefore, what follows is an analysis of some major themes of journey and pilgrimage as found in the Scriptures, which gives insight into the purpose and value of Christian pilgrimage itself.

1 John L. Wheeler-Waddell, Real Journeys and Spiritual Journeys: Preparing New Missionaries for the Pilgrimage (Pasadena: Fuller Theological Seminary, 2007), 8.

2 Basil Hume, To Be a Pilgrim (London: Saint Paul Publications, 1984), 79.

Old Testament Journey and Pilgrimage

The pilgrimages of the Old Testament enable those who journey to understand their own identity, the identity of God, and what happens in a trusting relationship with their God. This call to pilgrimage occurs whether they are faithful or faithless. The most original journey is found in the book of Genesis, with the story of Adam and Eve and their corresponding pilgrimage into exile from Eden. Ever since then, "People have restlessly been wandering back to the lost Paradise."3

What emerges in this earliest stage of Scripture is the theme that will be later expressed by the author of Hebrews that humans are "strangers and foreigners on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13b). Consequently, if this world is not the ultimate home for God's people, there must be some journey or pilgrimage in order for God's people to find home.

Consistent with this idea is the fact that the Latin root word for pilgrim is peregrinus, which is the same root for the word stranger or foreigner. A theme correspondingly develops throughout the Scriptures of humankind as a pilgrim, but as a stranger or foreigner as well. As Dagfinn Slungård points out, "They (Adam and Eve) and everyone since then, have had a longing inside themselves to return. The pilgrims wander aimlessly toward a goal outside themselves."4 This goal outside themselves will find New

Testament expression in the words of Saint Paul that "our citizenship is in heaven"

(Philippians 3: 20).

3 Dagfinn Slungård, "Liturgical Pilgrimages From Past to Present," in Pilgrimage to Nidaros: A Practical Pilgrimage Theology, eds. Brita Hardeberg and Øystein Bjørdal, trans. Margot Tønseth et al. (Trondheim: Church of Norway, 2003), 23.

4 Ibid.

Considering the opposite view of Adam and Eve's disobedience, those who are faithful are also called to journey with God. Noah "was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6: 9b). Because of his faithfulness, Noah

"found favor in the sight of God" (Genesis 6:8). Noah follows God's direction to journey with his family in the ark, whereby a new covenant is established.

As mentioned in Chapter 3, Abram is called as a pilgrim also in the Old

Testament, to leave all that he knows simply on the assurance of God's promise that "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12: 2-3). Abram is considered by many, including Islamic tradition, as the first intentional pilgrim, because all of the features of an intentional pilgrimage are present: "the setting off, the journey, the destination, and the continuation of the journey."5

This continuation of the journey occurs when God invites Abram to continue the pilgrimage by saying, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous”

(Genesis 17: 1b-2). Tracy Balzer, in his book Thin Places, states that by his obedience to the call of God, "Abraham embodied the very character of peregrinatio as he left for a foreign land. 6 He went not out of curiosity or wanderlust, but in obedience to the call of

5 Slungård, "Liturgical Pilgrimages From Past to Present," 23.

6 Peregrinatio is the name given to the practice popularized in early Christian times by the Celtic monks who set out in obedience to God without a determined direction or destination.

God, asking him to sacrifice what is familiar. Such a transformation required a name change."7 Abram and his wife Sarai are thus given a new identity through their faithful response to God's call to pilgrimage, and they are given new names as Abraham and

Sarah.

It is shortly thereafter that God appears to Abraham as Abraham is resting near his tent at the oaks of Mamre. In the course of giving refreshment to the three unknown travelers, Abraham receives the message from God that Sarah will bear him a child. It is in the course of responding to the needs of other travelers in the midst of his own pilgrimage, that Abraham "entertained angels without knowing it" (Hebrews 13: 2b). In the midst of this servant ministry the important message is received that Sarah will indeed bear a son.

In a similar way, Lot provides for unknown travelers as well in Genesis 13. It is through responding to the needs of these travelers that God's messengers reveal to Lot and his family, "Flee for your life; do not look back or stop anywhere in the Plain; flee to the hills, or else you will be consumed” (Genesis 13: 17b). A metaphorical learning is contained here as well, as Lot's wife does not heed the warning, and in looking back, was turned into a pillar of salt. Not only for the people of the Exodus, yearning for a return to what was familiar to them in Egypt, but also for pilgrims throughout the ages, a strong message is given that at times the urgency of moving forward will be negated if one tries to look back at the same time.

7 Tracy Balzer, Thin Places: An Evangelical Journey into Celtic Christianity (Abilene, TX: Leafwood Publishers, 2007), 95.

The Pentateuch relates the stories of other journeys also. In some sense, it helps the people to understand their own situation of journey into exile. Sometimes this understanding takes place during the journey itself, as happens for Jacob in Genesis 28.

Jacob has been asleep under the stars with a stone for his pillow, when God speaks to him in a dream, and says, "Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28: 15). With this realization, Jacob then originates a practice that pilgrims throughout the ages will follow in observing. He marks the spot as holy by taking the sleeping stone and placing it on end, thus creating one of the first pilgrimage shrines.

Sometimes this understanding does not take place during the pilgrimage itself, but only after the journey is God's purpose revealed. For example, in Genesis 32, when

Jacob has received a call from God to journey back home towards his brother Esau after his long exile, he wrestles with God during the night, and in so doing receives a new identity. Thus, there is both a self-discovery and a discovery of who God is.

Similarly, in Genesis 45, a once-rejected Joseph, whose attempted murder by his brothers has led to a pilgrimage journey that is lengthy in both time and distance, is reunited with his brothers. He states to them God's purpose in his journey by saying,

"God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God" (Genesis 45: 7-8a).

Thus, the true meaning of Joseph's pilgrimage is understood at journey's end.

The most detailed pilgrimage in the Old Testament is that which physically commenced on the night of the Passover, namely, the entire Exodus experience. Dagfinn

Slungård relates that the actions required to experience a pilgrimage (departure, traveling the way, arriving at the destination, and returning home) are contained in the journey of this entire nation:

[The people] break away from slavery (the departure), they are led through the Red Sea and wander through the desert where God provided water from the rock and manna from Heaven (the way). They arrive at the Promised Land after a strenuous journey through the desert (the destination), and the new life to be lived here (the homecoming).8

Charles Hoffacker expands on the concept of Exodus as pilgrimage when he writes:

The central event of the Old Testament is a pilgrimage. Working through Moses, God calls a bunch of oppressed, dispirited slaves out of their familiar bondage in Egypt. They risk their lives in a break for freedom. What awaits them is a desert, and the chance to worship the God of their liberation there in that desert. By leaving their predictable routines of servitude, these people place themselves in the hands of God. They follow the Holy One into the wilderness. Their exodus changes them, forms them into a people, a people made holy by the Lord.9

To express Hoffacker's words in the terms of Turner and Turner, the Exodus pilgrims go through a liminal phase of pilgrimage in order to be brought to experience communitas, which unites them as a people. They have separated from their previous way of life, but they have not yet integrated that experience. They experience a time of change and disorientation prior to arriving at a new awareness when their journey is complete. As a result, throughout the years in the desert, the people need to be reminded that they cannot

8 Dagfinn Slungård, "Liturgical Pilgrimages From Past to Present," 24.

9 Charles Hoffacker, "Tourist or Pilgrim," Lectionary.org (February 29, 2004), http://www.lectionary.org/Sermons/Hoff/Luke/Luke%2004.01-13,%20TouristPilgrim.htm (accessed February 28, 2010).

look back to their days of slavery in Egypt. Such sentimental longings for a former life where there were few surprises require course corrections at many points in the Exodus story. It is only three days after their deliverance across the Red Sea that the pilgrims become as bitter as the water they find at Marah. Moses reminds them that their part of the covenant is to "listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes" (Exodus

15: 26a).

In the complaining of the people during the desert experience, there is the recurring theme of an overly romanticized past. There is a tendency to remember the few good aspects of their former life of slavery. They had security, familiarity, and safety in slavery. Yet, they forget the overwhelming burdens they experienced that far exceeded these small comforts. In later times, the remembering of their former existence through the retelling of the Passover story will re-center them on the realities of their former existence and God's faithfulness to them. In these earlier days of desert exile, the pilgrims are reminded by God's continued actions of faithfulness, and the constant reminders of such through the words of Moses.

In a real sense, just as they required total dependence on God for their original deliverance, they will consistently be called back to that requirement of dependence on

God through their continuing Exodus experience.10 In each successive time of crisis,

10 This awareness of total dependence on God for an Exodus-type experience of deliverance was profoundly demonstrated during the Saint Joseph's youth pilgrimage in July 2005. The pilgrim group gathered around the altar at Saint Joseph's on July 7, with the fresh awareness of the terror attacks that had taken place earlier that day in London. Because the government had not imposed a travel restriction as a

God will show God's faithfulness to them. When there is a lack of water, God provides it. When there is a lack of food, God provides manna. When there is a lack of meat, God provides quail. With each chapter that brings new awareness of God's protection, they experience the unity that Turner and Turner describe as communitas.

Pilgrimage journeys continue in other books of the Old Testament. In the book of

Ruth, Naomi demonstrates a willingness to journey from the beginning. Due to a famine, she travels with her husband and two sons away from her homeland to Moab. Then, after her husband and sons die, she chooses to journey back to her homeland of Judah.

Although she encourages her daughters-in-law to stay behind, Ruth insists on accompanying her mother-in-law back to Judah, saying "Your people shall be my people, and your God my God" (Ruth 1: 16b).

By following God's call to be a true pilgrim, Ruth discovers her true purpose in

God's plan. Ruth, a Moabite, becomes a true pilgrim in the alternate meaning of the word result of the attacks, families had to choose whether to go ahead with their child's participation on the trip, or forfeit the non-refundable cost of the pilgrimage. Following tear-filled prayers for God's protection, the entire group departed for the airport. Two weeks later, on July 21, the group had walked from their pilgrimage visit to Westminster Abbey to have a picnic lunch in the middle of Hyde Park. While some tossed Frisbees, and others basked in the sunshine, suddenly sirens blasted on all four sides of the group. Although the youth seemed oblivious to the commotion, the group leaders began observing the increased police presence in the park. Fr. Marty approached one of the police to find out what was happening, and was advised that there had been bombing attacks. The police advised that the safest place for the group would be to remain exactly where they were in the park. With that knowledge, Fr. Marty immediately called back to Saint Joseph's on his cell phone to advise his secretary to call all the parents to let them know the group was safe. This gave great comfort to the families, who were not yet even aware in the United States that the attempted attack had taken place. Since the cell phone lines were soon jammed, it was a gift from God to make that call ahead of time. With the continued advice from the police to remain in the park, the group huddled together and offered prayers. By the end of the afternoon, as the group walked back towards Westminster Abbey, the special edition newspapers were already being sold. The cover page showed a map of where the attempted attacks had taken place. The four locations formed a perfect cross, with the group's refuge location in Hyde Park at the exact center of that cross. Spontaneous prayers of thanksgiving arose as soon as the group realized this symbolic message of God's protection. Subsequent pilgrimage groups that have traveled to London have now included this location in Hyde Park as a holy place, and prayers of thanksgiving are offered for God's Exodus-like deliverance on July 21, 2005.

discussed before: Ruth will be both a stranger and a foreigner in the land of Judah. Yet, as such she finds favor with Boaz, Naomi's kinsman in Judah, who is moved by Ruth's devotion to her mother-in-law. Boaz eventually takes Ruth as his wife, and the son she bears, Obed, becomes an ancestor in the line of King David.

Elijah has a series of journeys inspired by his hearing and responding to God's voice. In each journey, Elijah's willingness to answer God's call to journey results in a revelation of God's power working both for and through Elijah. First, he responds to God who tells him, "Go from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan" (I Kings 17: 3). In turn, God provides for his needs there:

"The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the wadi" (I Kings 17: 7).

Next, when the wadi dries up, the voice of God instructs him to “Go now to

Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you” (I Kings 17: 9). Not only does God provide for him there, but a miracle occurs when "the jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail" (I Kings 17:

16b). In addition, when the son becomes sick and dies, Elijah brings him back to life such that the widow proclaims, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth” (I Kings 17: 24).

Following this, Elijah responds to God's voice again when God said, “Go, present yourself to Ahab; I will send rain on the earth" (I Kings 18: 1b). The result of this journey is not only to announce the end of a three-year drought, but God uses Elijah as his prophetic instrument in the miracle of fire before the idol-worshipping people so that, in

answer to Elijah's prayer, "That this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back” (I Kings 18: 37b).

In the aftermath of the fire miracle, Elijah is responsible for the death of all the prophets of Ba'al. This angers Jezebel, who sends a messenger to Elijah to tell him that

Jezebel will have Elijah killed in response to these actions. Elijah journeys again, and in his exile, he prays to God that he might die. God's messenger instructs him to get up and eat, and the angel provides food and water for him. The second time the angel provides food to prepare him for his next journey, as the angel tells him, "Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you" (I Kings 19: 7b). Again, by responding to God's call, Elijah is sustained, for "he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God" (I Kings 19: 8b).

It is then at the cave at Horeb where Elijah hears the voice of God in a significant way. The voice of God tells Elijah, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the Lord is about to pass by" (1 Kings 19: 11a). Elijah looks for the Lord successively in the wind, earthquake and fire that follow in order, but the Lord is in none of them. It is in the sheer silence that follows all this that Elijah hears the voice of God giving him direction for his mission and return to the wilderness of Damascus. Thus,

Elijah has journeyed far into exile, and hears God's purposes for him in the silence: a model of pilgrimage that is followed by pilgrims who seek God for ages to come.

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Journey and Pilgrimage in the New Testament

As the stories of the New Testament emerge, they involve pilgrimage from the beginning. If Bradley's definition of pilgrimage is utilized ("departure from daily life on a journey in search of spiritual well-being"), one could say that the shepherds, following the angelic message, pilgrimage to pay homage to Christ.11 Likewise, Mary and Joseph, on hearing the angel's message, pilgrimage to Egypt with the infant (not only for spiritual, but physical well-being). Matthew relates the story of the magi, who travel far from the east in search of the newborn King of the Jews. In some way they are transformed by the experience. As Slungård reflects,

By tradition, the three holy kings represent all people and all age groups. They found the Messiah but the meeting with both the power greedy Herod and the defenseless baby in the crib became a turning point for them: . . . they departed to their own country by another way (Mt. 2, 12). In the light of the revelation of Christ we have paid more attention to this. There is a new way for us now that Jesus has come.12

An important understanding of that new way is gained through looking at the way that

Jesus conducted his own pilgrim journey. Since Jesus himself will reveal that he is the way in John 14:6, and that all are called to follow him as his disciples in Matthew 4:19, then it becomes important to understand what following that way entails if all are to walk in his light (John 8:12).

