Pilgrimage is neither a vacation, nor a sightseeing tour, nor a mission trip. Pilgrimage is a time for seeking and finding God in new ways. The blessings of a pilgrimage can take time.
On June 20th, 2009, fifteen of St. John’s Youth and six adults embarked on a Pilgrimage to San Francisco and Yosemite National Park in California. We knew our itinerary, and although it looked like part vacation, part mission trip – it was so much more!
During our nine day journey we experienced the fun stuff: swimming in the San Francisco Bay, being awed by the views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, going to a Giants baseball game, exploring the shops and saying hello to the Sea Lions at Pier 39. We also took time to reflect on where God was in all of this.
San Francisco also held some unique learning experiences for our group. We visited Grace Cathedral for their service on the labyrinth – complete with a cantor! We also had the privilege to walk the outdoor labyrinth. We got a taste of another culture with the Chinatown Alleyway Tour. We finally mastered public transportation, and made our way about 30 minutes south of downtown to help out Nina, an Episcopal Deacon who runs Bayview Mission. We cleaned, sorted, and organized so that they would be better able to serve those in this very needy area of the city. Nina’s service made quite an impression on all of us.
Yosemite gave both the adults and the youth time to experience God in one of His most beautiful parks. Yosemite National Park with its towering granite creations really showed us just how small we are and how magnificent God is. Our group hiked here, learned how important it is to “leave no trace behind”, and helped clear blackberry bushes to give something back to the park.
Our J2A’ers came up with insights so good we knew they were “getting it.” From one pilgrim’s remark about flying through some beautiful clouds on the flight there, “I think I saw heaven today” – to another’s quote, “God loves us and wants us to see beauty on the earth.”
“The blessings of a pilgrimage can take time.” All who were part of this pilgrimage will carry the experiences, the lessons, the laughter, the tears, and our God who carried us through safely, in our hearts for a lifetime. St. John’s parishioners helped greatly with your support and prayers. We all thank you, and ask for continued prayers that our journey will continue.
Originally published in St. John’s Epistle, September 2009.