A Pilgrim Chat
June Series, Pilgrimage Week 3!
You never know how God is going to show up with the next steps of your journey.
Preparing for Advent in early December last year, I never would have thought God was about to uncover the next puzzle piece of the work He had been stirring in my heart toward Pilgrimage.
I remember it distinctly. I was sitting in the recliner with a few minutes alone before Bryan and I took off for our Saturday evening plans. With my favorite Christian bookstore’s email open on my laptop, I was surfing their featured Advent resources and came across one that stopped me in my tracks.
It was called, Oriens: A Pilgrimage through Advent and Christmas. I’d never seen those two words, Advent and Pilgrimage, connected before and had to find out what this was all about.
Clicking the link, I discovered Fr Joel Sember. Reading the introduction, I learned about this priest from Wisconsin who upon completing seminary flew to Spain on a whim with a fellow graduating seminarian for a week’s walk on the Camino de Santiago.
He was surprised at how God moved within him and the others he met, and pilgrimage became a part of who he was. Being assigned to a diocese in Wisconsin, he wanted to make the gift of pilgrimage available to others. Knowing that most people wouldn’t be able to fly to a foreign country, it occurred to him that pilgrimage isn’t limited to Israel, Spain, or Scotland. They could do a pilgrimage right where they were!
With that thought, he created a five-day pilgrimage close to home making this powerful practice completely accessible to those in his congregation. He has taken a group each summer for the dozen years ever since.
I had the book within a few days, enjoying it during the season of Advent. Then, put on my detective’s hat to track this interesting, Pilgrim Priest down and started a conversation; first introducing myself through email, and then a Zoom call.
Now, six months later, as the Lord has been rousing this passion of pilgrimage once again, I asked Fr Joel, if he would be willing to let me interview him to share with all of you!
He graciously said, “Yes,” suggesting we do it just this year’s Pilgrimage, and inviting a couple of this year’s pilgrims to join in the conversation. Wouldn’t you know it, the timing fell perfectly as part of our Pilgrimage series.
It was such a joy! Thank you, Fr Joel, Tina, and Lisa, for sharing your heart and experience with us. Maybe next year a few from our group will join you, to share in the divine wonder of Pilgrimage.
Click here to listen to this delightful conversation.
~ Your Fellow Pilgrim, Lori
P.S. I’ll be taking the month of July off to enjoy Summer Family and Festivities. Hope you have a fabulous month. Looking forward to resuming our Saturday Morning articles and new podcast in August!