As detailed above, the central event of the Old Testament was the Exodus pilgrimage that was initiated with the Passover event. Correspondingly, the central event

11 Bradley, Pilgrimage: A Spiritual and Cultural Journey, 11.

12 Dagfinn Slungård, "Liturgical Pilgrimages From Past to Present," 27.

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of the New Testament is the pilgrimage of Jesus, which culminates with the new

Passover event of Jesus' death and resurrection. As Charles Hoffacker has phrased it,

"The central event of the New Testament is also a pilgrimage, and Jesus is the pilgrim.

He journeys through life, through suffering and death, and returns home to God with

Good Friday scars and Easter glory. He travels not as a tourist, but as a pilgrim. Jesus returns home a changed person, because all of us return home with him."13

The pilgrimage of Jesus begins with his forty days of temptation in the desert.

Hoffacker emphasizes this when he writes,

The story of his temptation proves he's a pilgrim. No tourist goes into the desert for forty days to fast! Prompted by the Spirit, Jesus places himself in the hands of God. He trusts God enough to remain in a strange place, in strange circumstances, for a long time. He trusts God enough that the devil's offers of food, power, and safety do not interest him. He leaves the wilderness a different person: he has been tested and found to be solid. Jesus has spent forty days intentionally outside the familiar. Now he is fit to continue his pilgrimage into the unknown, even though the horrors of desertion, torture, and death. He is ready to lead his people on their new and final Exodus.14

The example that Jesus sets for future pilgrims is the vital need for prayerful preparation for the pilgrimage experience itself. This will be an important ongoing consideration for both youth and adult pilgrimages.

This continuous pattern of Jesus sneaking away to a quiet place to pray continues throughout Jesus' own pilgrimage in his public ministry, leading up to his resolute determination expressed in Luke that "he set his face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9: 51b).

13 Charles Hoffacker, "Tourist or Pilgrim."

14 Ibid."

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What then follows in the passion itself can be seen as the ultimate pilgrimage of Jesus.

Hardeberg and Bjordal even point to theories that

the passion stories in the Gospels have taken shape because they first and foremost have been a pilgrimage liturgy, and have been read in connection with processions between the holy places in Jerusalem. The theory is debatable, but it is a fact that towards the end of the fourth century there were liturgical processions in Jerusalem associated with different celebrations.15

In Luke's Gospel, this final resolute decision on Jesus' part to set his face towards

Jerusalem comes on the heels of the Transfiguration experience. Again, Jesus has chosen to preface the next part of his pilgrimage journey with prayer, this time on the mountain.

Jesus is transformed before the eyes of his closest disciples, and, with His Father's stamp of approval, he comes down the mountain transformed internally, just as his face had been transformed externally.

The final instance of Jesus seeking prayer in solitude prior to pilgrimage takes place in the Garden, just after Jesus has celebrated the retelling of the Old Testament

Exodus pilgrimage during the Passover celebration with his friends. It is this prayerful pleading with His Father that will give him the final strength to endure the imminent betrayal, arrest, torture, and physical journey to Calvary. It is thus through his constant re-charging his spiritual heart with prayer that Jesus shows that he is the way.

In addition to this, Jesus also shows us how he is a fellow pilgrim as well. This is expressed particularly in Luke's telling of the story of the disciples on the road to

Emmaus. In that story, Christ appears as a fellow person on the road who encounters two

15 Brita Hardeberg, Berit Lånke and Thore Nome, "Linking the Past and the Present," in Pilgrimage to Nidaros: A Practical Pilgrimage Theology, eds. Brita Hardeberg and Øystein Bjørdal, trans. Margot Tønseth et al. (Trondheim: Church of Norway, 2003), 11.

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disciples on the seven-mile road back home to Emmaus from Jerusalem. To further support the theme of Jesus as pilgrim, the Latin Vulgate translates Cleopas' question to

Jesus in verse eighteen ("are you the only stranger in Jerusalem") with the Latin word peregrinus. This is the same word that is alternatively defined not only as stranger or foreigner, but also as pilgrim. Jesus joins the two disciples as a fellow pilgrim on the road with whom they walk and discuss the Scriptures. When the disciples invite him to stay with them for dinner, Jesus is recognized in the breaking of the bread. Without recognizing him until this point, it was Christ who walked with them all along. This is an important teaching in Slungård's interpretation:

In this way Christ becomes the destination for their journey. Christ still meets us as a stranger in the world. It has always been a Christian duty to welcome and care for the pilgrim. Beloved, it is a loyal thing you do when you render any service to the brethren, especially to strangers (3 John, 5). Perhaps it is Christ we are welcoming? . . . .I was a stranger and you welcomed me (Mt. 25, 35). This ethical challenge is also emphasized in the Old Testament. Love the sojourner therefore; for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt (Deut. 10, 19).16

This point is amplified by Thore Norm, who makes the point that Jesus, in his yet unrecognized peregrinus state, shows the way to the goal and is the goal itself. As he states, "Jesus is there, waiting for us at the goal of the journey and is himself the goal."17

Norm elaborates upon this and states, "Jesus is a fellow traveler with a double role – that

He is both together with and facing his fellow travelers. Jesus listens and converses and

16 Slungård, "Liturgical Pilgrimages From Past to Present," 28.

17 Thore Norm, "Pilgrimage Theology," in Pilgrimage to Nidaros, 175.

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takes part in his fellow travelers’ lives, but he is also the one who presents the scriptures to show the need for his suffering, death and resurrection (Luke 24, 26ff)."18

The attitude of the pilgrim is expressed well in Jesus' parable of the Good

Samaritan. The Samaritan is not often considered as the one on pilgrimage, yet as Jim

Forest points out, "The Samaritan is a model pilgrim. Those who passed by the wounded man without helping were mere travelers. The Samaritan was open to interruption, the others were not. One of the marks of a true pilgrim is that a pilgrim will not turn a blind eye and walk past a person in need, determined to cling to his or her plan for the day."19

The Samaritan shows us an essential characteristic of true pilgrimage whereby the pilgrim, journeying for the sake of spiritual well-being, has "time to participate in the mercy of God."20 As such, pilgrimage is

an invitation to become a person capable of seeing interruptions, most of all those involving the urgent needs of others, as heaven-sent opportunities that have the potential of bringing one closer to the kingdom of God. Whether washing dishes in the kitchen or walking to Jerusalem, life is learning to see interruptions as God's plan for the day rather than one's own plan, and thus to live in God's time rather than clock time.21

This has been an important continuing realization on the experience of pilgrimage at Saint Joseph's. The interruptions, especially those that involved helping others, have been the occasions for some of the most powerful "God-moments." For example, on the last youth pilgrimage, one particular person that the youth encountered by chance had just

18 Thore Norm, "Pilgrimage Theology," in Pilgrimage to Nidaros, 176.

19 Jim Forest, The Road to Emmaus (New York: Orbis Books, 2007), 144.

20 Ibid.

21 Forest, The Road to Emmaus, 143.

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lost a close friend to suicide. The ability to invite that person into the week of

Lindisfarne activities and prayer seemed to become a turning point not only for some of the youth on pilgrimage, but for the person as well on her overall life pilgrimage.

It is this interior attitude that is emphasized also in another Samaritan story, when

Jesus encounters the woman at the well in John's Gospel. When Jesus encounters the

Samaritan woman at the well, their conversation could lead one to think that Jesus is opposed to pilgrimage travel to a particular site for worship:

The woman said to him, “Sir I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him (John 4: 19-23).

The point here is that Jesus does not forbid nor require physical pilgrimage in this, nor in any other teachings. What is crucial is to "worship in spirit and truth," a proper interior attitude required of any disciple, whether on pilgrimage abroad or at home. As for Saint Paul, the role of Jerusalem changes with the coming of Jesus. Ample evidence has been shown in the very practice of Jesus, as well as the symbolic meanings conveyed in the Emmaus story, that the practice of pilgrimage, while not required, has the potential of great spiritual benefit for the Christian.

Theology of Place

The argument expanded upon here regards whether or not there is a value in a theology of place that the practice of pilgrimage represents. Peter Scott, in his article "A

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Theology of Eucharistic Place: Pilgrimage as Sacramental," summarizes the argument against a theology of place:

The physical world, images and ritual need to be questioned because they tend to divert people from placing their security in God alone. Characterizing the Calvinist position, Rosemary Radford Ruether puts the matter more strongly still: 'Calvinism dismembered the medieval sacramental sense of nature. . . .Only the disembodied Word, descending from the preacher to the ear of the listener, together with music, could be bearer of divine presence.' Such a view cannot be said to support pilgrimage to particular places.22

Scott proceeds to analyze how the physical Jerusalem is reduced in emphasis by the New Testament mission imperative.23 While in Luke's Gospel, Jesus urges his disciples to proclaim his name, "beginning from Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47), but in Acts

1:8, Jesus seemingly commands the disciples to fan out from Jerusalem "to the ends of the earth." As Scott further points out,

The conclusion of the Revelation to John of Patmos, with its famous vision of the descent of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21: 1-2), may also function to direct attention away from the 'old' Jerusalem. The heavenly city of Jerusalem is not to be confused with the earthly city of Jerusalem. Furthermore, the heavenly city is to be sought, so to speak, through the expansionary movement of mission. Kenneth Cragg partly understands the matter in this way. Early Christianity is best interpreted, he argues, as a missionary movement that, by its Scripture and practice of Eucharist, is self-sufficient. It does not need to seek the blessing of place except for those places of the preaching of the Gospel and the breaking of bread at which the name of Christ is proclaimed and received.24

22 Peter Scott, "A Theology of Eucharistic Place: Pilgrimage as Sacramental," in Explorations in a Christian Theology of Pilgrimage, Craig Bartholomew and Fred Hughes, eds., (Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2004), 151.

23 Ibid.

24 Scott, "A Theology of Eucharistic Place: Pilgrimage as Sacramental," 151-152.

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Thus, there is a tension in Christianity regarding place as holy. The Celts had their "thin places." Paul struggled with Jerusalem and questioned if it could still have an importance after Jesus. Likewise, here the author discusses the difficulty between God in

Jesus bound to a particular place or unbounded as universally everywhere:

There is a sustained ambivalence within Christianity, as also in Judaism, on the theological significance of place. Sheldrake understands this ambivalence in terms of a 'balance' that needs to be struck between particularity and universality. The Incarnation, he argues, requires the view that God is committed to particularities. However, a commitment to particularities is accompanied by a sense that God is not bound by such particularities: 'God's revelation is in the particular' is accompanied by the view 'that God's place ultimately escapes the boundaries of the localized'. The Resurrection is for Sheldrake the transgression of place in which the body of Jesus Christ is unbounded. We should go further still: in Jesus Christ we have not a recommendation of balance between the universal and the particular but instead an understanding that, in this particular Christ of God, the universal is also given.25

As such, the answer as to whether or not there can be a theology of place emerges not as an "either-or" response, but rather as a "both-and" reality. Timothy Joyce, in

Celtic Christianity, furthers his argument toward a theology of place that is exercised in the practice of pilgrimage:

The sense of the physical, finally, opens up the sacredness of place. Our own place is important, where we come from, where we belong, where we find God. Celtic monks sought the "place of their resurrection," that is, where they wished to die. Irish storytellers often recount what happened long ago as if it happened yesterday. Time is not important. But they always can tell you where it happened. Place is important. Do we not all have to find sacred places in our lives, even to become aware of the sacredness of our own house, our own garden, our own local church?26

25 Ibid., 152-153.

26 Scott, "A Theology of Eucharistic Place: Pilgrimage as Sacramental," 155-156.

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Tracy Balzer, in Thin Places, follows a similar thought process when he writes,

"Here we can again apply the 'abuses do not nullify uses' principle. If we truly need to find the place of our resurrection, to discover our 'deepest and truest self in Christ,' we'd best be willing to learn from and adapt the best of what our Christian forebears practiced."27

Paul and Pilgrimage

Similar conclusions can also follow from an examination of Paul's writings. In the book of Acts, Luke states that "Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; he was eager to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of

Pentecost" (Acts 20: 16). Author Steve Motyer uses this decision in Paul's life to raise the question, "Was he a pilgrim, hurrying for the same kind of reasons that always make pilgrims hurry - impelled by a combined sense of the sacred moment (Pentecost) occurring in the sacred place (Jerusalem, the temple)?"28 Since Luke does not answer this question in Acts, Motyer explores Paul's own writings to look for evidence.

Motyer acknowledges the current view that the physical city of Jerusalem no longer has spiritual significance unto itself for Paul, since all sacred space now revolves around the person of Jesus. This notion is expressed in Andrew T. Lincoln's essay on this topic, where he cites Paul's contrasting descriptions of the physical and heavenly

27 Balzer, Thin Places: An Evangelical Journey into Celtic Christianity, 97.

28 Steve Motyer, "Paul and Pilgrimage," in Explorations in a Christian Theology of Pilgrimage, eds. Craig Bartholomew and Fred Hughes (Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company), 50.

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Jerusalem. Lincoln summarizes that no city, Jerusalem included, "is the sacred centre of the Christian movement to which those in Paul's churches owe allegiance or need to make pilgrimage. Rather than looking to an earthly centre for their religion, believers are to look to the Jerusalem above, since Christ their Lord is now in heaven."29

Motyer examines this further in Paul's references to this same journey in Romans

15, where Paul states that "I am going to Jerusalem in a ministry to the saints; for

Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to share their resources with the poor among the saints at Jerusalem" (Romans 15: 15b-16). Motyer's analysis of the symbolism of this collection to be delivered leads to a conclusion that "Paul saw the collection as an

'offering', to be presented not just to the church in Jerusalem, but in Jerusalem, and in some sense to Jerusalem."30 In other words, the issue of Paul singling out a journey to

Jerusalem to deliver such a collection raises the possibility that, in fact, Paul's journey there was a type of pilgrimage. As Motyer points out,

Why did he focus on the poor of Jerusalem (as opposed to the poor of Judea, or Samaria, or Antioch) and devote so much effort to raising the collection? If part of the 'agenda' of the collection was to reinforce the unity of Jews and Gentiles in the church, why did he achieve this through a collection for Jerusalem rather than through something more widespread?31

29 Andrew T. Lincoln, "Pilgrimage and the New Testament," in Explorations in a Christian Theology of Pilgrimage, 32.

30 Motyer, "Paul and Pilgrimage," 52.

31 Ibid. A counter-argument to Motyer's conclusion could be raised that the motivation for the collection for Jerusalem was simply because it was the mother church, and that it was struggling more than the rest of the church.

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A further analysis of Paul's understanding of eschatology reveals that he understood that the final judgment would take place physically at Jerusalem, and in a not so distant timeframe. Motyer bases this in examining the corpus of Paul's works, and finds that his references to the Parousia are consistent with both Old Testament and synoptic Gospel references to the same, both of which link the physical location to

Jerusalem. This fact provides additional reasoning for Paul's "pilgrimage" to Jerusalem.

