Pilgrimage

EDITOR’S NOTE: This November, first-time and repeat pilgrims will travel to Israel and Palestine (with the option to also visit Jordan). Fr Robert Hendrickson (Saint Philip’s Rector) and Cn John Kitagawa (Saint Philip’s former Rector) will lead the group, and Shirin McArthur (parishioner) will serve as spiritual director.

Below is a letter from Shirin McArthur that shares the impact of Holy Land pilgrimage on her life.

As most of you know, Fr Robert has just visited the Holy Land. As he noted in his June 17 Bell & Tower letter to us, Jerusalem is where he “returns to reconnect” with the fundamentals of his faith.

For me, traveling to the Holy Land profoundly impacted my relationship with Jesus and my understanding of the Gospels. Again and again, walking, standing, sitting, and praying in places where Jesus walked, stood, sat, and prayed was transformational for me.

As some of you know, I’m now sharing my blog posts through St. Philip’s Daily Bread each Thursday. During July, I’ll be posting some specific stories about how my time in Israel and Palestine transformed my understanding of scriptural stories. (If you don’t subscribe to Daily Bread, you can register and read prior postings here.)

I’ll share another story here. The photo above is of my feet standing at the top of the stairs in Jerusalem which lead down from the traditional location of the High Priest Caiaphas’ house into the Kidron Valley. The photo below is taken from the same area, looking back across the Kidron Valley toward the Mount of Olives.

This is the way Jesus was likely taken after his arrest: down the Mount of Olives, across the Kidron Valley, and up the steps that cut across the bottom right of this photo. Behind me as I took this photo is the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu (Gallicantu means cockcrow, recalling how Peter denied Jesus three times while waiting in the courtyard of Caiaphas’ house after Jesus’ arrest). Beneath the church is a warren of natural caves, including a pit where Jesus might have been held while the high priest, scribes, and elders debated his future deep into the night.

Visiting these sites brought those hours to life in a way I could never have imagined. We hear the stories of Jesus’ arrest, and we know he was held overnight, but when we visit the places where he walked, scripture comes alive in a new way.

Would you join us on pilgrimage this November? Will you walk with us where Jesus walked? Please register today and join us on this journey of faith.

Peace,

—Shirin McArthur