Egypt Journal #10

From November 16th - 27th, I traveled to Egypt with a group from Duke Divinity School, led by Professor J. Warren Smith. In the next few posts, I am going to include edited sections of my travelogue. It was an incredible journey - which included an unexpected experience of spiritual renewal for me. I hope you enjoy reading about our travels.
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That just about wraps up my journal. After I got back home to Durham, I reflected on many aspects of the trip that I had not included in my day-to-day journals. I never really reflected properly on our guides - Osama and David - who made it possible for us to see and experience all that we did. They showed us a wonderful hospitality and a great deal of patience! David even had us over to his home for a real Thanksgiving dinner - complete with a turkey that he and his wife had gotten from the comissary attached to the American embassy in Cairo.
We were fortunate to have both Osama and David with us.

It was also interesting to have with us a government escort everywhere we went, who wore a compact sub-machine gun on his belt. I asked a couple of people about this, and they said that it was the government's way of making Western tourist groups "feel secure." I'll leave that without further comment.

On the Wednesday night we ate our Thanksgiving meal at David's house, we later went to a "Bible study" led by Pope Shenouda III at St. Mark's Cathedral in Cairo. It was a wonderful experience, as we got to see the Coptic spiritual revival in its fullness. I write about this experience in my column this week in the United Methodist Reporter, so I'll let you read more about it there.

It's good to be home, although I find my mind drifting back to Egypt some each day. I hope to return there at some point in the future. And I really hope that the openness the Coptic Church has to the presence and work of the Holy Spirit is an openness that the church in our land can have someday as well. If so, we would experience a great, tranforming revival.

Egypt Journal #9

JOURNAL: November 25, 2006 - Saturday - 7:15 p.m.

We just returned from our day at Mt. Sinai and St. Catherine's Monastery, which sits at the base of it. It was yet another great highlight in what has been a tremendous pilgramage for me. St. Catherine's is Greek Orthodox, and it is quite different from all the Coptic monasteries we have visited. There was no guided tour by a monk, so people were free to wander around. Many groups had brought guides with them. And the number of the nationalities & languages I heard around me was fascinating. In fact, it was a little bit like going to Machu Picchu and seeing a veritable United Nations smorgasboard on the top. St. Catherine's has been a pilgramage destination for centuries upon centuries (unlike the Coptic monasteries, which have been opened relatively recently to the public), and the monks appear to be resigned to their fate. No peace. No solitude. No quiet.

The main church of the monastery was beautiful in a very Othodox way. It was decorated almost to the point of seeming a little bit gaudy. There were heavy chandeliers hanging low, with hanging ostrich eggs interspersed everywhere. And of course, icons lined the walls. Some of it - much of it - was tailored to handle the tourist crush.

There was a modern bush planted in the courtyard that is the traditional site of the burning bush. It was hanging down from a ledge, and the branches that were within reach were picked clean for leafy souvenirs. I couldn't help but think of the Singing Bush scene from "Three Amigos." I would have given anything if that bush had broken out into song.

The most famous icons - three dating from the sixth century and including Christos Pantocrator - were kept in a sort of museum area, along with many impressive liturgical pieces and ancient texts. So the history was as impressive as any we've seen, while the spiritual heaviness of the Coptic monasteries was almost completely absent. It is as if the monks have simply bowed to the pressure of relentless busloads of tourists, eager to see Mt. Sinai and the iconography.

St. Catherine's is, supposedly, the oldest continuously inhabited monastery in the world, by the way. Its icons were saved during the medieval iconoclasm controversy, because the monastery was in Muslim territory and was thereby protected (ironically enough).

We are staying at the Plaza Hotel in the grown-up area near the monastery. Like other hotels where we've stayed, it is interesting to say the least. I am in the lobby as I write this, and the shortcomings of Egyptian hotels are constantly present and very annoying. Service and amenities are a world away from Western standards. One of the guys on our trip made the remark, "They try so hard, but they try so wrong." Well put.

The journey up Mt. Sinai this afternoon was incredible. Most of us chose to take the more difficult, ancient path called the "Steps of Repentance." It was as steep and difficult a climb as I have made in a long time. But the 1 hr. 45 min. trip was worth every step. We had an incredible view from the top, and the spiritual connection with biblical tradition was palpable. I have no doubt that Moses and the Hebrews were in this area of the Sinai (and probably at this very mountain), regardless of the mountain's tenuous historical claim. [Note of explanation: the current Mt. Sinai was dubbed as such by Christians some 1500 years or more after the time of Moses. I believe it was around the time of the Emperor Constantine, in the fourth century A.D.]

