Pilgrimage is an adventure in group travel?
You are invited to join us. This pilgrimage is for all who want to see the Holy Land as a member of a Christian Pilgrimage Tour. We are not going as tourists but as pilgrims. Our tour includes regular opportunities for worship. We spend considerable time interpreting sites in light of the Holy Scriptures. To enjoy this spiritual adventure, you will need to be amenable to group travel. Group travel means respecting fellow travellers such as endeavouring to be on time for departures, trying to ensure that the quieter members of the group are able to ask their questions, and looking for ways to assist the group as a whole to get the most of the pilgrimage.
Who, What, and Where?
While most of us who will be travelling together would describe ourselves as Christians, this is not an expectation. To get the most of our pilgrimage you should be comfortable in a group travel setting where conversations about the Bible and Christian beliefs are core components of the tour.
We will be visiting Old and New Testament sites in the Holy Land in Israel and Palestine. Most sites we will visit are of primary interest to Christians although we will also visit some important locations of a more Jewish or Muslim nature - such as the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, Masada (site of the Jewish last stand during the Roman Legions in AD 70). We also visit places of general or historic interest such: The Dead Sea and (sometimes) Yad Vashem (Museum of the Holocaust). Wherever we go, our local Tour Guides along with Archbishop David and Canon Hodge will give interpretation of the places we visit from a Christian perspective.
Our groups are usually rather eclectic: pilgrims from across Canada and sometimes the USA. Often many in our group are Anglicans although we always have participants from of other faith traditions. We expect a good number from New Brunswick and some from Ontario this time. Both Vicars and David have friends around the Anglican Communion so some from farther afield may participate. Sometimes we have people making a return pilgrimage and often our groups include friends of friends from earlier tours. Over the years I have been invigorated by the wonderful groups of people that God has brought together on our pilgrimages. It is wonderful to see new friendships forged during pilgrimage.
Walking
Holy Land pilgrimage tours involve a significant amount of walking. When I look back over our 2023 pilgrimage, my phone tells me that on the easiest days I walked 4000-6000 steps. (Remember I walk more steps on pilgrimage than most pilgrims -- as I am doing more that a little back and forth and looking for strays.) On eight of our touring days I clocked over 10,000 steps. (My three highest days were about 18000 steps.) So there is a good deal of walking. In many places the footing is uneven -- either gravel at archaeological sites or old, worn cobblestone in the Old City.
You don't need to be an athlete -- but you need to know that walking is involved. Good footwear is a must. You only need to participate to the extent you feel able. Our bus is usually nearby, the driver never leaves the bus. You can take a break when you need to or even return to the bus.
You are invited to join us. This pilgrimage is for all who want to see the Holy Land as a member of a Christian Pilgrimage Tour. We are not going as tourists but as pilgrims. Our tour includes regular opportunities for worship. We spend considerable time interpreting sites in light of the Holy Scriptures. To enjoy this spiritual adventure, you will need to be amenable to group travel. Group travel means respecting fellow travellers such as endeavouring to be on time for departures, trying to ensure that the quieter members of the group are able to ask their questions, and looking for ways to assist the group as a whole to get the most of the pilgrimage.
Who, What, and Where?
While most of us who will be travelling together would describe ourselves as Christians, this is not an expectation. To get the most of our pilgrimage you should be comfortable in a group travel setting where conversations about the Bible and Christian beliefs are core components of the tour.
We will be visiting Old and New Testament sites in the Holy Land in Israel and Palestine. Most sites we will visit are of primary interest to Christians although we will also visit some important locations of a more Jewish or Muslim nature - such as the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, Masada (site of the Jewish last stand during the Roman Legions in AD 70). We also visit places of general or historic interest such: The Dead Sea and (sometimes) Yad Vashem (Museum of the Holocaust). Wherever we go, our local Tour Guides along with Archbishop David and Canon Hodge will give interpretation of the places we visit from a Christian perspective.
Our groups are usually rather eclectic: pilgrims from across Canada and sometimes the USA. Often many in our group are Anglicans although we always have participants from of other faith traditions. We expect a good number from New Brunswick and some from Ontario this time. Both Vicars and David have friends around the Anglican Communion so some from farther afield may participate. Sometimes we have people making a return pilgrimage and often our groups include friends of friends from earlier tours. Over the years I have been invigorated by the wonderful groups of people that God has brought together on our pilgrimages. It is wonderful to see new friendships forged during pilgrimage.
Walking
Holy Land pilgrimage tours involve a significant amount of walking. When I look back over our 2023 pilgrimage, my phone tells me that on the easiest days I walked 4000-6000 steps. (Remember I walk more steps on pilgrimage than most pilgrims -- as I am doing more that a little back and forth and looking for strays.) On eight of our touring days I clocked over 10,000 steps. (My three highest days were about 18000 steps.) So there is a good deal of walking. In many places the footing is uneven -- either gravel at archaeological sites or old, worn cobblestone in the Old City.
You don't need to be an athlete -- but you need to know that walking is involved. Good footwear is a must. You only need to participate to the extent you feel able. Our bus is usually nearby, the driver never leaves the bus. You can take a break when you need to or even return to the bus.