Pastor Deb Washer

Re-entry from a short pilgrimage.

The 5-Day Academy for Spiritual Formation in Virginia ended today. We have waited since 2020 for conditions of the pandemic to be right so that the Academy could be held. The theme was: Pilgrimage with the Psalms.

One of our speakers, Rev. Dale Clem spoke about many different pilgrimages that are meaningful to Christians, including his own pilgrimages to some of the places he spoke about. He shared how his personal pilgrimage hiking the Appalachian Trail was part of healing from a tragic event in his family’s life when a tornado hit his wife’s church in northern Alabama on Palm Sunday in 1994 killing his daughter and 19 other members of the congregation while he was on a mission trip in Oklahoma. His pilgrimage of healing can be found in his book: 40 Days in the Wilderness: Reflection and Prayers Along the Appalachian Trail.

Our other speaker, Jerry Webber shared his depth of knowledge of the Psalms. He has 3 published 40-day devotional workbooks. His teaching included writings from many different authors and inspired us to study the Psalms using our imagination and wonder.

The Academy for Spiritual Formation offers both 5-Day and 2-Year Academies and online versions as well to enrich our spiritual lives and help us connect with other pilgrims who are seeking to enrich their faith in community with others. Rhythms of prayer, study, silence and Holy Communion all all part of the Academy’s model. These experiences are for anyone, not just clergy, and can help people seek and find God in ways that churches are not able to offer.

Re-entry back into “normal life” for me is going to take a bit of time. Our days were ordered, beginning with an early prayer service, breakfast, the first presentation by one of our speakers, silent reflection time, a time of sharing our reflections with the community, midday prayer together, lunch, free time to rest or be with God, our second presentation by our other speaker, silent reflection time, sharing our reflections with the community, a Eucharist service (Holy Communion), a meal, small group discussion, an evening prayer service, and then silence until the next day’s early prayer service before breakfast. After 4 days of this rhythm, you may see me stopping for reflection or prayer in the day, walking slower, or noticing the world around me more closely. It was good to slow down, and I feel that I gained some insight through my personal prayer time about how God both affirmed my calling and my efforts in ministry, and challenged me to order my days in a way that makes the most sense for my life at this time.

I pray that anyone who is in a season of seeking a bit more of God will consider setting time apart to pray, talk with others who are seeking God, and feel part of a community of believers who are walking some of the same “trails.” Jesus calls us into community. This is a very good thing.
Feel free to contact me, or ask any questions!

Peace and grace to you today and always!
Pastor Deb