As Motyer summarizes,

He travels to Jerusalem, in fulfillment of the prophetic vision of the eschatological pilgrimage of the nations to Zion, hoping thereby to bring about a great revival there, a 'turning to the Lord' (II Corinthians 3: 16). This makes him a very unusual pilgrim, in current terms. His situation is so particular, that we might suggest. . . that we cannot use this 'pilgrimage' as a model for today."32

With this analysis, a rationale is established for Paul's journey to Jerusalem to be considered as a pilgrimage. However, Paul's particular circumstance could not be used as a model for modern day pilgrimage. In addition, pilgrimage could not be a required discipline in Pauline theology since the only truly sacred space is to be found in Jesus

Christ. Yet, there remains the question of "how strongly Paul would urge that the

'helpfulness' of pilgrimage should be sought, and on what grounds."33 Motyer then explores four interrelated desires that would have led Paul to pilgrimage to Jerusalem, if

Paul had lived beyond the destruction of the temple in 70AD. These four areas provide a basis for developing a modern theology of pilgrimage.

32 Ibid., 62.

33 Motyer, "Paul and Pilgrimage," 64.

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The first of these is "a desire to express grief and sympathy in the face of such loss and suffering."34 As the author explains, "The desire to associate with the pain of others can be a deeply Christian motivation for pilgrimage."35 Had Paul lived after the destruction of the temple, he would have been moved to travel there in the aftermath. A good example of this is the attraction to the Stations of the Cross as a Christian pilgrimage devotion. Whether pilgrims are able to physically travel to the Via Dolorosa itself, or vicariously walk the Stations in a church or garden setting, there is an appeal to associating and reflecting on the pain endured by Christ on the way to Calvary.

Similarly, even secular pilgrimage sites have an appeal when they are connected with loss and suffering. Most recently, a pilgrimage to the 911 Memorial in New York demonstrated this. In the midst of thousands of people visiting the sight, there is still a feeling of awe and reverence for those who perished there. The memory of many families seeking out the name etching of a lost loved one, then breaking into tears once their family member's name is located on the shrine, is a moving experience that stays with a fellow pilgrim forever.

The second reason given why Paul would have pilgrimaged to a post-war

Jerusalem is "a desire to express fellowship with the Jewish Christians still in Judea seeking to minister to their fellow-Jews."36 This theme of fellowship with the wider church is an important aspect of modern day pilgrimage as this writer has experienced it,

34 Ibid.

35 Ibid., 65.

36 Motyer, "Paul and Pilgrimage," 65.

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most recently in Edinburgh, Scotland at the pilgrimage site of Rosslyn Chapel. Every pilgrimage from Saint Joseph's has included prayer at Rosslyn Chapel. These visits began prior to the notoriety given the site in the aftermath of the DaVinci Code novel37 and movie.38 In the initial visits to the Chapel, the group was permitted to conduct a short

Eucharist after the visiting hours for the general public were over for the day. In more recent years, after there was a four-fold increase in tourist visitors to the site due to the movie's popularity, church leadership at Rosslyn imposed total restrictions on permissions granted to pilgrimage groups, including Saint Joseph's. There had been instances of fringe groups misusing the Chapel, and consequently church leadership eliminated all worship permissions as a result.

Saint Joseph's had developed strong relationships with the staff at Rosslyn, especially the Education Director. Though her negotiation failed to obtain permission for the group's own Eucharist to take place, the youth pilgrimage group of 2010 was granted permission to sing a hymn at the conclusion of the short noonday prayer service. This group of youth was outstanding in their vocal gifts. The service was conducted by a lay leader from the Episcopal congregation of Saint Matthew's Parish. While the service was conducted, some visitors joined in the nave of the church while most other tourists continued their tour of the masonry and artwork. They continued to talk and look around as one would expect in a museum or art gallery.

37 Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code (New York: Anchor Books, 2003).

38 Akiva Goldsman, The Da Vinci Code, DVD, directed by Ron Howard (Culver City, CA: Columbia Pictures, 2006).

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However, when the youth began to sing in a cappella four-part harmony, the tourists became pilgrims. There was a total silence that came over them all, and all attention was drawn to the prayerful hymn being sung. The sudden transformation of the tourist attraction to a sacred space did not go unnoticed by the Rosslyn Chapel staff in attendance. At the conclusion of the service, the Saint Joseph's leadership reminded the

Rosslyn staff, "This is what Rosslyn is truly all about. In the course of five minutes, in the voices of teenagers, God transformed this tourist stop into holy ground, and these tourists just had an encounter with the Holy that they never saw coming."39

What resulted from that experience was a resolve on the part of the Education

Director to intensify efforts to rally in support of the safeguarding the Chapel's seemingly lost mission to be a holy pilgrimage site. The following year, when the next adult pilgrimage group came to Rosslyn, the tourists were invited to leave, and the pilgrims present were invited to join the Saint Joseph's Community for a short service of Holy

Communion. In the silent beauty of the chapel, voices rose in praise, and once again, some visitors who chose to stay for the service voiced tear-filled words of gratitude for the experience. They too had come as tourists, and departed as pilgrims.

What this led to ultimately was the 2012 youth pilgrimage group, when the group's schedule caused them to be at Rosslyn for the first time on Sunday morning. The group would join their brothers and sisters from Saint Matthew's congregation for the

39 While it is possible that the silence of the crowd resulted only from their desire to observe concert protocol, the anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise. That night our group discovered that some of the "tourists becoming pilgrims" were in the same hotel as our pilgrimage group. Several of them engaged us in conversation about Christianity and their desire to have such a peaceful grounding in their own lives.

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first time for Sunday Eucharist. In addition, with this group, the one-hundredth person from Saint Joseph's pilgrimages over the years would be visiting Rosslyn. With the

Education Director working as liaison, Saint Joseph's offered to contribute to the Sunday liturgy in any way that the priest-in-charge would desire. The request came back for

Father Marty to deliver the sermon for the Sunday Eucharist.

With all of the above as the backdrop, Father Marty discerned a call to preach on the unique ministry given to each person and to each congregation. He reflected on the fact that, although the congregation of Saint Matthew's is for the most part unaware, their chapel has provided a spiritual highpoint for one hundred people from a church across the

Atlantic. Countless more visitors to Rosslyn are deep in their hearts longing for such spiritual moments as well. So, he urged the congregation of Saint Matthew's to keep focused on their unique mission of creating spiritual moments for people from around the world.

The Saint Joseph's group was unaware at the time that most of the leadership of the congregation was present at this particular service, since they were in the process of their strategic planning sessions for their congregation. They expressed great appreciation for the message delivered, and they said that it could not have been timelier for them. Several commented that they had discerned that this was the particular calling for their congregation, but were not able to put it into words until now. There was great fellowship that followed the service, a shared story of faith between two geographically distant congregations. This fellowship was not unlike that which Motyer refers to as a potential reason for Paul to pilgrimage to Jerusalem as well. This is similarly stated by

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Kenneth Cragg when he says, "If we visit because we belong, we must passionately belong with what we visit."40 The Saint Joseph's group history at Rosslyn made the pilgrims feel like they belonged, and by entering into the story of current resident

Christians at Rosslyn, they more passionately experienced that shared story.

A third reason given why Paul would have pilgrimaged to a post-war Jerusalem is

"a desire to testify to the Gospel."41 If Paul had lived beyond the days of the temple's destruction, his pilgrimage there would have enabled him to bring the message that "the temple still stands, formed now of the people of the Christ."42 What this points to for

Motyer is that in all pilgrimage, there is a central element of confession, whereby

"pilgrims confess their identification with the memories associated with the place, and thus confess their faith in the Christ manifested there. In so doing, they also confess their membership of the people of God who are identified by that place, in whatever way each place defines them."43

In modern day pilgrimage, each group recalls the stories of another generation's

Christian journey, and in so doing confesses the similarities in their own journeys as well.

For example, each Saint Joseph's pilgrimage group to Iona has a hiking experience to

Columba's Bay. There they reflect on how Columba left behind his homeland and landed

40 Kenneth Cragg, "Jesus, Jerusalem and Pilgrimage Today," in Explorations in a Christian Theology of Pilgrimage, Craig Bartholomew and Fred Hughes, eds. (Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2004), 12.

41 Motyer, "Paul and Pilgrimage," 65.

42 Ibid.

43 Ibid.

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at Columba's Bay to start anew. In so doing, they recall their own leaving behind not only to go on a pilgrimage, but how so many times in their spiritual journeys they have been called to leave behind what they know in order to venture into unknown lands to which the Spirit calls them. In so doing, they identify with the memory of those original

Celtic missionaries, and are in a real way joined with this communion of Celtic saints who have gone before them.

A final fourth desire that would have prompted Paul to pilgrimage to Jerusalem after the temple's destruction is "a desire to pray for the nations, in the place where the house of prayer for all nations had once stood."44 As Motyer affirms that this desire holds true for all sites of Christian pilgrimage, it has especially been affirmed in the Saint

Joseph's experience of pilgrimage. Each group has a silent meditative hike up to the top of Dun I, the highest point on Iona. There they recall in prayer each group that has gone before them, as they take turns laying hands in prayer on each member of the group.

Likewise, each group celebrates an outdoor Eucharist at Lindisfarne Priory, where at the statue of Saint Cuthbert they pray for all the pilgrims who have gone before them, and all those who have made their pilgrimage possible. Not only are these customized prayer sites utilized, which help connect the pilgrims to their parish pilgrimage heritage, but other historic sites are utilized as well, which connect the pilgrims to the wider communion of saints. These sites include pilgrimage visits to sites such as Durham

Cathedral, where liturgies are experienced at the tombs of Saints Cuthbert and the

Venerable Bede. Perhaps the most poetic way of expressing this theology of place

44 Motyer, "Paul and Pilgrimage," 65.

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experienced in pilgrimage is in the words of T.S. Eliot. In his poem Little Gidding, the author addresses pilgrims who come to the monastery of that name:

You are not here to verify, Instruct yourself, or inform curiosity Or carry report. You are here to kneel Where prayer has been valid.45

Motyer concludes his own reflections on a Pauline theology of pilgrimage with the thought that each pilgrimage site summons a prayer that Christ should be glorified throughout the world. In order for this prayer to be fulfilled, the pilgrims themselves must become the transforming agents. As Motyer states, "Pilgrims journey to a particular place, therefore, in order definitely to leave again, called to be agents of the Gospel in the world, just as Paul travelled to Jerusalem, in order then to go to Rome."46 Thus, the test of a successful pilgrimage in some sense must include the incorporation of the experience into the transformed life of each pilgrim. This will be an important aspect to be explored in defining measurement criteria for pilgrimage, which is examined in the sixth chapter.

Pilgrimage in Historical Faith Tradition Development

The Celts were wanderers by nature. Brendan is called "the Navigator" because of his many journeys that are described in a ninth-century book called the Navigatio.

Timothy Joyce writes that "Brendan was an adventurer, willing to take risks and to explore the unknown. This Celtic propensity to wander, to roam, to go on pilgrimage

45 T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets (Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc., 1971), 50-51.

46 Motyer, "Paul and Pilgrimage," 65.

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was not so much a missionary or evangelistic undertaking but rather a means to follow

Christ."47 Thus, in a rudimentary sense, from the early days of Christianity, pilgrimage was a unique spiritual discipline. It was not required, but found by some to be very beneficial.

There are many legends of other Celtic saints, who set out in similar fashion in small boats without oar or rudder. Saint Brendan the Navigator voyaged in ships made of wood and leather. Saint Blane traveled without oar or rudder from Ireland to a Scottish isle with his mother. Saint Machalus, a pirate converted by Saint Patrick, did penance for his previous life of crime by setting out in a small boat without oar or rudder. By allowing the wind to determine their direction and destination, they would express their self-abandonment and dependence on God. In so doing, they expressed "the desire to push to one's limit, to place oneself physically out as far as one could go in trust of the caring God."48

Pilgrimage in Other Traditions

Diana Webb argues that "Pilgrimage did not originate with Christianity, and that it has never been, nor is it now, an exclusively or peculiarly Christian phenomenon."49

The historical origins of pilgrimage have been addressed previously under the Literature

Review in Chapter 3. Additional research into pilgrimage in other traditions not only

47 Joyce, Celtic Christianity, 46-47.

48 Ibid., 47.

49 Diana Webb, Pilgrims and Pilgrimage (New York: I.B. Tauris & Co., 1999), 10.

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affirms the value of pilgrimage as a tool of spiritual transformation, but also provides additional direction for a successful adaptation of the pilgrimage experience.

Islam is the world's second largest religion. A requirement of pilgrimage within the Koran shows that "Islam is the religious tradition that seems to value pilgrimage the most."50 The pilgrimage requirement is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Similar to the history of Christianity, there have been some Muslim leaders in history who have spoken against pilgrimage. Sufie Abu Sa’id, born in 967, recommended that his followers avoid the hajj in order to concentrate on their mystical experiences.51 In a similar way, Sufi mystic Shaykh Nizam ad-din Awliya, born in 1238, warned pilgrims who returned home with a superior attitude.52

Both these criticisms provide cautions to modern day pilgrimage. First, it must be clear that intentional pilgrimage is not a requirement for a person to be a faithful disciple of Christ. Secondarily, those who pilgrimage must be careful of a "better-than-thou" attitude upon their return. The gift of humility is an important one especially for pilgrims to display in their post-pilgrimage journey. Yet, just because some have not displayed the desired spiritual transformation upon their return home, does not mean that there is no value in the concept of pilgrimage itself.

50 Edward C. Sellner, Notes on Pilgrimage: Exploring a Great Spiritual Practice (Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2004), 57.

51 Ibid., 58. It is acknowledged that the Sufi tradition encourages distance from ritual, which would be viewed in a negative light by other mainstream groups within Islam.

52 Ibid.

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Mikhail A. Alexseev references a 2008 study that "assessed the effects of the hajj on Pakistanis using a 2006 survey of more than 1,600 Sunni Muslim applicants to

Pakistan’s Hajj visa allocation lottery."53 This study later "compared the views of successful and unsuccessful applicants five to eight months after the pilgrimage."54 The resulting data showed "that performing the hajj almost doubled the likelihood of nonobligatory fasting and increased by more than a quarter the likelihood of praying regularly in a mosque. Hajjis were also more likely to engage in supererogatory

(optional) prayers."55 In addition, the study noted a decline in religious intolerance, an increase in support for non-violent conflict resolution, especially in younger pilgrims, and a decrease in support for the Islamization of government. With such impacts (viewed as positive by Alexseev) mirrored in similar hajj pilgrimage studies with Russians, the study concludes that "the view that the hajj pilgrimage automatically increases political instability in the region should be critically re-examined."56

Hinduism is the world's third largest religion. Don Belt and Chris Johns, in

Sacred Journeys point out that in Hinduism, pilgrimage “seems to be considered a way of accumulating religious merit, but is not mandatory.”57 Pilgrimage "is associated with a

53 Mikhail A. Alexseev, "The Impact of the Hajj Pilgrimage in the North Caucasus," PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo No. 74 (September 2009), http://www.gwu.edu/~ieresgwu/assets/docs/pepm_074.pdf (accessed May 1, 2011).

54 Ibid.

55 Ibid.

56 Alexseev, "The Impact of the Hajj Pilgrimage in the North Caucasus."

57 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 26.

