Here is an article I just published in our Digby Baptist 'Holy Week Newsletter'...
A Pilgrimage from Digby to Amherst
Yes, I am planning to walk from my home here to my new home, four hundred kilometres away. I want to make a ‘spiritual pilgrimage’ of it, and walk as a spiritual practice. I plan for it to be a sabbath (or sabbatical) between these chapters of my life. I plan to keep it simple, and take time each day for prayer, for reading, for visiting special places, for meeting people, for being alone, for taking notes, for making art or collecting mementos and photographs. I will be visiting my own past fifty-one years by walking on much familiar ground. I will visit churches and chapels that have been part of my life story. I will visit the burial grounds of my ancestors. I will walk with friends. I will be pondering my past eight years in Digby, and letting go of the past. I will be looking towards my next years in Amherst, imagining what is quite unpredictable.
I have a route planned out, walking about twenty kms a day for about twenty days. For the most part I will stay each night with friends and family. I will rely upon them to get me to and from my starting and ending places each day. Here is the tentative schedule; it will be flexible and allow for any terrible weather to be avoided or extra rest days if needed. You can follow along as I blog about it at www.jeffinthepulpit.blogspot.com
Mon, May 30 Digby - Upper Clements
Tues, May 31 U. Clements - Bridgetown
Wed, June 1 Bridgetown - Wilmot
Thrs, June 2 Wilmot - Aylesford
Fri, June 3 Aylesford - Coldbrook
Sat, June 4 (conference in Wolfville)
Sun, June 5 Coldbrook - Wolfville
Mon, June 6 Wolfville - Mount Denson
Tues, June 7 Mt. Denson - Mantua
Wed, June 8 Mantua - Clarksville
Thrs, June 9 C’ville - Upper Kennetcook
Fri, June 10 U. Ken. - South Maitland
Sat, June 11 South Maitland - Green Oaks
Sun, June 12 Green Oaks - Bible Hill
Mon, June 13 Bible Hill - Lower Debert
Tues, June 14 Lower Debert - Bass River
Wed, June 15 B. R. - Economy Mountain
Thrs, June 16 (day on Moose Island)
Fri, June 17 Economy Mt. - Hidden Falls
Sat, June 18 Hidden Falls - Newville
Sun, June 19 (day in Parrsboro)
Mon, June 20 Newville - Athol
Tues, June 21 Athol - Amherst
To begin my pilgrimage, I think it will be important to receive whatever blessings you folks of the Digby area would offer. So you can see me off at twelve noon on Monday, May 30th, in the churchyard. And you are welcome to walk with me, be it for one hundred metres, one kilometre, or twenty. Friends will join me from time to time all along this pilgrimage.
Finally, I must say I have not planned this to be about any cause or need; it is not intended to be a fundraiser for anything. But I also expect some people will ask if it is, and how they can donate. So I will come up with an answer for that. My reason for undertaking this is simply personal. It is an opportunity to take up an ancient Christian practice I have never tried before: to walk a pilgrimage. ¡Buen Camino!
Luke 9:2 [Jesus] sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there.
