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Pentecost 10, Proper 14 Lesson: 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 31-33
August 9, 2009 Psalm 130
Journey 2 Adulthood Youth & Leaders Epistle: Ephesians 4:25—5:2
St. James’ Church, Marietta Holy Gospel: John 6:35, 41-51
Gina Duncan:
Good morning. My name is Gina Duncan. I am the Director of Youth Ministries here at St. James’. Several of us who went on Pilgrimage this summer will be speaking to you this morning about our experience.
Thousands of years ago, a Christian, Saint Columba, took a journey and established Iona, a place to worship the Lord. This place was the location of our journey. Iona has been described as a thin place because here you feel closer to God. During our time at Iona, all of us, along with about 30 other pilgrims from different parts of the world, took a three to four mile walk around the island. Our guided prayer walk took us to the nunnery, where the Sisters were forced to leave before it was destroyed by the Vikings. At the nunnery we prayed for wisdom, love and justice.
We passed an 800 million year old rock left on the island during the Ice Age, and talked about how God gives us courage to walk the depths.
As we continued, we prayed for Jesus to guide us on our way. We stopped for lunch at the beach and looked out at Brown’s Rock, where in 1865, a ship travelling from Liverpool to New York wrecked. The small community of Iona made a chain of people from the island to the wrecked ship, lifting out and saving nineteen of the twenty two people on board.
Over the last two years of planning for our pilgrimage, our over 24 hour journey to Iona, our nightly pilgrimage reflections, listening to the place we all encountered God each day, our morning spent at the 59 million year old cave on Sapha Island, our day at the highland games in Tobamore where we joined the bagpipe parade through town, and were invited to run the games, our service of prayers at Old St. Paul’s, one of the oldest Scottish Episcopal Churches in Edinburg, the leader’s challenges during reflections to pray ten times a day, to create a trust list, to remember God, our Creator, as we encounter God in nature, to dedicate a day creating a culture of generosity and kindness, and to live with our hearts open – through all of this, up to today, standing here with all of these youth, I have felt like the people saved from the shipwreck at Brown’s Rock – carried on the shoulders of a strong community of Christians, guided by Jesus along the way.
My Scotland Pilgrimage: Brigham Mills
First off, I would like to say what an amazing pilgrimage I had. To be honest, my expectations for this trip were not that good. To say they were blown out of the water is an understatement. The places we went, and the sights we saw were fantastic. There could not have been a better group of people to experience this with as the one we had.
I would like to thank our awesome leaders – Miss Gina, Jonathan and Mr. O’Shields – for planning and putting together this trip. If we had any other leaders other than these, the trip probably would not have been half as fun. The way this trip has affected me will reverberate in my life forever.
One thing I gained from this trip was acquired from the challenge Mr. O’Shields gave us. I may not pray ten times a day, but I have started praying once a day.
I also feel closer to God after experiencing Him in a place quite different than Marietta. I also thank God for getting us out of Scotland, not that I was sick of Scotland and wanted out, but I just really wanted to get back home.
Thanks to everyone who made this trip possible, including my mom and dad, who footed the bill for me, and thanks to everyone. As the Scottish say, “Cheers!”
Zack Schroeder
This kind of pilgrimage was an exciting experience right off the bat, and I knew it would be. It strengthened my faith in so many ways. I would stand on the Island of Iona and look at the serenity it offered, and the beauty it encompassed, it just made me realize what God created for us, and it was beautiful.
As I walked around the sights we visited in Tobermory and Edinburgh, I saw the people in a different light. The people there just responded to me more than we do. When you say, “Hi” on the street, that is an indication of a conversation instead of just another “hello.” I can just talk to you, have a conversation on the street, with somebody you didn’t know.
For example, the judge who judged the Highland Games ran into Mr. O’Shields after the games. He wanted to say what an inspiration it was seeing a one-legged man running across the field. It really was an inspiration. That really showed that Mr. O’Shields had an iron will, and that comes from God.
Again, I want to thank our leaders for putting this together; it was an amazing experience. I will remember it forever.