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certain asceticism, such as fasting, celibacy, the rejection of soft beds and other comforts."58 As such, pilgrimage is treated as a spiritual discipline, and the outward journey's value is linked to its ability to help on one's inward journey:

The great Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, recommends a form of wandering to a wide variety of holy places, but the most important journey is the journey inward. The Mahabharata refers to the 'tirthas of the heart,' suggesting that the pilgrim should not only bathe in the waters of earthly tirthas, but especially the inner virtues of truth, love, patience, and self-control.59

The world's fourth largest religion is Buddhism. The founder was Prince

Siddhartha Guatama, "Buddha," who recommended to his followers that "after his passing they should regularly visit four holy sites associated with his life."60 He said that doing so would help "arouse emotion in the faithful" and cause them to be "reborn in a heavenly world."61 Similar to the traditions already listed, the value of Buddhist pilgrimage is as a tool to achieve interior spiritual transformation: “Buddhists are told that although the outer journey can contribute significantly to the path of enlightenment, the interior pilgrimage can bring them closer to the goal of nirvana. Buddha told his followers, 'You cannot travel the path until you have become the path.'"62 In a similar

58 Don Belt and Chris Johns, National Geographic Special Edition, Sacred Journeys (Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 2010), 61.

59 Ibid., 61-62.

60 Ibid., 62.

61 Ibid.

62 Ibid., 63.

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fashion, the writings of later Buddhist monks, Fa-hsien and Hsuan-tsang, who traveled extensively on pilgrimage, speak of their spiritual transformation through pilgrimage:

They were changed into Buddhas themselves, Enlightened Ones, as they followed the Buddha’s way. They revealed to their readers how pilgrimage can lead to inner transformation. This is one of the major lessons of the ancient stories and great spiritual traditions, and what their proponents – and critics- say is the true meaning of pilgrimage.63

Additional benchmarking insights are gained from examining the pilgrimage route to eighty-eight temples in Japan in the Shikoku tradition. Ian Reader, in Making

Pilgrimages, his comprehensive study of the Shikoku pilgrimage, speaks of the increase in Shikoku pilgrimage in recent years of "around 30 percent over the last three or so years and that well in excess of one hundred thousand people were now doing the pilgrimage each year."64 He also affirms the impact of pilgrimage upon those who support and interact with pilgrims. As Reader states,

Pilgrimages are not just 'made' by pilgrims who set out to travel along a pilgrimage route but by many other actors as well -- from priests and others who look after the sites, to local people who support and interact with pilgrims, to those who provide services for pilgrims. The things these participants do -- their acts, the stories they tell, the things they leave at sites--add to the landscape of pilgrimage, which in turn influences those who are involved with the pilgrimage process, who thereby create and make meanings for themselves.65

This reaffirms the experience of Saint Joseph's pilgrims, whereby there is an importance to attentiveness to those met on the journey, who can be instruments of God's revelation

63 Belt and Johns, National Geographic Special Edition, Sacred Journeys, 67.

64 Ian Reader, Making Pilgrimages (Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2005), 4.

65 Ibid., 5.

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as much as the sacred sites themselves. Conversely, the opportunity is there as well for those on pilgrimage to positively impact the spiritual journey of those met along the way.

Reader also points out how for many Shikoku pilgrims, the spiritual transformation of pilgrimage continues long after the experience itself. Thus, pilgrimages are not "just transitory performances carried out at specific locations and directed at particular spatial and temporal goals, but may be points of departure for their participants, impacting on and influencing their lives thereafter."66 This point reaffirms the importance of post-experience follow-ups for all pilgrims, in order for the full effect of spiritual transformation to occur. Perhaps a social media base becomes necessary for the youth, due to their rapid dispersion into varying universities. Alternatively, an adult pilgrimage base that exists at the parish needs a continuous follow-up to their experience as well.

Another important point expressed in Reader's study of Shikoku pilgrimage is that recurring pilgrimage can become a spiritual discipline, since "a high proportion of pilgrims do the henro (pilgrimage) not just once but several times or more."67 In fact, such repetition has become so common that there has developed a color scheme for the prayer intentions that are left behind on colored sheets called osamefuda or simply fuda.

The number of times the person has completed the pilgrimage determines the color that is

66 Reader, Making Pilgrimages, 7.

67 Ibid., 8.

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utilized. Reader asserts through his study that "pilgrimage is by no means a one-off or marginal phenomenon located somewhere on the fringes of religious life, nor something associated specifically with goals, ends, and going to and from specific sacred places.

Rather, it can be a central pillar in the lives of participants, a 'way of life' central to their social and religious being."68

There are even special brocades called nishiki fuda made if the person has completed the pilgrimage more than one hundred times. As Reader points out, this

"points to an implicit hierarchy in which status may be acquired through repeated performance and be revealed to fellow pilgrims through the color of one's fuda."69 This points to a concern with the practice of adult pilgrimage, whereby pilgrim veterans who are on a mixed pilgrimage with first-time pilgrims need to be treated as equals.

Reader acknowledges how the repeated practice of pilgrimage can lead to some tension amidst the group. This tension is created by "the ways in which pilgrims may find themselves drawn together in a sense of shared enterprise and status-free equality, and yet may also be conscious of, or strive to create, hierarchic differences between themselves."70 Reader refers to Victor Turner, who has argued in the works cited above that pilgrimage in general "creates a transient and spontaneous state of egalitarian bonding between pilgrims in which all ordinary barriers and social differences

68Reader, Making Pilgrimages, 8.

69 Ibid., 21.

70 Ibid., 29.

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evaporate."71 Turner calls this transient and temporary state "communitas," which he says contains the essence of pilgrimage.72

Alternatively, another theory put forward by John Eade and Michael J. Sallnow in

Contesting the Sacred challenges Turner's theory, as they posit that pilgrimage creates more contest than communitas. As Reader states, Eade and Sallnow argue that

"pilgrimage not only provides the setting for contest but also effectively reinforces existing social divisions and tensions between different ethnic and social groups."73

Regardless of what theory is followed, the acknowledged tensions in all the approaches point to the importance of developing a process of pilgrimage that will enable communitas to be the overwhelming experience as opposed to contest.

This point assisted with a leadership discernment struggle at Saint Joseph's in regards to adult pilgrimage. After the first adult pilgrimage, half of the group desired to participate in the next one as well. Further, several now desire to participate in the third adult pilgrimage in fall of 2013. Initially, leadership struggled with the wisdom of a repeat experience, but the notion of pilgrimage as an iterative spiritual discipline as evidenced in Shikoku pilgrimage was an enlightening realization. The experience of the second pilgrimage consequently showed that the spiritual transformation continued in a powerful way for the repeat pilgrims, and did not negatively impact the experience for

71 Ibid., 30.

72 Reader, Making Pilgrimages, 30.

73 Ibid., 29.

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first-time pilgrims. A cautionary pre-pilgrimage conference with the returning pilgrims was instrumental in achieving this positive experience for both groups.

Reader also addresses the debate that transfers into the modern pilgrimage experience regarding the relative importance of the degree of difficulty designed into the experience. As Reader points out, "There are some who assert that the only genuine way to do the henro is by foot, and it is fairly widely felt, even among those who travel by other means, that this may be the most 'authentic' way to do it if possible."74 This view is not universally held, as Reader quotes a temple priest who represents the alternative viewpoint:

A temple priest I knew said that it was better to travel with a party of pilgrims on an organized tour led by a good pilgrimage guide (sendatsu) because on such tours the pilgrims are continually involved in prayer and worship and spend much of their time listening to stories of miracles and explanations of the significance of various landmarks along the way. Thus, in his view, tour groups were where one experienced the most devout elements of pilgrim behavior and practice.75

The design decisions regarding rigor of experience especially come into play in the adult pilgrimage experience versus the youth experience. While it becomes important to keep the youth active in kinesthetic learning appropriate to their abilities and learning style, the adults require an experience adapted to their own physical capabilities. The experience of the first two adult pilgrimages supports the viewpoint suggested by the temple priest interviewed by Reader.

74 Reader, Making Pilgrimages, 18.

75 Ibid.

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The Shikoku pilgrimage customs include a practice of "leaving numerous objects that signify their presence at the temples."76 Perhaps this could become a way of emphasizing the presence of those who are not physically participating in the pilgrimage, as being a part of the journey itself. This could include the development of some rituals whereby these objects are brought to the church and symbolically handed off to those who will complete the physical journey for placement of the objects in one of the holy places. As Reader points out, "Doing pilgrimages on behalf of, or as a representative for, someone else is not uncommon in pilgrimage contexts and is widespread in Shikoku, where many pilgrims act as representatives (daisan) for others by carrying extra books and/or scrolls for people unable to travel with them."77

An appealing factor that draws pilgrims to the Shikoku experience is its location.

Reader compares Shikoku's location to that of the pilgrimage island of Tinos in Greece, which is "separate from and marginal to the Greek mainland and hence, for its pilgrims, a

'different' place."78 As Reader elaborates, Shikoku is "situated on the southern shore of the Inland Sea, across the water and on the 'other shore' -- an image of some significance since it conjures up Buddhist notions of death and passing over to 'other realms' -- from the main population, economic, and political centers of Japan."79 This concept of distance and separation is an important theme in the consciousness of pilgrims, and helps

76 Ibid., 21.

77 Reader, Making Pilgrimages, 23.

78 Ibid., 47.

79 Ibid.

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in the understanding of the positive impact of remote island places like Iona and

Lindisfarne, in the Celtic pilgrimage experience. As Reader points out, "Shikoku and its landscape simultaneously signify a 'different place' that is 'over there,' a sacred realm that is marginal and associated with the 'other,' and somewhere that is traditional, familiar, a place of spiritual belonging."80 The same could be said of Iona and Lindisfarne.

A modern-day secular version of pilgrimage that is useful for benchmarking purposes is the outdoor experiential learning program known as Outward Bound. The mission of Outward Bound is "to empower students to be a positive force for change in their world."81 A one year study conducted with Outward Bound course graduates showed how positively transforming the experience was:

Among students who completed an Outward Bound course, 93 percent said they were more likely to accomplish their goals; 93 percent felt they were more likely to believe in their ability to succeed; and 80 percent were more likely to be a leader in their school or community. Students surveyed one year post-course reported the following results: 79 percent were more successful at school or work; 88 percent were more of a leader; and 93 percent believed more in their ability to succeed.82

In addition to the above, the research also showed that 90 percent were "more likely to assist people who need help," 91 percent were "more likely to take responsibility for their

80 Reader, Making Pilgrimages, 50.

81 Kim Young, "Outdoor Leadership Program Delivers Big Results for Teens: Research from Outward Bound Shows," PR Web (April 27, 2011), http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/04/ prweb5276594.htm (accessed March 5, 2012).

82 Ibid.

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actions," and 83 percent were "more likely to participate in serve to their community."83

This benchmarking especially lends itself to adaptation to the spiritual transformation goal of youth pilgrimage, since it is focused on the kinesthetic learning appropriate for that age group. The Outward Bound courses "have an extraordinary ability to inspire self-discovery through challenge and adventure," similar to what the

Low Ropes and High Ropes courses achieve for the youth as part of their J2A pilgrimage preparation.84

The cautionary learning in this benchmarking regards the safety standards that must be in place at all times. While the physical challenges given to the adults on pilgrimage are far less strenuous, the corresponding challenges to youth must be planned and executed with great caution. The highly publicized tragic death of teenager Elisa

Santry occurred in July 2006 during at Outward Bound course hike. While heatstroke seems to have been the main cause of death, debated issues remain to this day regarding the boundaries of risk versus safety that were or were not in place.85

While the Outward Bound success data shows the positive impact of such kinesthetic learning, there is cautionary learning as well that is adaptable to pilgrimage planning. Facilitators and chaperones must receive sufficient safety training in advance,

83 Outward Bound, "Outward Bound Outcomes," Outwardbound.org, http://www.outwardbound.org/about-outward-bound/outcomes/ (accessed March 5, 2012).

84 Outward Bound, "Outward Bound Outcomes," Outwardbound.org.

85 Christopher Ketcham, "Special Report: A Death at Outward Bound," National Geographic Adventure (2007), http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/news/ outward-bound.html (accessed March 5, 2012).

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and they must be physically present and available for all activities. Similarly, whenever such physical experiences are planned, the pilgrims must travel in groups of at least three people. A very practical consideration is the availability of fluids that is necessary during all strenuous outdoor activities.

In conclusion, the benchmarking of other religious traditions, while not possibly a comprehensive listing, has helped tremendously in the planning of the pilgrimage process at Saint Joseph's. The Islamic pilgrimage literature reinforced the need to inspire pilgrims to seek humility in their post-pilgrim reincorporation. It has made me more aware and ready when a few of our adult pilgrims have returned with a "holier than thou" attitude towards those who have not had the pilgrimage experience. Likewise, the

Islamic pilgrimage surveys reinforced the positive impact of the spiritual disciplines of fasting and prayer for the post-pilgrimage participants, a desired outcome of this project's goal to increase spiritual maturity.

The Buddhist literature, especially Ian Reader's research into Shikoku pilgrimage, encouraged me to make my attentiveness to those met on the journey a more intentional activity in our reflection sessions on pilgrimage. Secondly, the Shikoku research that showed a long-term impact from the pilgrimage experience also encouraged me to plan additional longer term post-pilgrimage follow-ups. Thirdly, the successful experience in the Shikoku culture of repeat pilgrimage as a spiritual discipline also eliminated my fears of accepting repeat adult pilgrims from year to year. Fourthly, the successful adaptation of a less rigorous pilgrimage experience for those of less physical capabilities also encouraged me in my own adaptation of the pilgrimage experience for our senior adults.

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Lastly, the descriptions of the remoteness of Shikoku as a contributing factor for the experience of "quasi-luminality" helped to make explicit for me why Iona and

Lindisfarne are similarly helpful in achieving the same.

In the end, the Outward Bound benchmarking may be the most practically important. It caused us to re-examine and standardize the safety systems we have in place for our youth on pilgrimage. It would only take one tragic accident to derail the process that has brought so much vitality to our process of youth formation.

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PART THREE

MINISTRY STRATEGY

CHAPTER 6

A STRATEGY FOR THE REVISED PRACTICE OF PILGRIMAGE

In order to begin developing the hypothesis that would be tested in a pilot for a revised pilgrimage process, informal qualitative interviews were held in early 2010 with the adult pilgrims who had experienced the first adult pilgrimage in July of 2009, together with three others who would be pilgrims on the second pilgrimage in July of

2011, which became the pilot for the revised process. What emerged from those sessions was a desire for more planned spiritual opportunities offered both within the group, as well as experiences of the pockets of excellence in spiritual formation that existed in the pilgrimage sites visited.

Put simply, the hypothesis was that "more pilgrimage and less tourism" would create a more transformational experience. The previous pilgrims also expressed a desire to recreate the sense of isolation and fellowship that was experienced in Iona on as much of the pilgrimage as possible. As a result, the group agreed to difficult itinerary changes that would enable this hypothesis to be tested.

