Beverly’s Sabbatical Blog
After 18+ months of planning and anticipation, my sabbatical is just a week away! I will fly to France Thursday the 25th, take the train to Le Puy en Velay the next day, have two nights to adjust to the time change and see Le Puy, then start walking on August 25th.
I will be walking two pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, in the northwest corner of Spain. Along with Jerusalem and Rome, the “Way of St. James” was the third major pilgrimage route of medieval Christianity, beginning in the 10th century. The most common Camino routes cross Spain, but over the centuries pilgrims began walking from wherever they lived across Europe and various routes developed. There are four major Chemin St. Jacques routes across France. The Chemin Le Puy, also known as the Via Podiensis, is the most well-traveled and the one I will be following. When I arrive at the foot of the Pyrenees, in St. Jean Peid-de-Port I will pick up the Camino Frances, the most popular route across Spain.
All together it is about 1000 miles! I’ll be carrying my pack, and sleeping in accommodations designed specifically for pilgrims: Gites d’etapes in France, and Albergues in Spain.
I will be keeping a blog as I walk, hoping to post something at the end of each day. But those posts will depend on internet availability and my energy level after walking all day! I do hope you will follow along. You will be able to see the blog posts on the MAPC.com website, on the church’s FaceBook page, or you can go directly to the blog itself:
You should be able to subscribe to the blog, which means you will get an email with each day’s post.
I will not be accessing my work email while on sabbatical, but I will be praying for you while I walk, and will look forward to being back with you the First Sunday of Advent, November 27th.
Thank you for this opportunity! It is a great adventure, and I am looking forward to the time to unplug and reconnect with myself, God, and all of you when I return. I hope you will take time in the coming months to breathe deeply, become aware of God’s Spirit, and draw upon the strength of Christ’s presence.