James O’Shields
This was my first two years as a J2A leader, and it has been an incredible experience with all of the children who have been a part of the J2A program. The Pilgrimage was certainly a culmination of that two year involvement. As part of the pilgrimage we each as a youth leader took on a night to do a discussion teaching with the youth. My night focused on prayer. We talked about prayer different from just your quiet time prayer. But I put forth a challenge to the youth to pray without ceasing. It was a challenge that was given to me when I was at the University of Georgia by a Bible study leader I had in Campus Crusade for Christ. It was an idea that wherever you are at, when something comes upon your heart, just lift it up to the Lord. We try to do that ten times a day. So I laid that challenge out for the youth. It is a goal, it’s not something that has to happen, but certainly something to shoot for.
We talked a lot about communication, that by talking to God, by lifting these things up, not waiting until the end of the day when you’ve forgotten them, the lifting up is when you are thinking about it.
Then we created a Trust List of things that you turn over to God. A number of years ago, I found the Trust List I made when I was at the University of Georgia. It had been sitting in a notebook for ten years. Four items were checked off the list of the 20-25 items that were on there. I went through the list and checked off almost all of them – I think 24-25 items that were there. It was an incredible experience to see how when you turn stuff over to God, even if it takes some time, which we talked about how prayer has three answers: yes, no and not now.
So if the youth suddenly stop and seem to have some kind of rare Scottish disease, it might not be that. It might simply be that they are turning something over to the Lord at that time, as they work through this challenge I have given to them. I hope you will support them in that. For those of you who feel maybe stuck that these words will give you a challenge as well, for some ways for you to lift something up to the Lord, to turn those things over, as the youth have.
One of the things on my Trust List was for us to get home safely. Though it seems like God didn’t want us to get home, He finally did bring us that way. So, I want to thank you all for those of you who trusted the youth, for your faith in us. I hope that faith was validated.
Emily Canavan
While we travelled the country in the seemingly millions of trains, buses and ferries, it really gave me an opportunity to think about my faith. I realized in today’s society it is very easy to push away God, from sickness to death, the trials of everyday life. Just getting away from everything I knew gave me an opportunity to really think about the bigger picture. That is just, if you believe in God and you have some really cool people to back you up, then everything is going to turn out okay.
Jay Martin
On this trip to Scotland, we were kind of a scattered group. I would say not as close as the other groups, but after the first night on Iona, we had free time (this was after travelling 24 hours – two planes, two buses, two ferries, two trains – everything you could think of we travelled in). We just went into someone’s room and we all just sat back and did nothing. It was definitely a bonding experience. We grew closer as a group of friends. This happened over the whole entire trip.
Even though we had certain things planned, we definitely found time to just be together and become closer. As we did that, even in our reflection at the end of the day, we’d still have fun and tell each other how we saw God. Even though it could have been something major, like the Highland Games in Tobermory, which was completely unplanned, or from the tiniest thing as Iona with just seeing the abbey and how beautiful it was, this whole trip made me see a different light of my religion, and it kind of opened my eyes to how God effects my life.
William Sanderson
The pilgrimage has been a wonderful experience. It has shown me how far away from God I was. Reflecting and joining together with the leaders and my new friends has brought me closer to God. Also, the adventure has emphasized our friendship. I have become really close to people who were almost strangers to me. Being with them and joining with them, and coming closer with God, has been really powerful.
Gina
Sarah, Emily, Jake, Zach S., Zach B., Brigham, Jay, William, Keith, Preston, Jonathan, James and myself, we would like to thank the ECW and the Men’s Club for helping us get to Iona. We would like to thank all of you for your financial support and prayers. We especially thank all of our parents, for your love and support. I thank my leaders for taking time away from their families and their jobs, to journey with us , and for being such positive role models to our youth. We would like you to watch for an announcement in the weekly update to see our picture and video of our pilgrimage.
O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother, may we know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, follow Thee more nearly, and walk like a pilgrim with our eyes and our hearts open. Amen.
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