We prayed, worshipped, and sang on the summit. Around that circle of brothers and sisters, I felt I was catching a glimpse of the kingdom. Dr. Smith read 2 Corinthians 3:1-18, a fitting passage for the moment. Afterwards, many were in tears.

Our trip down was by the camel's path, the longer but easier path used to ferry people up the mountain by camel. I took it mostly alone, and the solitude was good. It was a good day and a good finale to the trip.

The cold of the desert this evening reminds me how much I long for the comforts and conveniences of home. I especially want to see Emily, and the $4 U.S./per minute international rate at this hotel makes calling her prohibitive. It has been a wonderful experience for most all of us. Even so, there is much back home that is calling my attention, and truthfully, I will enjoy getting back to my work. I only hope that when this is finally over, and the wonderful experiences are translated into wonderful memories, I can integrate what I have seen and done into my discipleship. Ascetic renunciation; silence; an approach to faith that embodies the practices of my hands and feet and tongue as well as of my mind - these are not abstract ideas fit only for a seminar discussion or a term paper. They are a vital part of the church's tradition, and I want them to be a vital part of my faith.

Egypt Journal #8

JOURNAL: November 24, 2006 - Friday - 11:39 p.m.

The pace of the trip over the past couple of days has made it next to impossible to find time for journaling. The little free time I have had has been spent reading and trying to finish some of the books I brought along from my classes.

We are in the Sinai now, near the monastery of St. Catherine and staying these next two nights in a hotel here. Tomorrow, we tour the monastery (which is Greek Orthodox) and then climb Mt. Sinai, or what in Arabic is called "Jebel Musa."

Last night, we were at a hotel on the Red Sea, on the African side of the Suez Canal. We toured the monastery of St. Paul yesterday afternoon. It is ancient and is named after the original Egyptian desert hermit - St. Paul, who even St. Antony recognized as the first Christian monk. The monastery was small and sparse, and the monk who led us around had an ancient look about him (although he was probably only middle-aged). This was easily the most austere place we have visited.

This morning, we visited the nearby monastery of St. Antony, an extremely popular pilgramage site for Copts. Our guide was Abba Ruwais, who combined holiness and humor in a way much like Abba Nicodemus at St. Bishoy. Father Ruwais spent a great deal of time with us, and David Grafton, from the Protestant Seminary in Cairo (who is now travelling with us), said that this was exceptional treatment. He said that Father Ruwais commented to him as an aside that he liked our group a lot.

Two observations: 1) the monks at St. Antony claim that the physical monastery dates back to the 4th century. The church of St. Antony inside has the most impressive frescoes we have seen, and Father Ruwais claimed that the dome dates from the 5th or 6th century. St. Antony's relics are under the main altar, which we saw. That little church simply defies description.

2) Father Ruwais did all that he could to make our visit an act of worship. He blessed us with oil - on the forehead for our thinking, on the throat for our speaking, and on the wrists for our acting. He splashed us all with water from Antony's spring as a blessing. He prayed the Lord's Prayer with us in each of the two monastery churches. And he gave us each a small loaf of the type of flat bread that they use for Holy Communion (still warm from the oven!). It was a tender, beautiful form of evangelism. He was a man who seemed to be filled with the peace of God in everyway.

One other thing - when we were in the bookshop and I was talking to Father Ruwais, he casually took my right arm, rolled up my sleeve, and drew a picture of St. Antony on my forearm with a ballpoint pen. I am looking at it right now. Simply remarkable. Father Ruwais was so tender in all that he did, and he preferred to walk or stand while holding someone's hand - male or female, it did not matter.

Tonight, we drove 6 hours to cross the Suez canal (through an underground tunnel) and drove down the Sinai coast. Very tired now, but excited about tomorrow.

Missing Emily. Yesterday was Thanksgiving back home, and we spoke briefly on the phone.

Egypt Journal #7

JOURNAL: November 22, 2006 - Wednesday - 10:30 a.m.

