It took six weeks of sweaty isolation for me to recognize my own need for community as a part of faith ...
Faith & daily life
At the heart of our faith is the belief that God meets us where we are in all the places and relationships in which we live , work , play and relate . We pray , support and encourage one another as we grow deeper in faith and learn to trust God with our whole lives . Some of us are new on the journey ; others have been at it for a while . All of us can find inspiration and hope in the stories of our fellow travelers . FAITH & DAILY LIFE will be featured monthly with stories of God at work in YOUR life .
Surprises on My Camino ... by Christy Hallenbeck Ask *
Last summer my husband Jon and I spent 33 days walking in northern Spain . By choice , believe it or not . All in all , we covered 530 miles along the Camino de Santiago . Like millions before us we were pilgrims en route to the Cathedral in Santiago , often believed to be the burial site of St . James .
The Camino is touted as a spiritual journey , for many a life-changing one at that . Legend has it that each pilgrim travels for her own spiritual purpose . So naturally I kicked off my Camino primed and pumped for purpose : Jon and I had both just completed our seminary degrees and awaited our first call assignments as pastors . Ahhh , the wisdom we ’ d gain ! The sermon illustrations we ’ d collect ! I could hardly contain my readiness for the enlightenment to come along the Way .
But for the most part along the Way , my faith felt pretty weak . We walked during a major transition in our life and vocation , not to mention during terrifying and tense global events — terrorist attacks in France and Germany , Brexit , both major U . S . political parties ’ national conventions .
Christy and Jon at the Cruz de Ferro on the Camino
It took six weeks of sweaty isolation for me to recognize my own need for community as a part of faith ...
Despite having all this material for prayer and spiritual reflection , I found myself hardly able to pray . Though I expected this journey to be a spiritual awakening , with each step I often felt more and more disconnected from God .
I ’ m not sure I could pinpoint why I had felt disconnected in Spain until we got home . It was a Sunday morning at Jon ’ s home church in southwest Minnesota . It had been six weeks since I had sung a hymn , six weeks since I had gathered with a community for worship .
Faith is not an individual quest , I learned in Spain . It ’ s not a solo walk . Given my vocation as a professional faith community leader , I should have known this before my Camino . I recognize the irony . But it took six weeks of sweaty isolation for me to recognize my own need for community as a part of faith , my own need to meet Jesus with others in word and song .
My Camino reintroduced me to the gift of the congregation : the voice and presence of others to sing for us when we can ’ t , to speak the Creed for us when we ’ re unable , to help guide us when we ’ re lost .
* Christy Hallenbeck Ask is a former member who found her way to Bethlehem shortly after graduating from college . During her time at Bethlehem , she continued to discern her call to ordained ministry and is now a pastor at Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls , SD .
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