We’re sad that the Pilgrimage: A Sacred Journey Into the Land of Enchantment was cancelled last week. The planning team met and discerned, after passing through the early deadline, that the viability of this particular event was getting increasingly difficult due to various obstacles (expense, NM Fires, closures of key areas, and low registration numbers, etc.).

When we set out on a pilgrimage, we do our best to plan and prepare for the journey. But one of the things that makes pilgrimage different than just any trip or vacation, is that we have an attitude of receptivity and an expectation that God very likely will intervene with some changes direction and surprises to our itinerary!

We had some expected sadness when decided to cancel the event, but almost immediately it was followed was a explosion of new ideas and creativity around this theme. We immediately sensed God was doing a new thing, and leading us to a format that, rather than focusing ourselves on one trip at one time, that we were being led to empower multiple ways that many people and churches could experience and explore the meaning of Pilgrimage.

Announcements will be forthcoming in the next week or two of ways to engage Pilgrimage as individuals and churches. Two immediate plans in the works – Save these dates:

FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES: A BAT PILGRIMAGE! Friday evening, June 24, probably starting around 5 pm. We are currently planning to have at least two locations for youth and families to gather that are favorite sites for BATS in the Phoenix and Tucson areas, we may plan for more sites as well. And evening in the outdoors with some nature and conservancy education, plus looking at BATS and their various cultural meanings and stigmas as a way to discuss how our fears can shape our biases. We hope to find ways for the various bat pilgrims to connect up virtually with each other during the evening.

FOR OLDER YOUTH AND ADULTS: Without Oars: Casting Off into a Life of Pilgrimage with Wes Granberg-Michaelson, a workshop on Zoom, Saturday, July 9, 8-10 am AZ/9-11 am NM-EP. . Wes was with us as a workshop leader at Annual Meeting, and we encouraged people to read his book by the same name. We had engaged Wes to help lead an orientation for our July Pilgrimage, but decided to shift him to do another workshop for us as we begin the Pilgrimage Project. Cost: $10 with registration. (This event can count for clergy continuing education.) Register here.

SAVE THESE DATES! And look for more information coming!