Tags
beginning, canticles, Christ, diverse, end, evensong, God, grow, Holy Spirit, longing, pilgrimage, prayers, question, songs, stories, variety, wandering, Westminster Abbey
Photo credit: Jennifer Andrews-Weckerly; reuse with permission only
Sixteen pilgrims from Hickory Neck Church traveled to England for 8 days of pilgrimage. Our focus was on choral music, hearing Evensong or Choral Mass at a Cathedral, Minster, or college everyday. This is the last entry, initially posted on our church Facebook page. For those of you who do not follow us on Facebook, I am repeating the journey’s daily entries here. Enjoy!
London – Westminster Abbey
The full last day of our pilgrimage was a free day until Evensong. What was fascinating was how varied our experiences were. Some pilgrims chose museums, some did tours of government-related buildings (historic and modern), some did touristy things, and some rested or visited local friends. I was surprised by the limited overlap in our choices, and realized how diverse our interests really are.
That is part of what has been so beautiful about this experience. We represent a variety of ages and phases of life, backgrounds, and spiritual journeys. And yet, we all had a longing for something – a desire to know God more fully, to walk with Christ more intentionally, and experience the Holy Spirit more playfully. The commonality in our diversity made Evensong even more beautiful tonight. We gathered back in from our wandering and settled into the prayers, canticles, and songs that have rooted us this entire pilgrimage. As the boys and men artfully played one another’s voices against each other, sounds seemed to be all over the place, and yet majestically all together. Our journey mirrored the singing at Westminster Abbey in profound ways.
As we return from our pilgrimage, I encourage you to ask questions, to hear stories, and to grow with us. Our pilgrimage may feel like it is ending, but our pilgrimage is just beginning with you.
Photo credit: Jennifer Andrews-Weckerly; reuse with permission only