Yesterday was a real highlight of the trip. We went from Alexandria to two monasteries in Wadi-al-Natrun: the monastery of St. Bishoy and the monastery of El-Syriani. At St. Bishoy, we were led by a monk named Father Nicodemus, a man who possesses the rare combination of holiness and humor. I found myself awed by the place from the moment we walked inside. Parts of it date from the 8th century, while other parts are modern. But a uniform architectural style has been maintained throughout, in the distinctive look of the Coptic Church (round domes topped by Coptic crosses, plain brown walls befitting the desert, etc.).

When we walked into the first of several churches inside the monastery walls, there in front of us were the relics of St. Bishoy himself. Though his body is covered in a velvet crimson cloth bearing his image, it is said that the remains are perfectly preserved, without mummification. During his life, St. Bishoy received two appearances of the resurrected Jesus. At one, he washed Jesus' feet, and at the other, he carried Jesus on his shoulders. For these acts of humble faithfulness, Jesus promised him that his body would be preserved.

There were monks and laymen chanting prayers around the relics, and I was overcome with the presence of the Holy Spirit. The icons hanging on the walls looked out at me and seemed to look inside of my soul. There was just a fullness to the place, so that I did not want to leave.

On my way out, I was stopped in the doorway by an Egyptian man - very jovial and friendly - who wanted to talk to me about both Egyptian and American cultures.

We moved on through the tour until we ended up inside another church, which was in the ancient keep of St. Bishoy. There was an icon of Christ there, who was holding a Greek copy of the Bible turned to John 8:12 - "I am the light of the world..." When Father Nicodemus talked about this and had a student read it in the Greek, I found myself withouth thought or words. Tears fell from my eyes, and I was filled with something I can only describe as a holy, divine love. It was so pure and so good that it hurt, although the pain was not unwelcome. It felt cleansing of body body and soul. My attempts to comprehend it or understand it with words in my mind were confronted by a silence, and I think God wanted me to accept the silence.

When Father Nicodemus then read to us from the Coptic Bible, the Spirit visited again. No words I could write would this justice; I only know that the holiness of Father Nicodemus, the physical space of the St. Bishoy monastery, the impact of the icons, and perhaps my openness and willingness to receive, all combined to make me intimately aware of God's love at that moment.

I'm writing this hours afterward, of course. But as I think back on it, I don't like to think of this as a "religious experience." To do such a thing would be to tame it, to bracket if off from "normal experience." Instead, I hope that I can think of it as another step in the continuing redemption of my body and soul. I have prayed to be healed, and I have taken steps this semester to be more committed to discipleship. I want to learn to really pray, and that's what I think was happening at St. Bishoy - I was praying. This is not an isolated "experience," but simply a part of my ongoing healing - the recovery of my true nature through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Egypt Journal #6

JOURNAL: November 21, 2006 - Tuesday - 10:05 a.m.

We are in our hotel lobby in Alexandria, preparing to leave the city after our one-day stay. We will go west into the desert to visit the monasteries at Wadi-al-Natrun before heading back to Cairo. Wadi-al-Natrun is the site of some of the original Egyptian monastic communities, dating back to the 4th and 5th centuries.

Reading Rowan Williams' Where God Happens in preparation for our discussions of it later this week, I have been reminded how important silence is in being attentive to the voice of God and in cultivating an awareness of the Holy Spirit. Taking the archbishop's advice, I have been saying the Jesus Prayer on my breath and in my heart over the past couple of days. The disturbing awareness this has immediately given me is how foolish most of my own words are. I crave the life of discipline and holiness, but I am not willing to be silent long enough to make even a novice's steps in that direction. I cover up my fear with babbling.

I have also realized how much I have begun to fall into a tourist mentality of just taking each day in at a head-level, without thinking about how it relates to my vocation. I don't want to do that. The reason I got excited about this trip as a prospective Th.D. student last spring was because of how it might inform my sense of calling. I should not let the surface excitement of seeing new things interfere with a deep reflection on how monastic spirituality and the contemplative life can teach me something important about faith.

I miss Emily terribly five days into this trip. I also find myself longing for some of the spiritual companions who have meant so much to me along the way, those whom I love dearly and with whom I would dearly love to share these experiences. That said, developing friendships among some of the people on this trip has been a very rewarding way to go about our travels. As we are getting to know one another, we are laying the foundations of our friendships through common experiences in a very exciting environment.

Alexandria is a beautiful city. I wish we could stay longer. It is so different than Cairo - clean and airy and aesthetically pleasing. We saw a Roman amphitheatre yesterday, in use from the 4th-8th centuries (and very well preserved/restored). It was next to the ruins of a Roman bath and philosophical school that are still being excavated by an international team of archaeologists.

