Pilgrimage

Three years ago, a few friends and I embarked on an accidental pilgrimage of sorts. Blowing off a week of seminary classes, we piled into Jane's big ol' vehicle (a necessity on curvy Pennsylvania turnpike roads during construction season in the dark), and drove to DC for the Festival of Homiletics. We had a blast - it was enough fun to get me out of bed and downstairs by 6:30. In. The. Morning. And trust me, thats saying a lot. Between the friendship, the worship, the preaching and the general freedom of taking schedules into our hands, it was the closest thing to a pilgrimage I've done so far.

While we were there, we heard a particular preacher. As she climbed into the pulpit I leaned over and whispered "Thats who I want to be when I grow up." I'd always grown up with great preachers in my congregation, but something about this woman's style spoke to me in a different way. This week, I get the chance to study with her, and 40-some other young clergy women. I've changed quite a bit since that conference three years ago, and I think its time for another pilgrimage.

DC, here I come again!