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The group agreed to still spend two days at the beginning of the pilgrimage in

Edinburgh for practical reasons expressed by me as their leader (the former travel director). These days would allow for some group bonding, bodies to overcome jet-lag, and the inevitable lost luggage to catch up with the group prior to departure to the remote location of Iona. The five days on Iona would remain as before, but with additional planned experiences of spiritual disciplines while there. Following Iona, there would be only one more destination, which would be a full week based in private homes on

Lindisfarne. This would enable the group to deepen their fellowship established in Iona, as well as enable the group to benefit from the wide range of spiritual activities that the

Lindisfarne area has to offer. In so doing, the trek from Lindisfarne to York to Durham to London to Canterbury would be eliminated. Once this July group returned from their experience, the quantitative survey would be developed for them and for all previous pilgrim participants.

Defining the Goals of Pilgrimage: What to Measure

The introductory chapters above framed the pastoral need of raising up additional lay leaders for Saint Joseph's. Post-trip observations from the pilot adult pilgrimage showed that one means of achieving this could be through the pilgrimage process, since increased commitment to ministry was a positive effect for those participants. This became the practical goal of the pilgrimage process.

Yet, the historical evidence on pilgrimage showed that internal transformation in terms of spiritual maturity was equally important and valid. The goal of the Christian life

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must be considered as well: to become disciples and experience Kingdom-living.

Therefore, to incorporate spiritual activities is important, but that is not the goal in totality. The biblical example of the Scribes and Pharisees shows how such a measurement of action alone would be insufficient. Matthew 23, Mark 12: 38-40, and

Luke 11: 37-52 all support Jesus' words: "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20).

More completely, the goal of the pilgrimage experience is both external action and internal attitude. If the goal is transformation into Christ, then there should be a corresponding interior increase in the aspects of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the post- pilgrimage life of the participant. In the words of Jesus, “By their fruits you shall know them" (Matthew 17:20). Paul himself provides specific interior attitudes to measure when he lists the fruit of the Spirit: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5: 22-23).

This provides a good framework of consideration for measuring interior attitude.

If spiritual transformation in both exterior activity and interior attitude is the ultimate goal of the pilgrimage experience, then it is important to attempt to measure that transformation in some way. Given the variable periods of time between completion of the pilgrimage and the completion of the survey, the authors were given the unique ability to note the longevity of the pilgrimage effect and the respondent’s pre- and post- experience perceptions. The exception here are the past adult pilgrims from Saint

Joseph's, whose activity in terms of involvement in organized spiritual activities at the church, as well as their commitment of time, talent, and treasure are easily measured.

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This is true since church records exist that assist in that computation. Furthermore, the small universe of adult pilgrims at Saint Joseph's makes data collection in terms of actual ministry activity possible from actual observation by the project's author.

Defining the Survey: How to Measure

Within the last thirty years, many systems of measurement have been correspondingly developed to attempt to capture such transformation. In 1983, C. W.

Ellison developed a Spiritual Maturity Scale (hereafter SMS), which was a further development of a Spiritual Well-Being Scale (hereafter SWBS). The SMS was designed

"to assess how much people have grown in their Christian walk."1 Ellison's theory was that someone young in their Christian walk could score high on spiritual well-being, but their spiritual maturity would not score correspondingly high. As he states, "We would expect a spiritually mature person to have a very positive sense of well-being. It is likely that the 'fruits of the Spirit,' a possible measurement for maturity in the Christian faith given in Galatians 5, may be only partially realized by a person who may experience very positive spiritual well-being at a lower level of maturity."2 Thus, the measurement of the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit emerges as a valued element in development of such measures from the early stages. This will be a consideration in the development of the pilgrimage survey.

1 C. W. Ellison, "Spiritual Well-being: Conceptualization and Management," Journal of Psychology and Theology 11 (Winter 1983), 331.

2 Ibid., 332.

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A later study in 1991 was done by Roberts Wesleyan College, which provided even greater insight into the key drivers to consider in measuring spiritual transformation.

This study performed a factor analysis across the majority of recognized instruments that were being utilized at the time to measure Christian maturity. The goal of this study was "to look for key factors across the instruments defining Christian maturity."3 The various measurement instruments were administered to a representative group of

Christian students, and the results showed a positive correlation between the instruments.

For the purposes of the pilgrimage survey, the results of the analysis "revealed four basic factors undergirding the instruments."4 These four factors reflected the following as the key factors to be measured in Christian maturity: "(a) personal commitment as manifested in living, (b) personal commitment as manifested in belief, (c) relationships with others, and (d) perceptions of God as protector and sustainer."5 Thus, these also become areas to consider in the development of the pilgrimage survey.

The authors conclude with two other important and applicable considerations drawn from their research. First, there is the issue of the continuum of Christian growth.

As the authors state, "Implicit in all of the instruments used in this study seems to be the assumption that Christian growth is a continuous process."6 The possibility therefore

3 Rodney L. Bassett et al., "Measuring Christian Maturity: A Comparison of Several Scales," Journal of Psychology and Theology 19 (Spring 1991), 89.

4 Ibid., 84.

5 Ibid.

6 Bassett et al., "Measuring Christian Maturity: A Comparison of Several Scales," 91.

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emerges to continue the measurement system beyond the pilgrimage experience itself, as youth journey into adulthood, and adult pilgrims journey further into their senior years.

Secondly, the positive correlations found by the authors lead them to conclude that

"instruments specifically designed to measure Christian maturity could borrow important ideas from theories/instruments designed to measure religious maturity."7 This encouragement to expand the horizon when targeting areas for benchmarking led to a broader search for transformation measurements, and a useful study for such benchmarking emerged in the field of microfinance.

Opportunity International, a microfinance institution, runs programs designed to

"help the poor not only to create employment and generate income but also to transform their lives in such a way that they become freer and better people."8 In order to evaluate their effectiveness in achieving their goal of transforming lives, this organization has defined transformation as "a deeply rooted change in people's economic, social, political, spiritual and behavioural conditions resulting in their enjoyment of wholeness of life under God's ordinances."9 This definition is further divided into two critical components of "Having" and "Being." While "Having" relates to "entitlement/access to

7 Ibid.

8 Makonen Getu, "Measuring Transformation: Conceptual Framework and Indicators," Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies 19 (April 2002), 92.

9 Ibid.

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possessions,"10 "Being" refers to "character building and seeks to reach higher goals of spiritual and moral fulfillment in line with biblical principles."11

It is this second measurable component of "Being" that provides the benchmarking opportunity for this project. Indicators are established for both components, and the indicators established for "Being" are Character and Service. As

Getu describes these components, he says that those benefitting from the programs should "experience newness of life and this comes from knowing and following God, the shaper of all positive character. And character is a good measure of spiritual transformation/freedom as the fruits of spiritual growth include love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."12

Character, the first of these two indicators, is measured by faith, giving and sharing, family lives, integrity, and stewardship. While the positive impact of pilgrimage generically should apply to all of these measures, an analysis of the microfinance definition of these areas reveals that the most adaptable measures are in the areas of faith, giving and sharing, and stewardship. Faith measures "in addition to their own verbal confession, attendance of religious institutions and participation in religious activities."13

In the post-pilgrimage concept, this would indicate the person's perceived increase in faith, as well as their increased participation in ministry as well. Likewise, the measure

10 Getu, "Measuring Transformation: Conceptual Framework and Indicators," 93.

11 Ibid.

12 Ibid., 95.

13 Ibid., 96.

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of giving and sharing could be adapted to a consideration of a pilgrim's growth in generosity. Stewardship in the microfinance project measures "the level of change in the sense of responsibility and accountability experienced."14 This could be more easily measured in the adult pilgrimage model than in the youth experience, since historical giving patterns (at least for surveyed participants from Saint Joseph's who are pledging members) could be tracked for adults prior to and after the pilgrimage experience.

Service is the second indicator of the "Being" component. In the microfinance context, this refers to "the significance of the contribution the clients have been able to make in serving their communities."15 Adapting this to the pilgrimage milieu, the service indicator would be more in terms of the service contribution made in terms of ministry, both inside and outside the church community. This would be most easily measured for adult pilgrimage participants from Saint Joseph's, since their involvement in ministry before and after the pilgrimage experience is easily traceable.

An additional conclusion drawn by the microfinance analysts is a recognition that while "all aspects of transformation can be measured, at the same time it recognizes that all aspects of transformation cannot be quantified."16 When applying this to the pilgrimage survey concept, this underscores the importance of the qualitative information gathered from the participants. The interviews and open-ended comments from the pilgrimage participants will yield important information for future action planning.

14 Getu, "Measuring Transformation: Conceptual Framework and Indicators," 96.

15 Ibid.

16 Ibid., 97.

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Another area of benchmarking comes from the Spiritual Assessment Inventory

(hereafter, SAI) developed by the Rosemund School of Psychology at Biola University.

The SAI was developed because of a perceived lack in the field of research of a tool specifically designed for measuring the spiritual maturity of religiously-committed clients. As the SAI creators state,

To date there does not appear to be an objective, multidimensional measure of spiritual development that has proven to be clinically useful for psychotherapists, pastoral counselors, chaplains, and clergy who work with religiously-committed clients. It appears that there is potential in clinical and counseling settings for the use of a relationally-based, psychometrically-sound measure of spiritual development from a broadly theistic perspective. In response to these needs, we developed the Spiritual Assessment Inventory (SAI).17

The previous recommendation of the study done by Bassett and others called for borrowing important ideas from such broader-based instruments designed to measure religious maturity. The SAI is such, and it also incorporates ideas from the previously mentioned Spiritual Well-Being Scale (hereafter, SWBS). While these authors note the objections raised by some to the validity of the SWBS, they also note that numerous studies have proven that the SWBS has "good internal consistency."18 This is an important consideration for understanding the validity of the SAI, since it takes the

SWBS to a new level. As the authors describe the SWBS,

The Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) was developed by Ellison (1983) to measure religious and existential well-being. The scale is conceptualized as having two dimensions, vertical and horizontal. The vertical dimension,

17 Todd W. Hall and Keith J. Edwards, "The Spiritual Assessment Inventory: A Theistic Model and Measure for Assessing Spiritual Development," Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 41 (June 2002), 341-342.

18 Ibid., 344.

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Religious Well-Being (RWB), measures satisfaction and meaning in one's relationship with God. The horizontal dimension, Existential Well-Being (EWB), reflects a sense of life purpose and life satisfaction.19

The creators of the SAI take this approach to the next level, whereby the two dimensions can be analyzed independently of each other, since their analysis indicated that "the quality of one's relationship with God is relatively independent of spiritual well- being or satisfaction with one's relationship with God and with life. Thus, the quality of relationship facet of the SAI is particularly distinct from spiritual well-being as measured by the Spiritual Well-Being Scale."20 Hence, the authors conclude by positing the value of the SAI as an additional measurement instrument by stating:

Incremental validity is important to justify the existence of a new measure. The results of hierarchical regression provide further evidence of the incremental validity of the SAI. Thus, our conclusion, based on the pattern of observed correlations and regressions, is that the SAI is not merely another measure of religious orientation or motivation that replicates the I/E-R scale or the SWBS.21

Thus, valuable information was obtained for creating the pilgrimage survey as a measure of spiritual transformation. The promised aspects of the fruit of the Spirit from

Galatians 5, the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS), the scale comparison study done by

Bassett and others, the benchmarked microfinance instrument for spiritual transformation, and the Spiritual Assessment Inventory (SAI) all gave valuable input

19 Hall and Edwards, "The Spiritual Assessment Inventory: A Theistic Model and Measure for Assessing Spiritual Development," 344.

20 Ibid., 352.

21Ibid.

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from which the pilgrimage survey could be created. The next step would be to determine how the survey questions should be asked, which would be dependent on the subsequent analysis that would be performed.

Defining the Scales: How to Analyze the Data

In order to actually create the survey regarding pilgrimage, it was important to understand the right questions that needed to be asked, which the above benchmarking helped to achieve. In addition, it was important to grasp the areas that were of importance to the participants. An approach to this was achieved by benchmarking what had been experienced in corporate life at Motorola (1990 to 2001), where this author chaired the Corporate Customer Satisfaction Council. This group was tasked with researching ways that would empirically demonstrate how increases in customer satisfaction brought corresponding positive financial results to the corporation. As a corollary to this council, this author represented Motorola on a similar inter-corporation committee, which included a wide range of Fortune 500 companies like Toyota, Dow

Chemical and Whirlpool, who were engaged in similar explorations of customer satisfaction and its link to profitability.

The initial work at Motorola showed that such a link did exist. In a longitudinal study, both councils saw how increased customer satisfaction led to increased sales.

However, continued analysis revealed that satisfaction was not the only important factor to be measured. (Some customers, who were completely satisfied with the supplier, were choosing alternate suppliers for re-orders.) After a few years, the research moved

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towards a Customer Loyalty Index, which included a measurement not only of overall satisfaction, but included similar measurements of intent to recommend and intent to re- purchase. The studies were showing that a high score in all three of these categories was an even more reliable measurement of customer loyalty.

To adapt such a customer loyalty index to the concept of pilgrimage experience, the three loyalty questions needed to be adapted. "Overall satisfaction" was adapted to a rating question (scale of one to five) which regarded how the pilgrimage experience was for the participants, vis-a-vis their expectations. The "intent to recommend" question transferred easily with a five point scale as well. The "intent to re-purchase" question was adapted to become "What would be the likelihood of participating in another pilgrimage?"

In addition to the loyalty index, much more progress in the corporate context was made by Terry Vavra, president of Marketing Metrics. Terry was a consultant to many of these companies, and became a value-added contributor to the councils mentioned above.

In his landmark book, Improving Your Measurement of Customer Satisfaction, Vavra outlined the varying approaches to customer satisfaction surveys. Beyond the measure of customer loyalty itself, he demonstrated that the important follow-up is a corresponding measurement of what are the key drivers of customer loyalty. By identifying these key drivers of customer loyalty, one is able to understand what specific areas need to be targeted for improvement. Just as importantly, one would be able to analyze the loyalty index up against the attribute ratings on the survey, and thereby understand what is driving customer loyalty.

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There are varying ways, both implicit and explicit, for identifying these key drivers of customer loyalty. The most effective of these methods are those that employ

“forced tradeoffs.” As Vavra states, “Judgment tasks that require customers to trade-off one attribute against another are the best way to collect importance data."22 This meant that the survey participants could not rank everything as equally important, and hence, equal key drivers.

Due to the limitations of the universe of survey participants, as well as the expected time commitment from the participants, one of the simplest and most frequently used procedures, known as “pair preference”23 was recommended by the project consultant.24 While negatively impacting the incorporation of all the elements of the previous measurement instruments benchmarked, this approach would positively enable the creation of actionable data in the end. The experience of Dan Muggeo (the project consultant referenced below) also showed that the more compact survey would greatly increase the response rate of participants.

22 Terry Vavra, Improving Your Measurement of Customer Satisfaction (Milwaukee: American Society for Quality Press, 1997), 390. "Importance data" and "importance factors" are the survey industry terms used by Vavra and others. Importance factors are indicators of the contribution or impact of an element to the success or failure of the item being measured.