We also toured the ancient Roman catacombs, decorated originally in an "Egyptianized Roman" style, which combined elements of both the Egyptian and Greco-Roman religious pantheons. The catacombs were taken over and used by early Christians, supposedly both for burials and meetings. They were sincerely one of the most impressive human structures I have ever seen - deeply mystifying and evocative of historical drama.

Finally, we visited the modern library of Alexandria, completed just a few years ago and intended to eventually rival the ancient one accidentally destroyed by Julius Caesar around 48 B.C. The interior architecture of the present library is one of the best examples of modern design that I have seen. It consists of seven tiered levels, all visible from any floor in the interior (due to a terraced design, which is hard to even describe). The collection is a relatively paltry 500,000 volumes at present, but the (optimistic) plan is to increase it to 8 million. By contrast, one of the students in our group said he had heard that Duke's overall library collection is presently at around 5 million volumes. I don't know what that discrepancy says more about - the tremendous wealth and resources of top-tier American universities, or the poverty of resources in the developing world.

I haven't written much (or anything) about the guide who has coordinated our logistics and accompanied us everywhere we've been. His name is Osama, and he is a Coptic Christian who is originally from Upper Egypt and who now lives in Cairo. His family also has a getaway apartment on the beachfront here in Alexandria, and our very long day ended with supper there last night. Osama's hospitality was gracious and touching. We returned back to our hotel at around 11:30 p.m. Still exhausted this morning!

I witnessed a tragic scene this morning but don't have the emotional energy or the hand strength to describe it right now.

[Note: The "tragic scene" I could not write about at the time was a small, abandoned kitten that was huddled and shivering under a bench near where we had morning prayer. The kitten was clearly not even old enough to be weaned, but when we tore up some cooked chicken and offered it, the kitten devoured it hungrily. The kitten didn't have a chance - much like two similarly abandoned kittens I saw in Peru this past spring - and for all I know the chicken itself might have killed it. But later during breakfast, I looked out the window of our hotel restaurant and noticed a dog working its way down the beach, near to where the kitten had been hiding. One way or the other, it is clear that its suffering was not going to last long.]

Egypt Journal #5

JOURNAL: November 20, 2006 - Monday - 8:25 a.m.

I finally got to an Internet cafe last night, by the way. It costs 3 Egyptian pounds for 30 minutes, or the equivalent of about 60 cents. At the airport in Amsterdam, it cost 6 Euros for 15 minutes, which is about 7 bucks or so. Go figure.

We just got on the bus to head to Alexandria. Not much to write right now. I thought about a couple of observations on the trip thus far:

- The mass of humanity on the streets of Cairo is just remarkable. It makes Lima, Peru, look tame (well, almost). There are huge crowds EVERYWHERE. And it never stops. 8:00 last night and 8:00 this morning, the sidewalks and streets were packed.

- The "essence" store we went to last night was called "Royal Perfume" (signs here are almost universally in English as well as Arabic. Samir said that is a legacy of British colonialism, but I imagine that the tourist industry here has had a big impact in more recent years). Our salesman's name at the Royan Perfume was Hisam. He was a round, jovial young Egyptian guy who must have been born to sell that stuff. I thought he did a good job convincing me to buy, as I went into the store having no intention to do so. I was so impressed I asked to take a picture with him.

More on Alexandria later.

Egypt Journal #4

JOURNAL: November 20, 2006 - Monday - 12:05 a.m.

Our promised "short day" turned out to be another long one. But we began and ended in prayer, so our experiences were framed as they should have been. We saw the Hanging Church, and the churches of St. Sergius and St. Barbara - all very old and dating in parts to the 8th/9th up to the 12th/13th centuries. We also saw the ruins of the Old Babylon fortress wall, which is still in remarkably good shape. It was begun by Caesar Augustus in the 1st century A.D. and finished during Trajan's reign.

We also visited the Coptic Museum, which houses Coptic artifacts dating to very early periods. There was, for instance, a full Greek psalter dating from the 4th/5th centuries. And I couldn't help but imagine whose hands had held it and whose eyes had read it (Athanasius'? Cyril's?? It boggles the mind). The leader covers that the Nag Hammadi texts were found in were also there on full display. And icons painted on plaster walls have been extracted and preserved in the museum's collection; they date from a wide variety of time periods but are all impressive examples of early Christian art.

