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The Way of the Lord: Christian Pilgrimage Today

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The Way of the Lord. Christian Pilgrimage Today. Tom Wright. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999.

On the face of it, pilgrimage would seem to be a venerable, natural practice. It is, in fact, highly controversial. To be sure, it has its advocates in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Torah required three pilgrimages a year, one on Passover, one during the Feast of Weeks, and one during the Feast of Tabernacles (De 16.16). And St. Jerome even interpreted some of the Psalms to be a command to make a pilgrimage. By contrast, however, Gregory of Nyssa went out of his way to criticize the practice, arguing that it is important to be close to God and one's neighbors and that pilgrimage made no contribution to accomplishing either imperative. And in more recent times, C. S. Lewis asserted, "The significance of the incarnation is not that God is a god of one place to the exclusion of others; it is that he is a god of all places, active in his world . . . God is to be found especially in people; namely those in need and in the gathered community of the Church . . . It follows that to set off on a journey to grow nearer to Christ is at best a complex matter. It might be that the true search is among those in need . . ." For the ardent pilgrim, Lewis commends the words of Matthew 28.6: "He is not here; he is risen." There is a certain logic to Lewis's position, but at the same time, it misses an important point. Pilgrimage is not about going to a particular place to find God. It is about putting ourselves in a particular place so that God can find us. For people who struggle with the concept of pilgrimage and who are inclined to side with Gregory or Lewis, Tom Wright's brief, readable work on pilgrimage will be a welcome guide. Former Dean of Lichfield Cathedral in Staffordshire, England, and the new Canon Theologian at Westminster Abbey, Wright grew up in the evangelical tradition. He heard little or nothing about pilgrimage early in his life and his first exposure to the practice left him with doubts not unlike those expressed by Lewis. But much to his surprise, he discovered that "one can learn to discover the presence of God not only in the world, but through the world." This growing realization prompted him to write this sage little work that not only serves as an introduction to the practice of pilgrimage but is also, by design, "a refresher course, from an unusual angle, on what might be called `Christian basics'." Using locations in the Holy Land where Jesus walked, talked, and healed, Wright takes the reader on a virtual pilgrimage, combining biblical scholarship with catechesis and inspirational challenge. But Wright is never facile or dogmatic. His closing paragraph provides a taste of the rest: "We do not go on pilgrimage, then, because we have the answers and want to impose them. That would make us crusaders, not pilgrims; the world has had enough of that, and I dare say God has had enough of that. We go on the pilgrim way, we follow the way of the Lord, because he himself is the way - and, as he said himself, the truth and the life as well. We go to meet him afresh, to share his agony, and to pray and work for the victory he won on the cross to be implemented, and for his way to be followed, in Israel and Palestine, in our own countries and in the whole world."

As N.T. Wright notes, "It can happen to anyone. It can happen to you."

Wright's "It" is an unexpected encounter with Jesus Christ. Rarely do we see it coming. Wright makes this clear in the very first chapter of his wonderful book, "The Way of the Lord." He cites Saul of Tarsus' journey from Jerusalem to Damascus. It was no intentional pilgrimage. Yet by the time Paul reached the gates of Damascus, he was already embarked on a journey that would see him travel the world in service of his God.

And so it is for all who follow Christ. As Wright says: "One sort of pilgrimage ends, therefore, and a new sort of pilgrimage begins, with the empty tomb of Jesus." Though we may never travel further than ten miles from home, life in Christ is a pilgrimage. Wright's book illustrates this by comparing different facets of the spiritual journey with different areas Jesus traveled through in his sojourn here.

Each chapter Focuses on an individual area/spiritual facet of life. They are meant to be read sequentially, but I have gone back to several chapters since first reading them and each has its own lesson and can validly stand on its own. This makes this book an invaluable companion for anyone seeking to follow Jesus.

Life in Christ is a wonderful journey--it is truly life "to the full." "The Way of the Lord" is like a tour book of sorts. I give it my highest recommendation

This book starts out good and then just gets better and better with each new Pilgrimage. Wright takes the reader on a journey with such descriptive writing that one wonders if his degree is in literature, instead of theology and history. Wright deals with the idea of Pilgimage on the road to Damascus, at the Jordan, in the Wilderness, in Galilee where most of Jesus minsitry took place, in Jerusalem, on the mountain where God is experienced in transfigurative ways, Gethsemene, where the agony of purpose takes place, the Cross (the best chapter), the empty tomb and then reflections on current day Israel. This book will take you away and cause you to feel like you were on the mountain, at the Jordan and was a witness of the cross. Wright's reflections are insightful, powerful and moving. Get this book.

This will be brief. It is simply a statement about my "hero" in a sphere for which he is often not known, especially in the States. This book is the heart of Tom Wright, the pastor. Written as a pastor to part of his flock going on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, it breathes the spirit of pastoral concern. At the same time it reveals a real knowledge of the Land - its history, geography, culture, and current struggles. For those who think that they know NT Wright, whether as friend or foe, it reveals what I like about him most - an academic who left the daily world of academia for pastoral ministry. And what a pastor he must be to his flock - now in the diocese of Durham. I have been to the "Holy Land" forty times and have read dozens of books on Israel, past and present. I will treasure this one more than any of them. I am in the process of buying up all of the copies I can, since it appears to be out of print.
Read it as preparation for your physical and spiritual pilgrimages. It is a wonderful guide to both.

Originally intended for those taking a trip to Israel, Tom Wright dramatically and skillfully points out that the true Holy Land is wherever believers are. He points out that a trip to the Holy Land may be of some value but not as a matter of 'earning points' with the Lord. An example of how he relates his "tour" to personal life is when he is talking of visiting Jerusalem. Located at 3000 feet above sea level, It doesn't take much of a journey on either side of Jerusalem to find oneself in a wilderness. Just as one may feel 'on top of the world'
one moment and the next find oneself in a physical or emotional wilderness. We have all been there.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. Once again Tom Wright proves he is one of the top theologians in the world, regardless of denomination or location.

Originally composed as a teaching series and orientation for pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land from Wright's parish in the late Nineties, this short, informal book contains some of the most touching and effective prose Wright has...wrought. The chapters move logically, geographically, and spiritually through a series of sites throughout Israel, and each could be the grist for a wonderful day of prayer and reflection, whether one is physically in the land of Israel, or is on a sojourn of the spirit. The Way of the Lord effectively brings together Wright's great erudition in Biblical history, his vocation as a pastor and curate, and his respectful insights concerning the issues on the ground. This is a fitting handbook for pilgrimage, offering the wisdom and challenge of a powerful mind and the companionate comfort of a warm heart. Highly recommended.