Spirituality and Faith in Ministry: The Sacred Orientation of Pilgrimage
Summary: An analysis of spiritual orientation as a practice of lifelong pilgrimage. The expression of spiritual pilgrimage within individuals and churches of various cultures. Study and pilgrimage travel in Africa, Greece, Turkey, and Scotland.
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Phase One: Listening
Growing up in Minnesota, our family would often visit Itasca State Park, the source and Headwaters of the Mississippi River. Native Americans have lived in and around Itasca for thousands of years, considering it a spiritual center and source of life. It is a holy place of ancient paths, living waters, and spiritual centering. When I was 14, I was hiking near Itasca with my older brother, Patrick. While engaged in a deep theological discussion, Patrick shared his view that “We are spiritual beings living a human existence.”
The truth of this statement has stayed with me ever since, speaking to me in ways that I never could have predicted. It has led me to seek a fuller understanding of my own spirituality as well as that of others. It has drawn me to people, places, and pursuits in search of the Holy. In the years since that hike, I have come to understand that our earthly existence is primarily spiritual; the human form is merely the vessel that God provides for our spirit to reside. Practicing this awareness has drawn me closer to God and to all of God’s creation. Spirituality has formed my sense of vocation, the themes of my travels, and my call to ordained ministry.
And yet, the nature of spiritual awareness is nebulous. Sometimes I’m aware, connected, and in touch with my spirit. Other times, the connection is fleeting. I believe that spirituality is a gift from God; it is the “divine spark” that gives us intuition, faith, and insight. But I also struggle with the doubts and questions that come out of being a spiritual being, doubts that easily lead to feelings of despair and frustration. Just when I think I have it figured out, God confounds and challenges my faith and sense of control. Rather than reveal, God often chooses to ask. I resonate with the words of Rilke:
“...I would like to beg you dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.” -Rainer Maria Rilke, 1903, in Letters to a Young Poet
With the help of God, I have tried my best to live into the questions. Sometimes I’m given new insight, other times I’m challenged and thrown back into doubt. The key seems to be orientation; when the Holy Spirit orients my compass, the questions are fruitful. It is clear to me that our spirituality is a journey, a pilgrimage in search of truth. This journey is marked by spiritual questions and the way in which we respond to these questions.
I’ve engaged in pilgrimage travel to India, Guatemala, Egypt, the Holy Land, Taize, and other places. During these travels, my focus has been on spiritual transformation rather than traditional tourism. I’ve learned that pilgrimage always has an internal and external experience; through external travels my inner sense of spirituality is re-awakened and challenged. But everyone approaches spiritual pilgrimage from a personal context. One’s history, culture, and faith community give direction. As I grow in love for God and in my call to ministry, new questions arise. How does the Holy Spirit work to orient our spirituality? How do external or internal notions of pilgrimage create space for spiritual questions? As a minister, how will I preach and teach the idea that spirituality is not static, but rather a lifelong pilgrimage in its own right?
Phase 2: Understanding
The theme of my project is about the joys and challenges of spirituality as a lifelong pilgrimage. The emotion of this theme is our experience of joy, as well as the myriad emotions that accompany us in our search for joy. The situation is our orientation to the journey; how do we, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, prepare and orient ourselves for this journey? I realize that spirituality is a broad topic, with concepts that can take many different shapes. My intention is to let these concepts and themes develop and play out in the following questions:
How do Christians respond to God’s gift of spirituality throughout their lifetimes? How do Christians in various cultures view their lives as spiritual journeys? To what extent does this temporal awareness exists, both individually and collectively? What does this awareness look like in our personal and church lives? What is the role of the Holy Spirit? Is there such a thing as a practical, operational understanding of spirituality? How can I, as a future pastor, help people to better understand their own spiritual journeys? What spiritual questions should I be wrestling with as a future minister?
Why is joy the proper response to the gift of spirituality? Why should we even try to see our spiritual life as an ever-evolving, life-long journey? Why and how is our spiritual awareness both a source and product of our worldview? Why do some view spirituality as a practice while others consider it an inherent state of being? Why do some isolate individual and congregational spirituality? Why are these viewpoints important? Why do many pastors, congregations, and churches seem to focus solely on the physical expressions of religious actions - liturgies, programs, etc - at the expense of spiritual expression? Why should we even try to view spirituality as a lifelong pilgrimage? Why should this understanding matter or make a difference?