I picked up a couple of things for Emily today that I think she'll really like. One is a silver cartouche necklace; the cartouche was a seal used by the Pharaohs, which contained their names in hieroglyphics. I had this one printed with her name on one side and mine on the other. It's pretty cool. The other item is a bottle of "essence," which is an Egyptian type of perfume that claims to be purer and more concentrated than typical Western fragrances. We visited a shop where the "essence" is mixed and sold - a counterpart to our visits to the carpet and papyrus shops earlier in the trip. These places are wonderful examples of local Egyptian artisanry. They make, package, and sell their products under one roof. And all of them are all too happy to serve you with Egyptian or Turkish coffee while they give you their sales pitch!

Heading to Alexandria tomorrow. Hope I can fit in both work and nap on the bus!

Egypt Journal #3

JOURNAL: November 19, 2006 - Sunday - 10:50 a.m.

I slept a full 10 hours last night! It was just what I needed after not getting nearly enough rest for several days in a row. We began the day today with a lovely morning prayer service, led by Andrew Rowell. Andrew is Episcopalian, so the service he used was out of the Book of Common Prayer.

I've been trying to squeeze in reading time here and there, and I've been mostly successful. I've been behind in my devotional reading and in my reading for class, but the plane rides and bus rides have allowed me to do a lot of catching up in both those areas. Especially in regards to my reading for class, I don't want to fall too far behind while we are away. Final exams and papers will be in the horizon as soon as I get home.

We had a nerve-wracking incident last night trying to find an Internet cafe. We were "befriended" on the street by a young Egyptian man named Hakim, who promised to take us to a cafe to send some e-mails home. After leading us on a 20-minute walk with no cafe in sight, he turned down a quiet side street. I looked over at Hakim, and I noticed that he was sweating profusely, despite the fact that it was a very cool evening. Something about that set off my internal alarms, and I put the brakes on right there and stopped the group. I insisted that we turn back, despite the pleadings of Hakim. A couple of people in our group may have been frustrated with me, but I felt strongly that it was worth the risk of acting in a culturally insensitive way if our safety was at risk.

Now we have been told over and over by a lot of people that Cairo is a very safe city and that it is okay to walk alone at night; I believe that, and truth be told, Hakim was probably harmless. But we are strangers here, and I didn't want to risk it. And for what it's worth, we passed two Internet cafes on our way home that we had not noticed before (and which Hakim had passed without pointing them out).

Got to call Emily last night! We only spoke for 5 minutes or so, but it was good to hear her voice. Calling here is much more expensive than it is in other places I've been, so we'll probably communicate with both phone calls and e-mails (if I can ever get to an Internet cafe!).

We leave in a little bit for "old Cairo," which is the part of the city dating back to the Byzantine era. Some of the oldest churches in Egypt are there, including the famous "Hanging Church," which is built on top of pillars. Can't wait to see it.

Egypt Journal #2

JOURNAL: November 18, 2006 - Saturday - Later that evening

We just finished seeing the pyramids and the Great Sphinx at Giza. Incredible. I got some good pictures to show Emily. It has been a beautiful, relatively cool day, and we were there as the sun began to set. Some interesting things that Samir, our guide (and an Egyptian Coptic Christian) mentioned:

- There are actually 9 pyramids on the Giza plateau - the 3 big ones and 6 smaller ones (which are still visible).
- The Great Pyramid was built with approximately 2,300,000 blocks of stone, over the course of 20 years.
- The pyramids all used to be covered with 'casing stone,' which made them smooth on the sides. That was removed by the Muslims to build their buildings in the medieval period, according to Samir.

Today has just been remarkable. When we were at the step pyramid at Sakkara, we could see the green, irrigated strip on either side of the Nile. I never would have guessed that the lush area would be so narrow. You can literally see across it to the desert on either side.

In Memphis, we saw the ancient ruins of a temple of Ramses II. There was a large, alabaster sphinx and a famous statue of Ramses, lying on its back because of collapsed legs. This, like Sakkara and the pyramids at Giza, is on the west bank of the Nile. All the ancient burial places were put on the west bank of the Nile because of the symbolism connected with the setting sun.

Another aspect of the day that was surprising to me is the close proximity of all these sites to one another. Giza is just opposite of Cairo on the west bank of the Nile - not out in the middle of the desert as I had always assumed. Sakkara and Memphis are just south of these, and our guide Samir mentioned that Sakkara and Giza are only 12 miles apart. It is all really part of the greater Cairo area.

