Dear Fellow Pilgrims, Epiphany 2008
I am just now beginning in earnest to prepare for our trip together to India, finally. I would imagine that most of you are far ahead of me in this organizing and packing phase. Polly and I have an aversion to packing! So if you feel this way too, you are not alone.
As I reflect on our journey, it is almost overwhelming what we will see and what we will do. First we will be visiting one of the most important countries on the planet. India is the largest democracy in the world, has the second largest population, and the culture is so deep that it is the founding place of two great religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. We will see beautiful sites of historic significance from the Taj Mahal to the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle. Then we will be hosted by our dear friends Dr. John and Esther Prabhaker and their gracious families. Next we will see first hand the powerful witness to the Gospel of our companions, the Arcot Lutheran Church. It is our prayer, that the relationships made in this visit between our two Churches will lay the foundation for many years of mutual support for the sake of God’s mission. And finally there will be more; friendships made, faith strengthened, spirits renewed, horizons broadened.
I have found that on pilgrimages such as this, not everything goes exactly as planned. The bus gets a flat tire (Laos). The Land Rover breaks down (Tanzania). The luggage is lost (Dar es Salaam). “Now you tell me!” Not to worry, we will help and care for each other. God will be with us. And besides, often it is in the surprises along the way that the greatest blessings are discovered.
This prayer is found in the Evangelical Lutheran Worship:
“Before travel”
“O God our beginning and our end, you kept Abraham and Sarah in safety throughout the days of their pilgrimage, you led the people of Israel through the midst of the sea, and by a star you led the magi to the infant Jesus. Protect and guide us now as we set out to travel. Make our ways safe and our homecomings joyful, and bring us at last to our heavenly home, where you dwell in glory with our Lord Jesus Christ and the life-giving Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”
I am looking forward to seeing you in a few days. God is with us.
In Christ,
Bishop Gary Wollersheim
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