Come for a little walk? EVENT CANCELLED

FOR VARIOUS REASONS THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED - POSTPONED FOR A LATER DATE, hopefully.

A DAY of PILGRIMAGE

 Have you ever made a pilgrimage? Spent time out in nature, just walking, reflecting, praying, noticing, and walking some more? Or wished you had but don’t know where to start – literally as well as spiritually? Or haven’t the time or money to go walk-about for an extended period?

Come and join me on a day’s pilgrimage and discover just how beautiful and life-changing it can be. 

-       The walk will be about 10 miles And we’ll have some fun and enjoy ourselves!

-       It will be like a day on a longer pilgrimage, starting and ending in prayer, taking time with the Lord and with one another, making new relationships and deepening others.

-       As we walk, sometimes we’ll chat to each other, sometimes walk in silence with something to reflect on or pray through. 

-       We might sing or do a ‘spiritual exercise.’

-       We’ll learn how to take joy in the journey.

When and where and who

Saturday October 19th  2024.  10.30am – 4.30pm

Dorchester-on-Thames, nr Oxford. Full details of where to meet will provided near the time.

A group of 16 max (including me!)  So do sign up soon.  Invite a friend to come with you or come alone, your choice. It’s open to anyone and everyone!

What you need   - here are some general guidelines for those not too sure. 

-       Good walking boots, walking socks, waterproofs (this IS England!) 

-       a small backpack to carry the day’s needs. 

-       Comfortable clothes for walking (jeans are not recommended!)

-       Your own picnic lunch.

-       Plenty of water to drink. I usually carry 2 bottles of water and a flask of hot coffee!

-       A moderately good level of fitness. This being Bath, there are hills in the area, but we will go slowly when necessary! And pause to look at the view ....

Optional extras

-       Walking poles. I like one, other people prefer two.

-       Spare sweater. 

-       Sun cream (there’s always hoping)

-       Snacks to keep you energized, eg a good low sugar trail mix or energy bar. Or bananas.

Included in the day’s pilgrimage:

-       A fully guided walk of about 10 miles

-       Spiritual input and guidance

-       Resources

-       Basic First aid 

-       Support and guidance as needed before and during the day.

 NB: we turn off our mobile phones, or at least put them in airplane mode for the day.  And we are unable to have pets accompany us this time.

Cost for the day 

The cost for all this is just £20, payable on booking. (see below for details) or £25 if paying on the day.

 Not included:

-       Travel to and from the pilgrimage

-       Insurance/cover for any injuries (we hope and pray there won’t be any!)

-       Food and drink

This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”     Jer. 6:16

The beginning/end of The Cotswold Way, just outside Bath Abbey, with the verse from Jeremiah.

 For centuries, Christians have walked to special places, to take time to be with God and allow God the time and space to work in their lives. A pilgrimage is a setting aside of one’s normal routine, and taking time to reflect on what the Lord is saying, and allowing the rhythm of the walk to give mental and spiritual refreshment. It is a physical expression of our spiritual journey with God; it is a time to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation in the company of others; and it is a desire to spend quality time with God in a new way.

It is a walk with a difference.

 To book your place and be sent details of how to book and pay, please email me:  penelope@ministriesbydesign.org 

Looking forward to walking with you!

May you take joy in your  journey as you walk with Him

Do pop over to my website and buy a signed copy of a book. You might especially enjoy ‘Walking Back to Happiness’ - the story of backpacking right across France from the Med to the Atlantic.

How to walk and pray. Or pray and walk

'Hidden Manna on a Country Road' is a beautifully-written 40 day devotional on prayer. It's based on Sarah Geringer's walks with her golden lab, Memphis, particularly those daily 30 minutes on the gravel road during lockdown. As she walked, Sarah began to realise that the scattered beauties of nature all around her can be reminders to her of God and of how to pray and what to pray for. She likens these to the manna given by God to the Israelites in the wilderness, a daily provision and feeding. There are 4 sections, one for each season.

Each chapter begins with a Bible verse, which is followed by the account of a walk, what she notices and how that feeds into her prayers, whether praises or petitions. There's then a helpful prayer, followed by 3 questions for deeper reflection.

As a prayer walker and long-distance hiker, I found this book delightful to read and helpful to study. However, there are some big cultural difference between her American walks and my European ones, not least the fact that flora and fauna are often very different. It was therefore difficult sometime to imagine what she was talking about (what do plantain rosettes look like, for instance? I gratefully googled to find out!) but the general underlying themes of using nature to strengthen our prayer life was easily understood. And by going to the author's website I found photos of Memphis!

Another area that was difficult was the 5 generations living in the same area, of having memories and roots of the same places for such a long time and using that to feed her prayer life. Many of us have moved a great deal in our lives, many of our preceeding generations have too, and that became an area that I had to bring to the Lord in prayer, to overcome the longing to have had that in my life as well, and to be able to realise that neither is right nor wrong and that both - the longevity and the newness - have each something to be grateful for and things to teach us.

The book is not difficult to read; it's easy to access and by the end the reader feels a personal knowledge of the gravel road and its surrounds. And on my own daily outings, there have been many occasions when I've remembered how Sarah used the creation around her to deepen and strengthen her prayer life, and have used her prompts in my prayer walks.

The simple ideas and suggestions will be very helpful for those not so adept at prayer; will give new ideas to those more used to praying; and will be an inspiration whether you are an outdoors hiker or an armchair one!

Links to buy the paperback and kindle editions:

FOR USA readers, Sarah’s book book Hidden Manna on a Country Road: Seeing God’s Daily Provision All Around Us is available for preorder! Visit this page for all the information about the book and upcoming book launch in fall 2022.

Thank you to NetGalleyUK and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.