Two other parts of our day were of interest. We stopped at two shops where traditional Egyptian trades were going on - carpet making at one and papyrus making at the other. Both of these are done by hand, largely as they have been for centuries. The carpets could get very expensive - into the thousands of dollars. The papyrus was painted and was less expensive; I bought a painting of the Holy Family along the Nile that resembles an icon.

Too much to tell, and now I am back in the Ambassador Hotel and simply exhausted. It is 10:30 p.m.

Egypt Journal #1

JOURNAL: November 18, 2006 - Saturday - 11:20 a.m.

After about 30 hours of travel, we arrived in Cairo this morning at 3 a.m. After a few hours to rest and eat, we hit the ground running. Right now we are on our first tour, in the area of Sakkara (on the west bank of the Nile and just south of Cairo). We saw the tomb of a high priest on our first stop, dating to 2300 B.C. The walls were literally covered with sculpture and hieroglyphs in relief. Nearby was an early "step" pyramid inside the earliest limestone building (an enclosure/wall) in the history of humankind!

The trip has been good so far. We had a 9-hour layover in Amsterdam. It was a nice diversion, and the long period of time allowed us to leave the airport and walk around the city. We visited the Rijksmuseum, which has a lot of Rembrandt paintings - portraits and sketches, including the mammoth "Night Watch," depicting a city militia unit. Makes me want to spend more time there. And the bicycles! The number of people using them as actual transportation is amazing.

We are seeing the major Pharonic sites around Cairo today, including the pyramids at Giza. Interestingly enough, they are all located in what I would call "greater Cairo." I always imagined that these places were all out in some remote area, but that's not the case. I will write as I am able during our periodic stops along the way.

Glad to be home!

I arrived back in Durham from my trip to Egypt on Monday evening. What an incredible experience! As I have been trying to overcome jet lag these past two days, my head has been swimming with thoughts of all that we saw and did. Four days ago, I was sitting on top of Mt. Sinai, and now I'm sitting at the computer in my living room. It's hard to process it all.

I plan on writing a few blog posts on the experience of traveling to Egypt as a pilgrimage. In the mean time, feel free to check out my most recent column in the United Methodist Reporter. It is concerned with claiming our distinctive witness as Methodist people, something that must begin with a process of learning about our story and heritage.

FYI, the Alex Jackson mentioned in the column is a close friend of mine, going back to divinity school days. We were students together at Vanderbilt and have remained close since then. Back in 1999, he helped me to respond to my call into ministry. And in 2005, he officiated at my wife's and my wedding. He's a great pastor and a great friend.

Going on pilgrimage

In one of my seminars this semester - "Theology of the Alexandrian School" - I have been privileged to read some of the outstanding early thinkers of the Eastern Church: Clement, Origen, Athanasius, and Cyril. And tomorrow, that seminar culminates in a trip to Egypt, where my classmates and I will spend several days visiting ancient monasteries and churches in both the Coptic and Orthodox traditions.

Yep, I'll be spending Thanksgiving in Cairo. And while you are eating turkey, I'll be eating ... well, I don't know exactly what I'll be eating. But I bet it will be awesome.

My professor in this course is Dr. J. Warren Smith, and he has been encouraging us to think of the trip as a pilgramage rather than just a study tour. He is asking us to ground the experience in worship and prayer, and we'll be joining together each morning to sing, read Scripture, and hear the wisdom of the Desert Fathers. It is a pilgramage in the sense that it is a journey to visit sites that have been important parts of the Christian story since the very early period of the church's history. The physical aspect of the journey is mirrored by a spiritual aspect of journeying back to our common Christian roots.

So I want to take the pilgrammage aspect of this trip really seriously. This doctoral study I am engaged in now is tied up with my sense of calling and vocation. I believe God has called me back into academic study, so that I can help the church reclaim the richness of its tradition for our common practice of faith. This type of experience is just what I have been hoping to include as a part of my spiritual formation while I am in the Th.D. program. So I'm not just going on a fun trip. I'm going on a pilgramage.

I would appreciate your prayers for me and the others in the seminar - and the families we are leaving behind - while we are away. I will keep a journal while I am gone, and I hope to reflect on what I experience both in this blog and in my UM Reporter column. I am excited to see what is in store for us...