23 Ibid., 391.

24 The marketing firm of Daniels and Roberts volunteered for the creation and web administration of the quantitative survey itself. I am grateful for the dedication and generosity of Dan Muggeo of Daniels and Roberts. Dan is an active member of Saint Joseph's, whose marketing firm was previously instrumental in conducting focus groups that aided in the marketing of what has become the "Unplugged" worship service, which specifically targets the youth pilgrimage "graduates." Dan co-authored the survey with me, and then he alone created the on-line data collection tool that resulted from the web-based survey.

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In informal qualitative processes, both past and upcoming pilgrim participants, both youth and adult, were interviewed by me, to ascertain what they would consider to be the most important aspects of their pilgrimage experience. This included the sessions with adult pilgrims referenced at the beginning of this chapter. Since the “primary problem with pair-preference judgments is how the number of pairs geometrically expands as the number of performance attributes to be judged expands,” the importance areas were then paired down to four. 25 These were then discussed with the survey consultant, who then finalized the pair preferences that were included in the survey (see

Appendix E).

To provide for adequate segmenting of the data for analysis purposes, additional survey questions were added that would maintain the anonymity of the survey respondent, yet still enable the data to be segmented in various ways. These included whether the participants were Saint Joseph's parishioners or not; year of pilgrimage participation; whether youth or adult participant; year of school completed prior to the pilgrimage; and whether or not the survey respondents' parents attended church, whether that was Saint Joseph's or another church. These last two questions were only asked of the youth pilgrimage participants, since one hypothesis was that youth whose parents attended church would have a more transformational pilgrimage experience.

Defining the Survey Administration: How to Gather the Data

25 Vavra, Improving Your Measurement of Customer Satisfaction, 391.

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The next decision was how to contact, and subsequently how to survey the participants. The most difficult issue of survey implementation for “former customers” would normally be obtaining their contact information. However, most of the youth who have participated in a past pilgrimage are still connected in some way with either Saint

Joseph's or with each other. In fact, the current youth minister was able to contact all but three of the former participants by Facebook email. The families or friends of the remaining three persons provided contact information for them. In addition, since the adult pilgrimages had been organized by the author of this paper, it was easy to contact them directly via email.

Understanding that the time required to conduct this study on an individual basis would require a substantial investment on the respondent's part, that the data required would be statistically based, and that the geographic diversity of the respondent base was international in scope and the time frame to complete this project was not variable, the survey consultant consequently had recommended a web-based survey utilizing forced trade-off comparisons. Separate web links to the survey were sent to the participants, whether youth or adult, and whether a Saint Joseph's pilgrim participant or a participant in pilgrimage not sponsored by Saint Joseph's. For this latter group, an open invitation was sent to Episcopal clergy in the area deanery, inviting pilgrims from their respective parishes to participate. The purpose of surveying pilgrims beyond Saint Joseph's was to

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create a basis for comparison, as well as to see if there were additional insights that could be adapted to the Saint Joseph's pilgrimage process.26

The survey itself was administered November 2011 through January 2012. A total of sixty-two surveys were completed. Thirty-four of these were from Saint Joseph's pilgrims, which consisted of nineteen youth pilgrims and fifteen adults. The Saint

Joseph's adult survey participants were a combination of adults who had either functioned as a facilitator on a youth pilgrimage or participated in an adult pilgrimage. The remaining twenty-eight surveys were from pilgrims that participated in pilgrimages outside the sponsorship of Saint Joseph's. These were the survey invitees gained from the

December 2011 conference mentioned in the footnote below. The survey results are contained as Appendix E to this paper.

Survey Findings: What the Saint Joseph's Youth Data Revealed27

While there are many overall consistencies in the data received from both youth and adults, there are enough unique considerations that the segments are analyzed

26 A boost in survey participation from pilgrims outside of Saint Joseph's was accomplished when the project author attended a Celtic retreat that featured John Philip Newell. This retreat took place in Asheville, North Carolina, in December of 2011, and participants had come from across the United States to participate. With the permission of the conference organizers, emails were sent to the participants with the link to this version of the survey. Twenty-eight respondents completed the survey out of approximately seventy-five who received the email. This response rate was an encouraging testimony to the value of pilgrimage, since many of that universe of seventy-five people had never participated in a pilgrimage, and hence could not take the survey.

27 It is important to note that the survey results are not skewed due to an over-abundance of a particular personality type. The Myers-Briggs personality inventory is conducted for all youth pilgrims as part of their J2A formation. While the universe of Saint Joseph's youth pilgrims is not large enough to complete a full statistical representation of all sixteen personality types, the variety of personality types in the historical group falls within the average percentages for each group within the United States population.

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separately, with the youth survey considered first. Undeniably, the data verifies the value of the youth pilgrimage experience. Spiritual connectedness over time has "stayed constant"28 or "increased" for 84 percent of the youth respondents. Smaller yet positive increases resulted in the area of bringing others closer to the church. The youth respondents showed considerable increases in their perceived experience of all aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. The pilgrimage experience positively impacted the spiritual journey for 95 percent of the youth respondents. In addition, the data in this regard showed that 58 percent of the youth said the pilgrimage experience positively impacted their spiritual journey either "greatly" or "drastically." Furthermore, 68 percent said that the experience altered their spiritual journey either "forever" or "for a long time."

Three questions became the basis for the creation of a loyalty index. The first question regarded expectations met, and the pilgrimage experience "met" or "exceeded" the expectations of all youth respondents. Further, the experience "vastly exceeded" or

"exceeded" the expectations of sixteen of nineteen youth respondents. An important note of discovery was that the three youth respondents who had the lowest scores on

"expectations met" were also those who had been fully sponsored by the church. Such participants were twice as likely to score low on their expectations met. When this result is reviewed in connection with lower scores in most other categories, it verifies the hypothesis that lack of personal investment causes a decrease in appreciation for, and positive effects from, the pilgrimage experience. This same subset of youth respondents

28 Words or phrases that refer to response choices from the survey are printed in quotes to delineate them as such.

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scored the lowest on spiritual connectedness, and these same youth were three times more likely to have parents that do not attend church. While this fact could account for the lack of substantial "consideration" in the form of monetary or labor-based support for the experience, the conclusion here is that there must be some substantial commitment from each participant, whether funds are paid by the family or notable volunteerism by the participant.

The second loyalty question regarded recommendation, and all of the youth respondents would "highly recommend" (89 percent) or "recommend" (11 percent) the pilgrimage experience. As regards the third loyalty question that mirrors the corporate

"re-purchase" question, 84 percent would be "likely" (42 percent) or "very likely" (42 percent) to participate in another pilgrimage. The analysis of these loyalty indices as possible indicators of spiritual connectedness will follow under separate consideration.

Youth attendance at church services following the pilgrimage decreased in some instances. This may have been due to the rigorous nature of participation by the youth prior to undertaking the pilgrimage, as it would be very difficult to maintain that participation level. However, for many, this was due to departure for college and the absence of their spiritual family. The reassuring anecdotal evidence is the continued church presence of these youth pilgrim graduates when they are on holiday breaks.

The decrease in church attendance could also be linked to the question regarding post-pilgrimage activities. The quantitative data showed that 63 percent thought that sufficient emphasis was given to follow-up meetings with other pilgrims. However, the qualitative data indicated otherwise. There were more open-ended comments expressing

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a desire for more post-pilgrimage follow-ups than any other suggestion. Thus, a program of post-pilgrimage follow-up for future youth pilgrims could positively impact church attendance for those who have not departed for college.

In terms of the forced tradeoffs employed, "fellowship" was by far (63 percent) the most important of the first four components of the pilgrimage considered. Either "the sense of history" or "the music" was listed as the least important component for 100 percent of the youth. "The sense of history" was also listed as the least important component by 89 percent in the second forced tradeoff. There was no defining majority for the third forced tradeoff, which considered "the spirituality of the group" (21 percent),

"individual spirituality" (26 percent), "the individuals traveled with" (21 percent), and

"the leaders" (32 percent). The fourth set of forced tradeoffs clearly showed that "the isolation from outside influences" was the most important of the four considerations.

Consistent with this was the feedback that the least important component was "the contact with the church community and family back home." The generational data described in Chapter 1 of this paper outlined the need of the youth to constantly be connected, whether it is through cell phone, wireless devices, or computer. Adding to the difficulty of disconnecting is the increasing availability of international cell phone coverage and wireless data even in the most remote areas of the pilgrimage. What this data confirms, is that although the youth believe they want to stay connected, their actual experience of being disconnected from technology becomes an importance factor in their post-pilgrimage reflection. This confirms the decision of the leaders to make youth

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pilgrimages "technology-free," which means no wireless devices of any kind are brought or utilized by the youth participants on the pilgrimage.

In terms of location components, "Iona" was listed by 100 percent of the youth as the most important component of the four listed, with "York Minster" clearly being the least important. This data verifies the tradeoff above, since Iona is the location most isolated from outside influences, and the family atmosphere of the chartered youth hostel

(rather than a public hotel) creates an atmosphere for fellowship to be achieved more easily. In addition, York is the most historically centered visit on the pilgrimage, and the one-night visit to York has normally been hindered by the many raucous bachelor and bachelorette parties taking place in the group hotels. The adaptable learning here will be to try and create more "Iona-like" experiences for the youth, and de-emphasize even more the big city areas that concentrate on history. The success of the revised itinerary with the 2011 adult pilgrimage confirmed those actions.

As part of their preparation for the pilgrimage experience, the youth are each given a topic for which they function as subject matter expert on location. They each provide an oral report to the group during the visit to the pilgrimage site. The results showed that this process is of value, as 74 percent found that they either "enjoyed the research" or "learned a lot from it." Therefore, this is an element that should continue to be included in the revised pilgrimage process for the youth.

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Survey Findings: What the Saint Joseph's Adult Data Revealed

The survey data for the adults verified the value of the pilgrimage experience for adults as well. Since their pilgrimage, the overwhelming majority of adult respondents have seen their spiritual connectedness increase, 74 percent responding "increased" and

21 percent responding "increased slightly." Because several of the adult pilgrims had experienced more than one pilgrimage, an additional question was asked regarding this.

Of the ten respondents to whom this applied, eight responded that "Each pilgrimage has had both longer lasting effects and brought me to a higher experience." This would support the repetitive practice of pilgrimage as a spiritual discipline as mentioned previously in the Japanese Shikoku pilgrimage.

In addition, the experience of the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit was already highly scored in the pre-pilgrimage questions, with the majority of responses in the

"often" or "always" category for all aspects. Yet, the post-pilgrimage measurement showed an even greater increase for all aspects, with all responses in the "often" or

"always" categories, with only one exception of "sometimes." As expected, the pilgrimage experience positively impacted the spiritual journeys for all the adult respondents, with 63 percent saying "greatly," and 26 percent saying "drastically," and 11 percent saying "noticeable." The pilgrimage experience altered the spiritual journeys positively for all the adult respondents as well, with 74 percent saying "forever," 21 percent saying "for a long time," and 5 percent saying "for a while." In the pre-pilgrimage question, all Saint Joseph's adult respondents indicated that they already attended church services at least "almost every Sunday." The vast majority (74 percent) "attends every

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Sunday and participates in additional group activities." Since this attendance ratio was already so high, it is not surprising the data remained the same in the post-pilgrimage measurement. However, there was still a 20 percent increase in the respondents' attempts to bring friends, acquaintances and families closer to the church.

The adult respondents rated higher on the loyalty questions than the youth. The first loyalty question referred to expectations, and 90 percent of the respondents said that the pilgrimage "exceeded" or "vastly exceeded" their expectations. In terms of the loyalty question regarding recommendation, 100 percent of the respondents would recommend the pilgrimage, with all but one respondent giving the highest score of "I would highly recommend the pilgrimage." In terms of the loyalty question of "re- purchase," 95 percent confirmed they would re-engage, with 58 percent “very likely,” and 37 percent "likely."

This loyalty data for Saint Joseph's adults is significantly higher than the corresponding youth ratings. Amplifying the significance of this fact is the reality that those on the adult pilgrimage are solely responsible for funding their experience. (The full cost on the two adult pilgrimages conducted has been four thousand dollars per person.) In addition, there has been a significant increase towards the practical goal of increased leadership among the adult participants. Of the seven responding adults from

Saint Joseph's who have participated in an adult pilgrimage, not only have all of them subsequently increased their pledges to the church's ministry, but also all of them have taken on additional ministry roles in the church. Similarly, ten adults from Saint Joseph's who functioned as facilitators on a youth pilgrimage completed the survey. While their

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pledges have remained constant, eight of the ten have taken on additional leadership roles within the church following the pilgrimage.

In terms of the forced tradeoffs, "fellowship" was by far (63 percent) the most important component in the first grouping. In the follow-up question, "music" (42 percent) and "scenery" (32 percent) scored as the least important. Corresponding to this in the second tradeoff, "the sense of the group as a unit" scored the highest (74 percent).

"The sense of history" (53 percent) was the least important for the adult respondents. In the third tradeoff, the most important components by far were "the spirituality of the group" (47 percent) and "my individual spirituality" (42 percent). The "individuals that I traveled with" (42 percent) was the least important component in the third tradeoff. The most important components that added to the experience were "the location" (47 percent) and "the isolation from outside influences" (37 percent). "The contact with the church community and the family back home" was unanimously chosen as the least important component for the experience. For the adult pilgrimage, this is understandable, since there is no planned group telephone or Skype videoconference calls, nor daily email blogs back to the parish during the pilgrimage. These are an important part of the youth pilgrimage to provide a comfort level for the parents and families back home.

In terms of locations, the adult responses were consistent with the youth. "Being on Iona" (89 percent) was by far the most important component, and "York Minster" (79 percent) was also the least important component. Two of the respondents chose

"Lindisfarne" as the most important component. These adult responses are understandable, since the survey was instituted after the revised adult pilgrimage was

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executed, which six of the adult respondents had experienced. As mentioned above, based on the initial qualitative interviews with the previous adult pilgrims, revisions were made to the itinerary such that York Minster had been eliminated from the new itinerary.

Also, a two-night hotel stay in Lindisfarne was substituted with a full week in private homes on Holy Island, thereby attempting to recreate the isolation of Iona with the increased opportunities for spiritual activities and fellowship in private housing on

Lindisfarne. These positive responses gave positive reinforcement to the initial revisions to the pilgrimage process.

The majority of adult respondents (58 percent) said that sufficient emphasis was given to follow-up meetings with other pilgrims. However, 42 percent answered "no" to this question. Furthering this point, five of the eighteen open-ended comments specifically addressed the desire for more post-pilgrimage follow-up. This is a significant consideration, since further analysis of the respondents showed that most who answered "yes" had participated in the adult pilgrimage, and this group continues to this day to gather on a regular basis. Most who answered "no" were adult facilitators on a youth pilgrimage. The negative response from adult facilitators on youth pilgrimages underscores the need for more post-pilgrimage opportunities for the youth. This will need to be fully addressed with the next youth pilgrimage class of 2014, since the pilgrimage class of 2012 entered into their pilgrimage process covenant with no such expectation. A voluntary post-pilgrimage class for the 2012 youth is currently in process.

