Immerse | A Journal of Faith, Life, and Youth Ministry

Pilgrimage: A Movement of Heart, Mind, Soul, Body

by Claire Smith on September 8th, 2011 -- filed under

The youTheology pilgrimage takes us into the unfamiliar, engages our entire being, and stretches us in new ways. We’re away from home and are now in the company of people we know fairly well. However, we do not know them in the same way in which we know our families or some others who are part of our daily encounters. Within the group, there are also others of whom we may have heard or even seen but are meeting for the first time.

We head for the unknown. Yes, some people took the time to read about or visit the web pages of the sites to be visited during the pilgrimage, but the journey is always filled with the unexpected and defies our imaginations. This holds true for those who have made the pilgrimage before.

We see immense educational value in undertaking this annual pilgrimage with a new group of high school students each year. It has become a time when the learning from the youTheology year crystalizes and much becomes clearer as we visit historic churches and see the artifacts, including tombs of Methodist founders, worship, and hear in situ the stories of the past and their relevance for today; stories of struggle, sacrifice, injustice confronted, and the movement from injustice to reconciliation. We note how God has been at work and continues to work, setting the captives free. We also learn how God has used and continues to use people in God’s work of redemption. There is awe and wonder at the rich legacy we have inherited and at the sheer beauty of many of the edifices.

The stories of the pilgrimage go beyond the narratives we hear from our docents and other facilitators. There are also the stories we share among ourselves as people on the move who inhabit a unique space in a concentrated movement of time that leads to the lowering of walls and a more authentic encounter with the other. Thus, in a way reminiscent of Martin Buber’s “I-Thou” the others cease to be objects, “its,” and become embodied people with whom we are in relationship. This is nourished by our worshiping together. Thus, we connect with our theme, “Loving God, Loving Neighbor,” in a new and more profound way. These neighbors are flesh and blood who receive us with open arms and in whom we see the love of God expressed in new ways. Some of the freshness has to do with our eyes being opened because of the movement we have made rather than a new action.

The movement of the pilgrimage is one where heart, soul, mind, and body are authentically engaged in life-renewing and life-giving ways. In journeying from the familiar to the unfamiliar with different folk, the body physically moves and often is physically challenged. The mind has to grapple with new concepts and structures and learn not just in an abstract way but in concrete ways as the body has been placed in the context of the dissimilar. The heart finds new affections in an outward and inward movement of mutual encounters and forms new allegiances as it is lifted up in worship of and to God. This is enabled and undergirded by the rhythm of the day, which begins and ends with communal prayer that makes space for silence. There is also debriefing in small groups at the end of each day’s exploration, and everything is related back to the theme of “Loving God, Loving Neighbor.” Our souls are engaged.

We may not all be able to go on pilgrimages in our youth ministries, but we can provide experiences that engage heart, soul, mind, and body. How have you been doing this, and how can you do so in the future?