Before you go on any journey there are preparations you need to make from planning your route and how you will travel, to what you’ll need to take with you. To help you prepare for your journey you might find the following resources helpful.
- A 6-session video and discussion based resource
- A 30-minute podcast
BBC TV Pilgrimage 2023 Discussion Resource
A resource based on the BBC programme ‘Pilgrimage’ from 2023 which is ideal for small group discussion but could also be done alone. The six sessions each include a video clip from the series to watch (you will need access to BBC iPlayer) and questions to get people talking. As people watch the celebrities go on a pilgrimage the questions take people on a journey exploring what pilgrimage is about. These sessions are designed to be suitable for people who are confident in their Christian faith as well as those who are open and exploring.
Questions for the journey
A finger labyrinth uses our hands and provides a structure for us to go on a journey in prayer. A labyrinth is a path, it’s not a maze, you can’t get lost. It helps you to reflect on your journey of life and has been used for millennia as a spiritual tool. A finger labyrinth can take you on a journey without you having to walk or go anywhere! Whereas a map shows a physical journey a finger labyrinth shows a spiritual one, a prayer journey. Download postcard.
- Put your finger at the entrance to the labyrinth. Reflect on where you are right now, how do you feel? Begin to move slowly into the labyrinth.
- As you journey, consider the twists and turns of life. What are you grateful for?
- When you get to the centre, pause for a while. Is there anything you need to leave behind that’s been weighing you down on the journey?
- As you make your way back out of the labyrinth, consider the path ahead – what do you need to flourish on your journey of life?
- When you get to the exit of the labyrinth, pause, give thanks for the path you’ve walked, and ask for guidance with the path ahead.
Podcast
Amanda, one of the pilgrims from the BBC 2023 series who also took part in the first series of The Traitors shares her experience of the journey from Traitor to pilgrim.
Amanda Lovett – a journey from traitor to celebrity to pilgrim from the ‘Spill the Spirituality’ podcast.
Prayers for the journey
We will be encouraging pilgrims to use the writings from the Bible called the ‘Psalms of Ascent’, which we think were used by Jewish pilgrims when they travelled to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was their destination, a holy city for them and the Psalms of Ascent would help pilgrims connect with God on their journey. The Psalms of Ascent are included here as an invitation to pilgrims to use the journey as an opportunity to connect with people, places and with God…on the road. You might want to download and use this resource even if your road is virtual. Download leaflet
Pilgrimage Insights Video Series
Eryl Parry the Pioneer Priest from the Diocese of Bangor who appeared on the BBC series Pilgrimage has recorded a series of pilgrimage insights which you might find helpful.
Urban Bridge Builder to Pioneer Pilgrim
Eryl shares something of her life journey and invites us onto a journey going deeper for ourselves.
Pilgrimage as a Journey Not a Destination
Eryl explains how a physical journey can take us on a journey to the centre of ourselves and explains the importance of accompaniment.
A Posture of Attentiveness
Eryl explains how we can approach a pilgrimage if we’ve never tried it before, what might be helpful and how we can ‘tune in to God’s antennae’.
Open to Mystery
Eryl shares her understanding of ‘mystery’ and ‘holiness’ encouraging us to be open to a sense of ‘otherness’.
Horizon Looking
Eryl encourages us to find and look to the horizon where we might find ourselves absorbed by a view and asking big questions.
A Sense of History
Eryl invites us to explore the rhythms and stories of places of history; what she calls, ‘spiritual archaeology’; and to perhaps find stability in them.
Ponder Spots
Eryl asks us to consider how opportunities for stillness and silence as we journey might be powerful ways of getting into, ‘God’s slipstream’.