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Survey Findings: What the External Data Revealed

Twenty-six people completed the survey who had participated in a pilgrimage not sponsored by Saint Joseph's. Because the sample size for the St. Joseph's segmented portions of the survey were small, this control group was important because they helped to establish the validity of the overall data. The consistency of responses in both the

Saint Joseph's participants and the control group outside of Saint Joseph's does support the findings and the conclusions drawn.29

The increase in the post-pilgrimage measurements for the control group mirrored that of the Saint Joseph's segments, but these were smaller percentage increases. There were differences in what was seen as the most important components in the forced tradeoff questions, where "the leaders," "the sense of history," "the music," and "my individual spirituality" scored much higher than in the Saint Joseph's segments. This is probably due to the fact that these survey participants were selected from participants in a conference where those four components received the most emphasis.

The open-ended comments for the control group echoed the data gathered from the Saint Joseph's participants. This included the appeal of Iona as a favorite location.

The overwhelming majority of this segment who had traveled to Iona as part of their

29 The author does acknowledge that the statistical validity of the data may on first appearance be considered questionable. However, while the sample size of survey participants was limited, it is important to note that the cohorts analyzed are also small in terms of the overall universe. Therefore smaller sample sizes are normally considered acceptable. In addition, when reviewing the qualitative data (open-ended questions) gathered in this study, this information should be considered highly significant and valuable. The sample size is sufficient for a qualitative study and at the same time lacks moderator or interviewer bias to be considered in many qualitative studies.

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pilgrimage experience listed it as their favorite moment. In addition, the desire for post- pilgrimage follow-up was listed by several in the open-ended comments.

Cross-Segment Analysis: What a Comparison of the Surveys Revealed

There were several areas where the similarity in the survey results between the youth and the adults provided valuable information for the pilgrimage process. When combining the responses of the two groups regarding the three loyalty questions, the resulting high loyalty index was 92.5 percent. (A graph displaying the consistency in the overall loyalty scores for each Saint Joseph's group is contained in Appendix F.) If the impact of loyalty indices in the corporate world indeed applies to pilgrimage measurement, the conclusion drawn would be a very positive one for the impact of the pilgrimage experience. Overall, in looking at the high loyalty index scores of both groups, there were some positive relationships between loyalty scores and key drivers of loyalty. However, in most areas, there were not sufficient discrepancies in the responses to draw reliable conclusions. While the trade-off questions yielded valuable information regarding the key drivers of the pilgrimage experience, further research is required to define a more direct link to those drivers.

One of the indicators that did link directly to some of the components as key drivers was the question of spiritual connectedness. A "sense of the group as a unit" ranked 400 percent higher in those who indicated positive connectedness from the pilgrimage experience, and "fellowship" ranked 75 percent higher in those that indicated a positive connectedness from the pilgrimage experience. The tradeoffs had already

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indicated these two areas as important drivers for both segments of Saint Joseph's pilgrims. While the original process of pilgrimage emphasized both the "sense of the group as a unit" and "fellowship," specifically in the common meals and family room atmosphere in the Iona experience, the conclusion here was that the revised pilgrimage process should emphasize this even more. The positive pilot experience with additional opportunities for this to occur in private homes in Lindisfarne demonstrated this to be true.

There were a few areas where the variation in the survey results between the youth and the adults provided valuable information for revising the pilgrimage process.

This was especially true in terms of intentional prayer, where there was a small increase in the youths' prayer activity on a daily basis, which increased in the top two categories.

This indicated that there was a movement from 10 percent who prayed more than once a day to 31 percent who prayed more than once a day following the pilgrimage. On a weekly basis, the increase was from 16 percent to 26 percent.

These youth scores for intentional prayer were low in comparison to the adult group, who started with much higher base measurements, yet still increased more than the youth in terms of intentional prayer per day (from 47 to 63 percent) and per week

(from 63 to 78 percent). This verified that the revised approach which the adult group of

2011 piloted was effective. Following the informal qualitative interviews held in January of 2011, the adult pilgrimage group agreed to a revised schedule that included many more experiences of varying spiritual disciplines. This was made possible through the additional time on Lindisfarne, where daily experiences enabled the group to experiment

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with different spiritual disciplines. These included a workshop on Celtic knotwork as a spiritual discipline, guided meditations, liturgical movement and dance, and various experiences of the Daily Offices in various settings that included traditional Compline at

Saint Mary's Church, Evening Prayer with the Northumbria Community, and noonday prayer with the Community of Aidan and Hilda.30

The adaptable learning here was to tailor this same expansion of experiences in spiritual disciplines to the youth pilgrimage process. To respect the generational differences for the youth as outlined in Chapter 1, experiences needed to be developed that would enable the youth to slow down their pace of life, as well as address their shorter attention span. Further, since this generation spends less time outdoors, the spiritual discipline activities needed to give them outdoor experiences positive enough that they would want more.

30 Many of these exposures to various spiritual disciplines were possible because of relationships developed with local Lindisfarne subject matter experts through the author's experience in auditing Fuller's SP764 Exploring the Celtic Heritage course in September 2010. The author acknowledges with gratitude both Fuller Seminary and Professors John and Olive Drane who made that experience and the consequent relationships possible.

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CHAPTER 7

IMPLEMENTING THE PILOT FOR THE REVISED PROCESS

The qualitative interviews to frame the areas of importance for the Chapter 6 survey had been conducted prior to the 2011 adult pilgrimage. The importance areas that emerged from those discussions framed the revisions that were planned for the subsequent 2011 adult pilgrimage experience. The results of that pilot adult experience, in addition to the subsequent quantitative survey data, were then incorporated into the revised process for the youth pilgrimage of summer 2012. What follows here is the detailed implementation and evaluation of the 2011 adult pilot, followed by the adaptation of the pilot and survey results to the youth pilgrimage of 2012.

2011 Adult Pilot of Revised Pilgrimage Process

All six of the participants for the pilot of the revised process of pilgrimage were female adults who were either widowed or divorced. This verified the probable participant target data that had been discussed in early stages of the project. Three of the six were returning pilgrims who had participated in the first adult pilgrimage offered in

2009. (Their feedback after the pilot experience would be important, since they had their

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previous pilgrimage experience as a basis for comparison.) In addition, all six had participated in the informal qualitative interviews to determine the areas of importance to them for their pilgrimage experience. This resulted in several itinerary and agenda revisions. More than anything else, this group was seeking an experience that concentrating solely on the pilgrimage experience and exposure to the richness of spiritual traditions, both in the Celtic traditions of the past and in the experience of the

Church today.

With this as the overall approach, several learnings from the research provided a framework for these pilgrimage revisions to be realized. First, the research into both historical and current pilgrimage practices had verified that what Clift and Clift had termed "difficulty of access" was a valid area of importance to be considered in constructing the pilgrimage itinerary.31 Likewise, the importance factor of "isolation from outside influences," which the later survey data would reveal as an important driver of pilgrimage success, had already emerged through the pre-pilgrimage interviews as an area of importance for the pilot group. Thirdly, the positive impact of experiencing "a sense of oneness or community with the other pilgrims making the journey" was a corollary area of importance as well.32

Because there had been such a positive result in achieving these same goals through each group's Iona experience (which was later strongly confirmed in the survey

31 Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, 69.

32 Ibid., 74.

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results), the consideration then became how the same atmosphere could be created for the second half of the pilgrimage experience as well. One major shift in the itinerary enabled the group to achieve all three of these positive impacts in a powerful way. The first adult pilgrimage group, and all previous youth pilgrimages, spent the post-Iona time on a trek to the east coast of Scotland, and then south into England through Lindisfarne, Durham,

York, London and Canterbury. The decision for the 2011 pilot group was made to eliminate the trek southward, and to replace it with an entire week on Lindisfarne.

Consequently, two private houses were rented, one with a dining and living room capacity large enough for the group to dine together and conduct prayer and fellowship sessions together. Lindisfarne's location as an out-of-the-way tidal island in many ways re-created the difficult of access experience of Iona. Likewise, the limited availability of technology (phone and internet) facilitated the experience of isolation from outside influences. To further this effect, an oral covenant was made that the available televisions would not be utilized. As on Iona, meals would be prepared together, enjoyed as one, and dishes cleaned together, all as ways in which the sense of oneness and community could be expanded.

Thus, all three of the above-mentioned goals were achieved through the itinerary change. In addition, there were some unplanned ancillary benefits that resulted as well.

For example, after an entire week of travel and five days of outdoor activities on Iona, the availability of one washing machine and dryer in a Lindisfarne house required group willingness for additional community sharing. Living in a family-like setting facilitated a development of the sense of oneness and community that was desired. From a practical

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standpoint as well, since the pilgrimage leader is also the driver of the group's van, a reduction in the amount of physical travel made the leader more available mentally for the important spiritual concerns of the group.

Because Lindisfarne is a tidal island, it provides a safe and abundant place to experience God's nature firsthand. Like Iona, an extended Lindisfarne experience provided both the time and opportunity to be like the Celtic Christians previously described by Ian Bradley, who "derived their sense of the goodness of creation from living so close to nature and having the time and the temperament to study and contemplate its variety and beauty."33 Unlike previous pilgrimage groups whose experience of Lindisfarne ranged from a day trip to a maximum of two nights, the pilot group was able to experience all that the natural outdoor beauty of Lindisfarne had to offer. Prayer walks around the island, silent beach meditations, walks to Cuthbert's

Island, as well as the Pilgrim's Walk were just outside the door of the house. With such an experience, the adult pilgrims vocalized often in their shared prayers their renewed appreciation for the wonder of God's creation. While not specifically stated, they were developing more and more a Celtic-like appreciation for the goodness of creation expressed previously.

Additional time in Lindisfarne also provided for extended experiences of local ways of worshipping, which was seen back in Chapter 3 as a benefit of pilgrimage even for the ancient Greeks. Not only did the adult pilot group pilgrims experience Evening

33 Bradley, The Celtic Way, 54.

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Prayer at Saint Mary's Anglican Church, but they were able to experience sung Compline led in plain chant by the Marygate Singers, a group visiting Lindisfarne from various cities in England. In addition, the presence of two dispersed Christian communities provided additional worship as well as learning opportunities.

With the Community of Aidan and Hilda based in Lindisfarne, the pilgrims were able to experience their noonday worship as a group on the first day. Following this introduction to their worship style, several of the pilgrims returned during the week on their own to join the community in worship. Similarly, the pilgrims were introduced to several leaders of the Northumbria Community, and a trip was planned to their new retreat center where another style of evening prayer was experienced.

The remoteness and small population of Lindisfarne also enabled the group to have face-to-face workshops with various leaders in the religious community. Andy

Raine, co-founder of the Northumbria Community, and his wife Anna, conducted workshops in liturgical dance as a prayer expression. Ray Simpson, Founding Guardian of the Community of Aidan and Hilda, joined the group for presentations and discussion over dinner. Mary Fleeson, a leading expert in Celtic calligraphy, led a workshop in

Celtic knotwork as a spiritual discipline. Kate Tristram, a world expert in Celtic saints, provided homilies on a regular basis during the worship experiences at Saint Mary's

Anglican Church.

All of this was with a view for the pilgrims to reflect on what appealed to them about each of the varying worship and spiritual discipline styles that they experienced.

The end goal was for the pilgrims to be able to incorporate whatever was most

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meaningful to them into their own spiritual disciplines. As was stated in Chapter 5, a practical outcome of successful pilgrimage is the incorporation of the experience into the transformed life of each pilgrim. The survey data, administered after this pilgrimage, showed positive results for this group of pilgrims regarding their post-pilgrimage life of prayer. One very positive outcome was one of the pilgrims discerning a call to take her initial vows as an Explorer within the Community of Aidan and Hilda. She remains active with both Saint Joseph's and the Community, and is now beginning to meet with the Community representatives in central Florida.

Other intentional additions to the pilgrimage agenda had been designed for this purpose as well, all of which supplemented the experience of varying spiritual disciplines to aid in the development of a rule of life by the participants. More periods of intentional silence were introduced during the Iona experience, in order to emphasize the importance of hearing God's voice in the silence as Elijah experienced. The guided meditations that had been offered on the first adult pilgrimage were expanded to enable the pilgrims to experiment more with Ignatian-style meditation.

Similar prayer experiences were enhanced as well, to blend the direct experience of nature with a prayer exercise. The labyrinth walk outdoors at Columba's Bay in Iona was expanded to enable a less time-restricted experience. Likewise, an outdoor prayer- writing experience was added outside the back of Iona Abbey. The pilgrims sat on the grass overlooking the sheep in the field beyond. As they listened in silence to Psalm 23 recited slowly and then paraphrased line by line, they wrote their own personalized versions of Psalm 23. Not only were they moved by the beautiful scene of the flock of

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sheep in the grassy field with the water and hills of Mull beyond, they also completed a beautiful personal prayer that expressed their own spiritual journey "through the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23:4b) in a powerful way.

Supplementing this were the pre-pilgrimage additions made from the benchmarking done of pilgrimages in past ages and in other religious traditions.

Common threads were the pre-pilgrimage rites that set pilgrims apart as sacred. While the J2A curriculum provides such pre-pilgrimage preparation for the youth, there had been nothing similar for the adult pilgrims. Therefore, with the pilot adult pilgrims, pre- pilgrimage sessions were planned. Just as the Scriptures showed that Jesus' prayer preparations preceded each of his faithful pilgrimage journeys, so too did this help to create the proper frame of mind and heart for the adult pilgrims. Not only did this enable the "set-apartness" to be accomplished, but it also facilitated the development of a sense of community within the group.

Similarly, in order to facilitate the ongoing spiritual transformation of the adult pilgrims, post-pilgrimage sessions were planned as well. However, a positive yet unexpected result was that these gatherings were initiated by the pilgrims themselves. A bond of community from the shared experience had formed, and to this day the adult pilgrims continue to gather periodically to check-in with each other on their spiritual journeys.

The sessions planned by the pilgrimage leader were more formal in nature. They were advertised to the entire parish for a series of Wednesday night experiences in Lent of 2012, and were entitled "Celtic Nights." Various forms of evening prayer that had

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been experienced on pilgrimage became the worship focus, followed by varying experiences of spiritual disciplines that had been introduced on the pilgrimage. Not only did this enable the pilgrims to re-convene and re-connect, but it also enabled those who had remained back home to vicariously experience the pilgrimage as well. Time was given each week for the pilgrims to be able to share their stories and experiences with the wider audience. A follow-up experience is also included in the 2013 Lenten program.

