A Sacred Journey

practicing pilgrimage at home and abroad

5 Must-Have Qualities of Journey Companions

Though pilgrims of old often journeyed solo, they were not alone on their journeys.

Their communities journeyed with them vicariously, sending the pilgrim off with prayers and encouragement as the pilgrim willingly set off into the unknown. The knowledge of this support from afar fueled the pilgrim along the path, serving as a reminder that this was a journey worth making when they needed it most.

We, too, can benefit from the support of Journey Companions. Whether we are traveling on pilgrimage abroad or journeying through everyday life, Journey Companions accompany us in spirit and in presence, sharing our desires for the journey and joining us in solidarity and intention each step of the way.

Journey Companions can be pastors, mentors, spiritual directors, close family members, or treasured friends. The Celts had their own term for this—an anam cara or “soul friend”—a person with whom our shared connection is deep beyond words. Whatever the relationship, a Journey Companion should possess these five essential qualities:

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Questions for the Pilgrim at the End of the Day

Reflection is an essential practice for the pilgrim.

Oftentimes, as we move through our everyday lives or travel from one destination to the next, it’s easy to miss the small moments where the True Self surfaces and the Sacred abounds. The spiritual practice of reflection heightens the pilgrim’s awareness of the journey at hand as they consider where Sacred Encounter occurred along the path and where the Sacred Guide is leading next. It is an especially valuable practice at the end of the day as the pilgrim seeks to draw meaning from their experience and make space for whatever the new day will bring.

To practice the awareness of the pilgrim, consider reflecting on these seven questions at the end of your day. Like the Ignatian practice of examen, use these questions as tools to highlight meaning in the day that has passed and look with intention on the new day to come.

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My 2019 Sabbatical (+ a Sabbatical Episode with John Valters Paintner)

When I was in graduate school, I took a class on Sabbath.

We talked about the history of Sabbath in the Jewish tradition, began a Sabbath practice, and discovered what it really means to cease from doing and focus on being. Given my interest in pilgrimage, however, and my focus on long-term journeys, what stayed with me most was our exploration of sabbatical—an ancient biblical practice modeled after the Sabbath meant to offer rest for both people and the land.

For most of us, today “land” means our work in the world. And while the practice of sabbatical and taking significant time away from work is common for both academics and ministers, it’s not well-known amongst many other professions. It benefits, though, are extraordinary. In that same Sabbath class, we watched a TED Talk by Stefan Sagmeister, a graphic designer based in New York City. Instead of working straight through until retirement, he decided to bring retirement to him in bits and pieces, choosing to close his agency for a full year every seven years. Though unconventional, this practice, he said, has come to fuel his creativity for years to come. In fact, his work wouldn’t be as good without it.

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S2:E8 | Entering Our Places of Darkness with Vanya Stier-Van Essen

No matter your journey, there will always be seasons of darkness.

Sometimes we find ourselves in these dark places, as with dark nights of the soul. At other times we choose to enter the unknown on our search for the Sacred. Either way, though unexpected, one thing is certain—hidden treasures can often be found in our places of darkness if we engage them with openness and curiosity. In today’s episode, I explore this topic and more with depth psychologist Vanya Stier-Van Essen.

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7 Reasons Why Uncertainty is Good for Your Journey

While we might prefer to set out on our journeys both abroad and in everyday life with our destination in sight, sometimes life has other plans.

Disruptions in our journeys can lead to disorientation and uncertainty, but that doesn’t mean that our journeys must be placed on hold. In fact, not knowing where we’re headed often allows more space for the Sacred Guide to enter in. Here are 7 reasons why uncertainty is actually good for your journey:

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Lean Into Your Journey by Creating a Home Altar

Have you ever lit a candle with your morning prayer, pinned words of inspiration to a bulletin board, or gathered an element from nature that appealed to you and displayed it in a prominent place?

If so, it’s likely you’ve been creating mini altars of your own whether you were aware of it or not—little vignettes that house hopes and express longings. You’re not alone, after all; Seekers of the Sacred have been creating altars to mark experiences of Sacred Encounter and symbolize their Sacred Search for millennia.

The word “altar” literally means “high place,” and it is these high places that we as pilgrims journey toward, whether we’re walking the storied road to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela or journeying to new places of awareness right at home.

For the pilgrim at home, altars are representations of the Sacred stirrings that are happening within. Just as the altars or Ebenezers created in Biblical times were expressions that “something Sacred happened here,” the altars we create today remind us that “something Sacred is happening here”—both in our travels and in our everyday lives.

Creating a mini-altar at home to accompany you on your journey can remind you what it is that you seek and hold your intention on your behalf as you go about your day. Create your own home altar by following these three steps:

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S2:E6 | Listening to Dreams with Kasey Hitt

In biblical times, dreams proclaimed truths and altered paths. What insight do our dreams have to offer our journeys today?

Spiritual director Kasey Hitt and I talk about the messages of dreams and how they are considered “unopened letters from God,” making dreamwork a valuable and often underutilized spiritual practice.

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S2:E5 | Practicing Pilgrimage in Everyday Life with Pat Loughery

Even though your journey might be over, it doesn’t mean your time as a pilgrim has come to an end.

In today’s episode, spiritual formation teacher Pat Loughery and I talk about how to “bring the journey home” and approach pilgrimage not only as a way of travel but as a way of life, including daily rhythms, practices, and more.

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Practicing Pilgrimage as a Way of Life

Confession: While the world might call a journey to a Sacred site a “pilgrimage,” I don’t think that necessarily makes the traveler a pilgrim.

After all, many tourists travel to the holy isle of Iona for day trips each summer without ever truly sinking into the wonders and mysteries that the isle has to offer, and many groups journey to Rome each year participating in religious rituals and checking sites off of their list without ever considering how the journey and its particularities might influence life upon their return.

While most see pilgrimage is a type of travel with a multitude of tourist websites popping up with any web search (many offering to guide you in air-conditioned buses each step of the way), practicing pilgrimage isn’t simply limited to travels abroad—ultimately, it’s a way of life.

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