Early this year I was given a walking staff that a minister had made whilst on a sabbatical.  When given such a gift, what is there to do but plan a pilgrimage?

Every Friday in Lent I planned to walk around a different group of Methodist churches. Local people were invited to open the buildings for prayer and refreshments, and to join me on the pilgrimage if they wished.  Whilst no-one was under any obligation, people were there to greet me at most of the 44 churches on the itinerary.

This was a pilgrimage of prayer. I carried with me a home-made prayer cloak and fabric pens.  What started off as a large empty space became filled with the multi-coloured prayers of many people covering a wide range of concerns, both local and international.

One of the major challenges to keeping to a rough timetable was not the speed of the walking but the length of time people wanted to engage in prayer at each stop! Refreshments were also plentiful. I still have memories of the scones at Five Ways and the soup at Kinver.

The pilgrimage proved a wonderful way to get to know the local area, which ranged from intensely urban to very rural. I used the Ordnance Survey App to plan quiet routes through even the most built-up parts. Much of the Black Country is criss-crossed with canal towpaths and disused railway lines.
Keeping away from heavy traffic helped conversation flow with those who joined me along the way. Equally important was a period of silent walking each Friday, during which I was particularly aware of the progress of spring as I walked from early March into April.

Burned into the length of my walking staff are words from the prophet Micah: “Do Justice; Love Mercy; Walk Humbly.” To have that in my hand for every step was a powerful reminder of the way in which I believe Christians are called to engage with the world as we journey through life.