Well, Mark and I returned safely home from our pilgrimage to Eagle, Idaho. Why the trip? We got a chance to connect with guys from Allelon. What is Allelon? Here’s a short description from their web page:

“Allelon is not ‘a group you join from a consumer motivation standpoint’ in the typical sense. Rather, it is a relationally-based, missionary movement. We are dedicated to reaching contemporary culture through establishing new communities of faith, and creating new delivery systems for equipping and resourcing existing churches. We seek to accomplish this through more ancient, holistic, and organic forms of Christianity expressed in contemporary ways.”

So Mark and I flew and drove (and drove and drove and drove) on this pilgrimage, not for answers or an epiphany. Rather, we made this pilgrimage for the relationships. We went because community with others on this journey is as important outside of our local faith community as it is within.

We also went because the journey itself is formational. We went because of what Jesus would teach and envision us through the journey.

One of the things Jesus has re-envisioned me with is that the church is God’s sent people. All of us are pilgrims journeying together toward the eschatalogical vision of becoming people who who are the answer to Jesus’ prayer, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” And it’s the daily journeying with Jesus toward that future that forms us into the people of the future.

So thanks to my family and Mark’s family for letting us take this trip, thanks to Mark for being such a formational friend, thanks to Todd, Mark and Eric in Idaho for leading the way not only by their work, but also by embodying in the time spent with us, and thanks to Jesus, who out of incredible love, called us on this lifelong pilgrimage of salvation to become people like him.