Burypilgrim

So, a Saturday morning in February. I am praying. And the thought comes – ‘pilgrimage’. And then another thought comes – ‘to Bury’. Is that you God? Or just another one of my bright ideas?

And, now it’s Monday morning. And I am on the Lectio 365 App I use for morning devotions and they are starting a new three week series on……pilgrimage. Now, I am paying attention God.

So, why pilgrimage?

Because, it seemed as though God was calling me to it. But also within me, for some time, there has been a stirring to go. I have thought that I need to be going to where God is at work and that just staying put in my home, in my church, would mean that I am not fulfilling his command to go. And so I started to explore what pilgrimage could be and I found it resonated strongly. “This is the heart of pilgrimage: a journey into the unknown with God, in search of God” (Lectio 365 11/06/23). That’s a journey I really want to take.

So, why Bury?

Because, it seemed as though God was calling me there. But that’s a bit odd. Aren’t pilgrimages meant to be travelling away from your home to a distant sacred place? But what if it turns out that Bury is a sacred place, a place where God dwells, and that I might find him here, if I search. And then I am reading an LICC Connecting to Culture that says this:

“When we commit to the places we’re already in, receive his vision for the work we’re already doing, and see where his Spirit is already moving, we’re then formed into people who witness and trust in his goodness. People who don’t seek to abandon the life we have, but consistently show up in a way that seeks his kingdom and his glory. And then, if we are called to move, it won’t be because of escapism, but because of a desire to live faithfully, wherever we are.“

And so, there is also a stirring to stay, to seek the Lord and his Kingdom right where I am.

Pilgrimage to Bury. Going and staying.