Grounded Theology

Today was a lazy Saturday. Definitely a rest day! I met up with Bishop William Gregg who is retired and living in Salisbury. He is the bishop that ordained me to the priesthood. Throughout my ordained life, he has been a wonderful mentor and friend. We met at lunch at a place called Recipe downtown Salisbury. It was great to spend some time with him and catch up.  The afternoon was spent with Kyle figuring the materials it would take to fix/build his fence, I washed the bike for tomorrows ride, and had some quiet time around the house. Kyle and Kara have a bit of a zoo: 3 Cats and 2 Dogs. Peaches, Mopar, Bella, Shelby, and Yami.      Today is the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It’s the celebration of the time that Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth when they were both pregnant; Mary with Jesus, and Elizabeth with John who will be known as John the Baptizer. If you remember the account from Luke 1:39-57, when Mary greeted Elizabeth, John “leapt” fo...

Well, I got off to an interesting start. I spent the morning around the house with Kelly. We were watching the weather, hoping that the rain would let up. However, no luck! So, I ended up “rigging for rain.” Full rain gear, covers for the bags, etc… making sure everything stays nice and dry. I dislike riding in the rain, but sometimes you got to do what you got to do.   All in all it was a nice ride. Only one unintended “detour” (down a weird mountain road somewhere in backwoods Western North Carolina) but I quickly got back on the right track. The more I rode, the more the rain became virtually non-existent. It cleared up the closer I got to Salisbury, NC as I headed to my Son Kyle and his wife Kara’s house. About 80 miles out I stopped and took off the rain suit.  Today, I’m thinking about fears. So many have approached me when preparing for the trip, scared for me being out there “on my own” on the open road. Fear is natural, we need fear sometimes to keep our selves from d...

I’ve said before that preparation for a long journey is just as important as the journey itself. This time it’s been interesting. I have been preparing the trip, getting my gear together and making sure that I have the right amount of stuff. I’m packing much lighter than I did in 2017, and I feel that will be a blessing. A pilgrimage is about the journey rather than the destination. I want to be "free" to experience the pilgrimage "by the Spirit," so I think it's important not to plan every segment of the trip. There are places I’d like to go that I didn’t have the opportunity to go in 2017 because of weather or other obstacles. I have entitled the sabbatical: A Pilgrimage of Reconnection and Renewal: An Episcopal Priest’s Journey to the Four Corners. Therefore, I will attempt to reach the four corners of the contiguous United States on my journey and offer prayers at the four corners.  I have planned out a route that begins here in Greeneville, TN and goes East...