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This daily post is designed to help you live into our New Room Society covenant of practicing daily prayer together. Below is this week’s theme and daily practice.
Week 24: Traveling Companions
In a culture of instability and constant change, it is a gift to have companions for the journey; people to “do life” with.
“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.” Psalm 84:5, English Standard Version (ESV)
A “sojourner” is someone who is here, but only for a while. They are on the journey, on the road, moving out.
How well does that describe your spiritual journey? And how many Jesus people do you know who feel they’ve already “arrived” and aren’t particularly motivated or interested in more change or growth?
Another thing that causes frustration around the idea of “sojourn” is the United Methodist tradition of itinerancy. As a spiritual leader, you are supposed to be here a while, then move on.
In a culture dizzy with constant change, it’s not unusual for spiritual leaders and faith communities to feel exhausted or angry about all this spiritual and literal traveling, and it’s not hard to understand why.
And yet, traveling is a part of our deep heritage, and truthfully, it’s nearly impossible to completely avoid it. How will your ministry model healthy ways of undertaking the great journey of life? And how will your traveling companions make your journey better… or harder?
Sunday: Pilgrimage Partners
Have you ever been on a pilgrimage? If so, who did you go with, and how did those traveling companions change the journey for you? What would have been different if you had traveled completely alone?
In your journal, make a list of the people who are traveling with you now. They write a list of those who count you as one of their friends on their own journey. Do you see balance or a need for change?