Article From Our Newsletter About The Pilgrimage to New York

“As I make my slow pilgrimage through the world, a certain sense of beautiful mystery seems to gather and grow.” A.C. Benson

Pilgrimage has always been a strange word to me. I have always thought that life itself was a pilgrimage, and it is, but I have recently begun to understand the very spiritual nature of being intentional about a trip somewhere. Wikipedia defines a pilgrimage as “a long journey or search of great moral significance.” Great Moral Significance.

When I first started planning for the Young Adult Pilgrimage coming up in June, I sat with that statement for a while. We decided that going to New York, to the headquarters of The Episcopal Church, would be a great way to get to know how we fit into a larger picture.

We asked for an audience with the Presiding Bishop because we thought it would be a great way to understand what The Episcopal Church wants from us and what it is doing for us. We want an opportunity to show her who we are and why we are so important to the life of the church. We also think that having an opportunity to explore our cultural and religious history and its significance in the way the church interacts with the community is important. And our last goal is to try to get a better understanding of what the church does in times of crisis, like our relief work after 9/11. I think all this plays in to the exact definition of a pilgrimage, a “search of great moral significance.”

I never really understood the difference between a vacation and a pilgrimage until I went on a trip to Quito, Ecuador, in South America. I never thought that a “vacation” could change my life in the way that trip has.

By going with a group of people who were also there trying to have a life-changing experience, I was able to transform what could have been any other trip with something that opened my eyes to the love and grace that Jesus left when he died on the cross. I was given the language to put my spirituality into words. Having people around you who are searching for a deeper relationship with God is essential to the spiritual growth of any person.

Here's what we are planning;

• Leave June 20 and return on June 27;
• The cost will be $1100 for an entire week in New York City, which includes flights, lodging, activities, and transportation while we are there;
• The activities, which are subject to change at any time and are included in that price, are:
• visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, The Episcopal Church offices, Trinity Wall Street (one of the first Episcopal churches ever built)
• tours of General Seminary (the first Episcopal seminary), The Cathedral of St John the Divine including a spire climb, Ground Zero and St. Paul's Chapel (where most of the 9/11 relief was housed);
• day of mission work;
• a Broadway show and a show at St. Mary's put on by the Episcopal Actors Guild; and
• A MEETING WITH THE PRESIDING BISHOP!!
• The only thing not included in this price is your food. You will be required to bring extra money to cover that. I suggest you budget $50 a day, which is $350, but you can eat for cheaper than that if you try.
• A non-refundable deposit of $500 is due by April 10. An additional $300 is due on May 8, and a $300 payment on June 5.

I hope you will consider joining us for this meaningful trip of discovery to learn who we were, who we are, and who we want to be as Americans, Christians, and Episcopalians.

Lauren Woody

Young Adults Coordinator for the Diocese of Atlanta
For more information or to register contact me at lwoody@episcopalatlanta.org

Who is Lauren Woody? Part three, The Now Years

So where does this put me now? I am a 30-something woman who is trying to find a way to bridge the gap between the early years, the college years, and the now years. I find it difficult sometimes to find that bridge. I am also a person who is just starting to settle down. I have finally found a way to weave my spirituality into my vocation. I have been through almost 5 different professions in the last 12 years, and I have finally found one that is fulfilling. I am in a long term relationship that is headed towards marriage. We are trying to figure out what all that means and when is the right time to "take the leap"? I am learning to accept that my parents are starting to get old and have health problems. My ten year high school reunion has come and gone. The first car I ever bought is starting to break down. I am hoping to buy a house soon. I don't go out to bars much anymore. My favorite activity on a Friday night is to have friends over for dinner and play board games. All this signals a life that is starting to slow down. I am reaching the age that no longer needs someone to fight for them, but can actually do the fighting for themselves. I am ready to fight and I choose to fight for a generation that hasn't fought for itself.

I work for a Diocese full of wonderful and supportive adults who are trying to help me figure it out. I have one Bishop who is our biggest advocate, who tells everyone he meets what a vital part of the church young adults are. He supports the work that we are doing and wants to be a part of it as much as he can be. Our Assistant Bishop is just as great. He has a love for young adults ministry and acts as my close mentor and friend for most of the trials I come across. He has even created a friendship with my boyfriend, who considers himself a heathen. I am very lucky to be trying to answer these questions in such a loving environment. I am so blessed and would like to use those blessings to help gain information for young adults in Dioceses that are not so lucky. I want to use this blog as a resource for people who are like me and want to try and figure things out.