Following the pilgrimage, conversations were held with the three participants who had experienced both the first and the revised adult pilgrimages. All three were definite in their preference for the revised itinerary, especially because of the additional opportunities for spiritual experiences that Lindisfarne provided. The subsequent survey data for this entire pilot group, discussed in the previous chapter, verified strongly that the revised process of pilgrimage was successful. In addition, as mentioned in Chapter 6, the project goal of increasing the cycle time of developing lay leadership showed initial positive results as well. Each of the pilgrims had increased their commitment to ministry leadership within the church following the pilgrimage experience. With the successful completion of the pilgrimage pilot for adults, the next step was to conduct the comprehensive survey, and then, based on the successful revisions to the adult pilgrimage, to incorporate the results from the survey data as well, and adapt all of this to the youth pilgrimage of 2012.

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Revised Process for Youth Pilgrimage 2012

All the survey data had shown that the itinerary revisions made for the adult pilot pilgrimage would be equally effective for the youth. Thus, arrangements were made for the full week in Lindisfarne to follow the Iona experience. The same spiritual leaders made themselves available for the workshops, and they were even more successful with the youth than the adults. Andy Raine had planned on a morning workshop for the experience of liturgical dance as a prayer discipline. However, the group was so enthusiastic about it that they reconvened after lunch and continued for the rest of the day. A hands-on experience with Mary Fleeson and Celtic knotwork was equally effective. Additional pilgrimage walks were planned around the island, as well as the

Pilgrim's Walk across the causeway to Lindisfarne as well. Towards the end of the pilgrimage, the group hiked to Cuthbert's Cave, where the group paused and, during some extended silent time, each composed a collect that summarized their prayer request to

God as they completed their pilgrimage experience. These collects would later be shared with the congregation during an emotional Eucharistic celebration of the pilgrims' return.

Like the adults, the survey results for youth had shown that "isolation from outside influences" was of great importance to the youth. However, unlike the adults, the generational data had also shown that this age group was tied to their technology.

Further, the 2011 pilot adult pilgrimage group had experienced a rapid increase in the availability of international phone service, as well as internet connections available in all locations. Even though the technology-free requirement was already an oral covenant made by the youth, the facilitators thought it was prudent to formalize this covenant.

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Even before the accelerated growth of accessibility to phone and internet, the past youth pilgrimage had one youth participant who accessed an internet-enabled computer in a youth hostel, and in the course of a chat room discussion with her boyfriend back home, experienced a break-up in the relationship. All the positive spiritual focus that had been achieved in the first half of the trip was now lost for her for the rest of the pilgrimage, and negatively impacted the group as a whole as well. Thus, the 2012 youth pilgrimage proceeded with a formal technology-free pledge taken by all.

Another change with the 2012 youth pilgrimage was the intentional way in which spiritual transformation was expressed as the ultimate goal of the pilgrimage experience. In the past youth pilgrimages, the facilitators introduced new styles of spiritual disciplines in a subtle fashion -- without naming them as such. With this revised process, the goals were made public from the first day. The leader's opening address to the pilgrims stated it very clearly,

The goal of this pilgrimage experience is to help you understand who you are as a follower of Christ, and convince you that it is the only way you can experience true joy. What we pray it will also do for you is to help you establish a rhythm of prayer that will help you remember who you are. You will all be in college next year or the year thereafter. There will no longer be this support system to encourage you daily on your pilgrim walk. Treat these sixteen days as the training ground to learn how you, in your unique self, can best stay connected to your chosen path.34

This represented a shift in the pilgrimage process for youth, because this is the speech that the previous youth received at the conclusion of their pilgrimage. The results

34 These are words from the pilgrimage leader's personal pilgrimage journal that were shared with the youth at the beginning of the 2012 pilgrimage.

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from the adult pilgrimage showed that a more targeted approach from the beginning could yield greater results.

Another practical revision regarded the financial support that would be given to the pilgrimage participants. Since the survey data had clearly shown that the youth who had no financial commitment in the pilgrimage benefitted the least from the experience, the way in which financial support is given was redefined. Previously, the church provided one-third the cost; the youth did fundraising as a group for one-third, and the family was responsible for one-third. In cases of financial hardship, the church generously paid for the family's responsibility through additional donations made. The revision made now requires the family either to pay one-third, or the youth must provide an equivalent in service or fundraising to equal one-third the cost of the pilgrimage. This suggestion came from the past pilgrimage youth themselves, who believed that those who had nothing invested in the process had no concern whether or not their pilgrimage experience was fruitful.

Because the youth pilgrimage is largely funded by the congregation and the families, it remained important to keep them informed on a regular basis of the pilgrims' progress. This was in accord with the thought that the entire parish is on pilgrimage; it is just that the youth are the ones who are travelling. The pilgrimage leader does carry an international cell phone for safety (as was experienced during the London bombings previously referenced), as well as for providing daily uploads to a pilgrimage blog that is published with photos on the church website for any interested parishioners or family to see. Parents and parishioners both comment after the pilgrimage that they felt like they

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were there from reading the blog and knowing exactly what their youth were experiencing. It becomes a way in which the community bonding takes place not only within the pilgrim group, but within the parish community as a whole.

An additional way in which this connection was brought out in the revised itinerary was through a conference call to the congregation that took place from Saint

Paul's Church in Jarrow. The pilgrims' Sunday Eucharistic service was intentionally scheduled at the same time as the Sunday morning Eucharist was taking place back home, so that an experience of the "communion of saints" gathered at the table could be experienced. Each of the youth was able to speak to the congregation back home on the speaker phone during the prayers of the people that took place simultaneously in Boynton

Beach, Florida and Jarrow, England.

The generational data had also shown how the outdoor physical activity was important for this age group, especially since most of them are kinesthetic learners. The outdoor experiences of the adult pilot group adapted well to the youth as well, but additional physical activities were also added. Besides those mentioned above, bicycles were rented and delivered to Saint Paul's in Jarrow, so that the Bede's Way pilgrimage walk could be experienced in a unique way by bicycling towards the opposite end of the

Way at Saint Peter's. Additional hikes around Iona and Lindisfarne were added as well.

With the addition of advanced physical activities on the youth pilgrimage, the important consideration of safety came into play, especially based on the learning from the Outward Bound safety challenges. While both Iona and Lindisfarne are ideal because of their limited size, opportunities for accidents still exist. There was already a

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requirement of a minimum group size of three at all times when youth were on their own.

However, with the revised process, additional requirements were enforced that called for facilitator presence with youth at all times whenever hiking or swimming was involved for the sake of safety.

Silence was introduced in more of the activities as well, but in creative ways. A silent walk from the Iona Youth Hostel was conducted at midnight, where a candlelight service was held in Saint Oran's Chapel. In addition, the creative youth minister came up with the idea of "bubble prayers," whereby the youth spent silent time at the beach to formalize their own prayer requests, and then each were given bubbles with a wand to blow. The bubbles floating over the surf into the sky symbolized their prayers rising like incense. Following Dallas Willard's idea of ecstatic recitation of the psalms as a spiritual discipline (previously experienced in his Fuller class), the youth took a silent meditative walk, then divided into two groups and, separated by a ravine, shouted the alternate verses of the psalm back and forth for a unique experience.

Some follow-up revisions are underway for the revised youth pilgrimage process.

The qualitative portion of the survey from past youth participants made it evident that post-pilgrimage meetings are a perceived need by the youth participants, just as they are for the adults. As a result, the adult facilitators have created a renewed effort to involve the youth pilgrims in post-pilgrimage gatherings that concentrate on both fellowship and service. Because a majority of these youth are involved in music ministries during the

Sunday morning worship schedule, the only time they have found possible to meet is on

Sunday afternoon, which tends to be family and homework time for high school students.

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They continue to look for more effective ways and times of coming together, given the hectic schedules of high school juniors and seniors.

The comprehensive survey that was conducted with all past pilgrims was also completed by the 2012 youth pilgrims at the beginning of their pilgrimage experience. A post-pilgrimage survey will be conducted in the summer of 2013. Since this is the first pilgrimage group from whom a measurement will have been taken both before and after their pilgrimage experience, the data should be useful in making additional revisions to the pilgrimage process. Early indications from the informal continuing feedback from the pilgrims are very supportive of the revisions made. The most telling sign of this is a quote from the youth music minister, who has participated in all of the youth pilgrimages.

After the 2012 experience, he said that "It used to feel like a tourist trip once we left Iona.

The most amazing thing with this group is that we stayed on pilgrimage for the entire sixteen days."

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SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The goal of this project was to maximize the effectiveness of pilgrimage as a tool of spiritual transformation, due to the practical need of accelerating the development of lay leaders within a church dependent upon the ministry of lay people. Direct observation of increased ministry involvement demonstrates that this process of pilgrimage has achieved initial success at Saint Joseph's. An adult pilgrim has entered the Community of Aidan and Hilda as a result, and continues to look for ways to lead in ministry at Saint Joseph's. Another adult pilgrim has taken on additional ministries in the area of finance at the church, as well as volunteering with the children's ministry, and joining the team of hospital visitors. A third adult pilgrim has expanded her ministry to join the strategic planning team of the parish, as well as continuing to expand her ministry with icon writing, serving on the team of ushers, while continuing her ministry on the Baptism Milestones Ministry team. Two other adult pilgrims have not only expanded their roles in their current ministries, but have taken on new ministries of

Hospitality as well.

Similar results have occurred with the youth. While the majority of the past youth have moved on to college, three of the youth from the 2012 pilgrimage have increased their involvement in leading the music ministry within the church, and one of them has taken on involvement in the technology ministry as well. Two other youths, gifted in other ways than musically, continue to offer their services whenever possible to assist in the setting up and taking down of parish events throughout the year.

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Some of the youth from the initial pilgrimage have now finished college and have returned to the area. One came back to town over the 2012 Christmas holidays and immediately showed up to help with the music for the Christmas services. Two others are involved in liturgical ministry at the Unplugged contemporary service. Another young man from this first pilgrimage group also now volunteers as a facilitator for the

J2A youth program that previously led to his pilgrimage experience.

The survey data also supports this spiritual transformation, with increases displayed in perceived experiences in all areas for both youth and adults. What remains to be conducted are additional survey measurements to establish a longitudinal study regarding the lasting effectiveness of the pilgrimage experience. This will be especially helpful in further defining direct links between drivers and loyalty as regards the pilgrimage experience, that is, the areas to emphasize that will most likely correlate into long lasting spiritual transformation. In the short term, a follow-up survey will be conducted with the 2012 youth pilgrims to assess the impact of the revised pilgrimage process that they experienced.

The research has been very beneficial, especially the archetype information, as it has brought an awareness of why certain aspects of the pilgrimage process have been intuitively perceived as successful. In understanding the reasons underlying the success of what is done on pilgrimage, the process creators are given insight to maximize the effectiveness overall. In so doing, elements of pilgrimage both in terms of itinerary and activity have been revised to benefit the participant experience.

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An ancillary positive effect is that the experience of pilgrimage has benefitted the inter-generational community bonding at Saint Joseph's. Now that one hundred pilgrims, both youth and adults, from the parish have journeyed similar pilgrim routes, there is a common bond that exists between them, which continues to grow as more share the experience. Likewise, the financial and prayer support that the parish continues to provide for the youth to have this pilgrimage experience creates a broader bond as well within the church. As the number of adult pilgrims increase, there is a growing opportunity in the future to link post-adult pilgrims as spiritual mentors for youth pilgrims. This is a thought germinating within the author, since it could be another way of supporting young people on the path as they journey into the desert experience of college.

There is also awareness that in continuing the successful continuous improvement pilgrimage process, more people will want to experience it. The current profile of divorced and widowed female seniors will be expanded upon. Already, for the adult pilgrimage of 2013, there is a new profile of participant emerging. These are younger, more active professional people, some of whom are on the edge of retirement, but also those who are middle-aged and in the midst of professional careers. This is the profile of the new participants for the 2013 adult pilgrimage. Likewise, if pilgrimage is to continue to be a repeatable spiritual discipline, there will be a need for more frequent pilgrimages offered.

This brings two additional considerations into play: leadership resources and finances. First, if the demand for adult pilgrimage continues to grow, it will soon become

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necessary to train additional pilgrimage leaders besides the rector. Secondly, the obstacle of funding pilgrimage will need to be overcome as the target audience expands to differing economic levels. Already, this author has intentionally been praying for donors to come forward, as well as approaching individuals of financial means to consider an endowment for pilgrimage. The first contribution towards this was made last month, as seed money was given to establish an initial pilgrimage endowment of $10,000. More donors will be needed to adequately expand the availability of the pilgrimage experience.

In the meantime, it is vital that the parish continues to look for additional ways that will provide intense, short-term spiritual experiences that will enable the Holy Spirit to move them forward significantly in their spiritual walk. Similarities have been experienced through participation in short-term mission experiences, especially when it is blended with intense theological reflection as part of the experience. Likewise, intensive retreat experiences such as Cursillo have brought many people to increase their commitment to ministry within their parish. It is crucial, in a world where increasing time demands are placed upon people within the workforce, to find the ways in which the journey toward Christian commitment can be accelerated for those who seek God.

One current method that will hopefully assist in the move towards this discovery is the REVEAL survey process, which was developed at Willow Creek Church in

Barrington, Illinois, and has now been adapted for the Episcopal Church. This process was developed at Willow Creek specifically to help them create the supportive processes to help people advance on their path of spiritual maturity. Saint Joseph's is currently participating in a pilot of this process. It is one of the goals of this process to identify

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those milestone opportunities for a person to make that jump on the ladder of spiritual growth.

Lastly, this project has enabled the author to gain important insights into his own pilgrimage of faith. With a background in cooking and travel, this author has always had a great appreciation for those in the service industry. The growing ministry of pilgrimage at Saint Joseph's has not only enabled him to creatively bring those unique talents to use in ministry, but it has also enabled Saint Joseph's to develop a charism of hospitality to those whom they have been blessed to meet on the pilgrim way. It is clear that the journey is as important as the destination, and those whom they are privileged to meet on the pilgrim way are most often the angels unaware that God wishes for them to entertain.

The ability to affirm them in their servant ministry, and to mentor other pilgrims to do the same, continues to be one of the most rewarding aspects of the experience.

This Doctor of Ministry program was provided by Saint Joseph's in lieu of a five year sabbatical that was part of the rector's continuing education. Now, an additional seven years have passed, and it is the hope of the author to apply for grant money to take that next sabbatical, and experience first-hand the varying pilgrimages that have been benchmarked as part of this project. It would both complete and continue the journey, and bring to reality the words of T. S. Eliot,

We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.35

35 T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets, 59.

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APPENDIX A

LOCATION OF SAINT JOSEPH'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

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Campus Map of Saint Joseph's Episcopal Church & School

Location of Saint Joseph's Episcopal Church within Palm Beach County, FL

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APPENDIX B

HISTORICAL CHRISTMAS ATTENDANCE DATA

AVERAGE WEEKEND ATTENDANCE DATA

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APPENDIX C

EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT

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APPENDIX D

SAINT JOSEPH'S PURPOSE-DRIVEN MINISTRIES

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APPENDIX E

SURVEY RESULTS

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APPENDIX F

LOYALTY INDEX SCORES FOR ST. JOSEPH'S PILGRIMAGE GROUPS

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APPENDIX G

PILGRIMAGE ITINERARY MAPS

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