How is one’s awareness of the spiritual journey influenced by context? What are some of the particular cultural and ethnic dimensions that affect this journey? How is spirituality affected by political instability, racial oppression, and economics? How is spirituality shaped by one’s community of faith? What is the role of geography and physical landscape? Does place form and influence spiritual geography? How do we form spiritual maps to help us navigate through this geography? Can we do this alone, or must it be done within community? Which way should we orient ourselves on this journey? What do we look to for our directional compass and points of reference? How do we know, if ever, that we’ve arrived at our destination?
I could continue to pose questions. A topic like spirituality is a bottomless well of questions. And these are the kinds of questions that have an infinite number of answers! Because of this, the “Understanding Phase” of this process has been very challenging. The questions seem to fall into five broad categories – why, what, who, where, and how. WHY focus on spiritual awareness? WHAT are the most identifiable causal factors that shape, form, and direct spiritual pilgrimage? WHO is involved in giving this direction? WHERE does spiritual formation occur? HOW can I, as a leader in the church, nurture effective climates for spiritual formation?
Phase 3: Dreaming
I understand God’s work in the world as an all-encompassing, ever expanding endeavor of grace and love. We are called to grow closer to God through spiritually-grounded love for our neighbor. By loving our neighbor in the way of Christ, we love God. God’s work in the world is relationship based. Relationships come out of our intrinsic human need to connect with others. Our need to connect is primarily spiritual. When we are lonely, our spirit suffers; when we connect with others, our spirit rejoices in the interdependence of connection.
Seeing our spirituality as an evolving, lifelong journey is consistent with this theological vision. Meaningful relationships and spiritual evolution share similar traits. Both take time and effort. Both involve the full range of human emotion. And both relationships and spirituality connect us to God. Our spiritual journey is part of our lifelong relationship with God. It is an interactive journey with peaks and valleys, a journey centered in deep spiritual connection. God guides us on this journey, and wants us to find the divine in ourselves and others along the way. It is through our spiritual journeys that God’s work is made complete, both in us and in the world.
The spiritual pilgrimage is a common theme in Scripture: “Thus says the Lord: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). God recognizes that the way is often difficult, and that some paths are good while others lead to peril. Our souls depend on following Christ, the one who makes all paths straight. Most church traditions, including my own Lutheran tradition emphasize spirituality as a lifelong journey. From birth and baptism through death, the entire Christian lifespan is seen as a spiritual journey with and toward Christ. This view is evident in our teaching of doctrine, our worship, and our community values. We believe that the Kingdom of God is here and now; our response is to give thanks to God and to minister to the world.
I see the church as the primary place of spiritual formation. While our spirituality is a gift from God, it needs to be nurtured from within Christian community. The Holy Spirit, through the work of the church, fosters and harvests the fruits of spiritual awareness. The sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, along with Christian education, worship, and community life are all essential to spiritual formation. Our orientation to the world is critical as well; our practice of hospitality, mission, and evangelism helps us form and express our spirituality.
Phase Four: Acting
I want to respond faithfully to this theme as one who is called to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. As a pastor and leader, I will need myriad tools for this task; primary is the ability to cultivate attentiveness to the spiritual journey. This project will help me to better understand the nature of spiritual orientation so that I may nurture the faith of the whole church. God wants me to participate as a person of faith, and as a worker with Christ for the Kingdom of God. My gifts and passions lie in my ability to find connection with others. I meet people where they are at, and minister to them. In doing so, they minister to me. The nature of my own journey has engendered compassion for those who share the path; my response is to seek connection.
Through the process of journaling, reflection, conversation, and prayer, I feel the best response to my theme is to build relationships. I want to talk to people in churches, hospitals, social and earth-justice organizations, and academic institutions. My plan is to interview both clergy and laity from various cultures and walks of life. My questions will be centered in the spirituality and pilgrimage of both individuals and faith communities. What does the spiritual journey look and feel like across different cultures? Hopefully, this approach will reveal the grand diversity of opinions and knowledge inherent in God’s creation.
My entire project will take me on a ten week journey, primarily several countries in Africa, Greece/Turkey, and Iona, Scotland. It is both a survey of spiritual pilgrimage, and a pilgrimage in and of itself. My primary method of data collection will be through directed conversations with others; I’ll evaluate the effectiveness of my response through journaling and Sabbath reflection. My hope is that this journey will give me valuable tools for future congregational ministry. It would be disappointing if this didn’t happen. I have good church and seminary contacts in all the countries I’ll be visiting, and my interview subjects undoubtedly carry a wealth of experience and knowledge. The full potential of my project, however, depends on their ability and willingness to convey this experience. With God’s help, I hope to come away from this project with new knowledge and insight and the ability to share this experience with others. This would bring me deep joy and satisfaction.
Christoph Schmidt
The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
7301 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19119
