Personal Topic: Missional Work as Pilgrimage, Blog #9

Sacred Blog #9

11-8-16

Personal Topic: Missional Work as Pilgrimage

Although there is not much written about the “missional” type of pilgrimages, there are many places in the Bible that talks about what it is like to be disciples of Jesus Christ and what certain things help you maintain or desire a life of discipleship. I came across this book Pilgrim Practices: Discipleship for a Missional Church which shows practices from the Letter of James to help guide Christians way of thinking and churches in this journey od discipleship. In this book, there is a general concept of discipleship as an issue of identity, where it revolves around discipleship with a group. This was noted to be an issue arising as the idea of discipleship moves throughout the centuries. This lifestyle is not typically lived alone, but with a congregation or group of others practicing the same things. In the book, discipleship is defined as, “Ultimately it is the means of engaging with others on a journey of faith sustained and cultivated through certain practices-pilgrim practices.” The book then goes on to explain this idea of pilgrims turning into disciples through the Lord, and participating with God in a mission around the world. I found this part to be very interesting, because I am a part of a youth group that has been on a few mission trips around the United States. I have not been out of the country yet, but I want to look at mission trips for this upcoming summer in Africa. After I went on my first mission trip to West Virginia, I was hooked on this idea of serving the Lord and offering myself to help those people in their time of need. The whole mission trip experience is extremely humbling and can, in fact, improve or alter the way you see or interpret your religion. When I came back from the mission trip, I had a whole other view of the world and how people even as close as West Virginia were living. I had heard quite a bit about the lifestyle that these people were living, but until we physically stepped into those neighborhoods and churches, we could not fully comprehend how they lived. I was blessed to have gone on this trip and grow closer spiritually to God. Likewise, I am hoping to take a big leap of faith and do this once again in Guatemala next summer. This idea of missional pilgrimages humbled and inspired me in my walk with the Lord. In conclusion, the book comes to say that these specific practices help bring Christian communities to fulfill their mission as the pilgrim Body of Christ throughout the world.