Pilgrimage. It sounds so religious. So other-worldly. Irrelevant, even.
I think we can safely assume that the notion of pilgrimage is wildly misunderstood in contemporary Australian culture, and even in the Church. We’re a people who love to go places, do things, upload the social media post and then look out for the next experience – scrolling, researching, checking in with friends and colleagues for their recommendations for our next adventure.
We rarely sit still or remain undistracted for long enough to pay attention to what is really happening around us, in real time, and be moved by who or what we encounter. To notice, and allow God to open our eyes, ears and heart to God’s spirit, right before our eyes.
Students – and staff – in Anglican schools generally have the means to go to many interesting places and do many exciting things in their free time. Whether it feels like a holiday when they return is probably subject to their approach to the many factors that impact a trip, like the weather – was it favourable or not?; like family dynamics – did people get along? Or not?; like travel arrangements – did they go smoothly and as expected – or were they annoyingly unpleasant and inconveniently disrupted? And the people encountered along the way – were they incidental to the trip? or were they actually intrinsic to the whole experience and a vital element in the memories formed? Was there time, or even a desire, to stop, breathe, appreciate and be captivated by the wildness/beauty/cultural landscape of the place/s visited? And to ask, ‘how am I feeling right now? And what is that about?’
Was the trip experienced in discretionary bytes of sound and experience, or participated in as a long-playing encounter, living the full suite of experiences that provide meaning and texture to the whole?
I recently visited the Philippines for 10 days, along with my husband and another ABM supporter from Sydney. Meagan Schwarz, Key Relationships Manager with ABM, coordinated the trip and accompanied us. Although we intentionally embarked on the visit as pilgrimage, I was doubtful this would be possible. After all, I had work obligations to meet while away, both during meetings in the Philippines and at home, online. And as much as I was working, Meagan was definitely working more. She also had obligations, timelines and responsibilities to attend to en route, both in the communities we visited as well as back home, online. So was it disingenuous to describe our trip as pilgrimage?
As it turns out, ‘no!’. In fact, framing the whole experience as pilgrimage has re-framed my whole approach to what holistic mission as pilgrimage might look like for people who form the communities within Christian schools in the Anglican tradition. As Director of Mission with the Anglican Schools Commission in Anglican Church Southern Queensland (the Diocese of Brisbane), I have been trying to distil the distinctives of what an experience of education in an Anglican school looks like, feels like, and sounds like. The notion of pilgrimage is helpful for framing our shared quest to nurture great humans through witnessing to the love of God, fostering a sense of dignity and care for God’s children everywhere, inviting people to faith, forming disciples of Christ and caring for creation.
On our first day in Manila we spent time exploring the idea of pilgrimage. I very quickly recognised that we didn’t have to be on the Camino de Santiago, walking in the footsteps of Jesus around Jerusalem or the Galilee, or walking one of the many pilgrim ways in the UK to be on pilgrimage. To be on pilgrimage was simply an intentional journey in response to the stirring of God’s spirit, fully present to whoever, wherever and however we found ourselves. To be foreigners and yet at home. To be present to the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and physical sensations of all that we would encounter, discovering more of God on the way and participating in the truly life-giving and surprising life of the Spirit. This was to be profound. As our trip continued, these encounters became some of the most humbling experiences of my life. They have been transformative.
On our return, when people asked ‘how was your trip?’, I found myself saying ‘it’s been one of the most deeply human encounters of my life’. I know it has changed me for good.
Perhaps the most humbling few hours, which completely unravelled me, was the time we spent worshipping in the worship centre Krus na Banal (the Cross of the Crossroads) Episcopal Church, in the province of Capiz, part of the Missionary Diocese of Visayas. We worshipped with the local community and then, afterwards, met with members of a local livelihood association. At this ‘cross at the crossroads’, I experienced a stripping away of striving, and allowed myself permission to accept that being fully present to the life of God around me – paying attention to my neighbour and the details of the world around me as much as myself – is enough.
You see, ABM Anglicans in Development (AID) partners with the Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP), and particularly with its E-CARE (Episcopal Community Action for Renewal and Empowerment) Foundation. The mission of E-CARE is to support self-reliant and sharing communities through asset-based community development (ABCD) and the ‘Receivers to Givers’ policy, where receivers are encouraged and equipped to become givers also. The Lonoy Oyster Association is one such E-CARE community partner. The members of the association meet once each month for mutual support, for Bible study and for prayer. They have benefitted from being resourced to develop other livelihood activities to provide income during the long wait for their oysters to mature. The church is growing through its partnership with local families who are benefitting in so many ways from the mutual support and care of the partnership. As we worshipped on that Sunday morning, we were alongside many people from the association, along with their family members.
One man in particular stands out. He helps to manage several livelihood associations, and had come with us the afternoon before to help plant some mangrove propagules, part of a replanting project to assist with fish spawning. I thought he was a regular worshipper. However, it was his first time worshipping with this Episcopal community and he was clearly very moved by the welcome and hospitality extended to him. One person. Yet our world is full of people like him. I couldn’t help thinking about how we place hospitality and inclusion at the heart of Anglican school life, and the ways that people experience transformation as a result.
There are many such stories form our time in the Philippines. And you will have your own from your past experiences of pilgrimage and encounter.
I do wonder whether we could be more effective in witnessing to God’s love in the world, forming disciples and caring for others and the earth if, in all our school processes, including when we facilitate student retreats and camps, we used a pilgrimage approach. For staff too, to encourage a more contented and connected way of being. Less angst about self. The capacity to lessen striving or distraction and be present to others, allowing us to settle into who we are in more life-giving ways.
In a few short weeks we look forward to welcoming 8 school and university chaplains from the Episcopal Church in the Philippines as they undertake professional learning. This is an initiative emerging from ECP’s strategy to strengthen chaplaincy as an intentional 21st century ministry to grow the Church in the Philippines. I look forward to framing this visit as pilgrimage, both for our visitors as well as for chaplains in our diocese as we host our colleagues. We have much to learn from each other about our life in Christ and our ministries in the varied contexts represented.
I dare to trust that as we spend time together – worshipping, learning, sharing hospitality, enjoying the opportunity to visit new places – that this time of pilgrimage will provide time and space for transformative human encounter that strengthens our capacity to be effective 21st century missioners in our schools.
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