This is a hard book for me to review. There were some passages that sparkled, but many more that seemed to plod along. While Lang tries to relate the concept of pilgrimage to our lives in general, I feel like this would be best read either by someone going on an actual pilgrimage or by someone who has been part of Lang's pilgrimage ministry. This is a good book for the right reader; I just wasn't that person.

Pilgrimage is one of the most popular words to describe a Christians's journey or spiritual growth. Whether one is talking about calling or searching for God's will for our lives, it all begins with the greatest commandment to love God and our neighbours. Spurred by rising yearnings to have a more intimate and personal relationship with God, people are directions. They need a spiritual compass to lead them in their expedition. This book fills in this need as well as to help one "hear the call of God and respond in faith, journeying together with friends on the path to a Spirit-led and joyful life." Unfortunately, Christianity has a checkered history with regard to the pursuit of God in this pilgrimage. After Constantine legalized Christianity, the faith became more institutionalized, making the way of spirituality more formal and rigid. Faith formation is tied to religious affiliation. So much so that spirituality has been defined more on man's terms rather than God's terms. People tend to be more willing to adapt to culture instead of paying the cost of discipleship. Looking at the emerging church, author Paul Lang notices the way culture and the history of Christendom had mangled the way of God. We need a pilgrim's compass and we need it badly. Despite the excesses of the past and the mistakes by the institutionalized churches, there are many who have bucked the cultural trends. The desert fathers and the reformers are some examples of such courageous people of faith. Lang offers us some tools to help us begin our pilgrimage by embarking with the end in mind: definition of a pilgrimage and the recognition of ourselves as pilgrims on the journey. This journey is not necessarily limited to a physical movement. It is a metaphor to guide us through each and every possible opportunity, which includes both physical and non-physical aspects. Tools of the journey include maps, the Bible, spiritual practices like the Lectio Divina, Daily Examen, Prayer, and helpful acronyms to guide us. One example is the ESWN directions of a compass:


E = Encounter
S = Struggle
W = Wounding, Wondering, Weakness, Wilderness
N = New Name, Newness

The rest of the book focuses on each of these directions of the pilgrim's compass. Lang begins with E (Encounter) which is essentially about orientating our life toward God. This makes sense because the Christian life is essentially a pursuit of God. Our basic stance is that God can be known and we can meet God in any circumstances. In S (Struggle), we will not allow setbacks from distracting or derailing us on the journey. For the journey is worth it; we are not alone; and that struggles are to be expected and overcame. In W, we learn several possible nuances through wounding, wilderness, and wandering, and weakness. This is by far the author's "hardest to embrace" part of the pilgrim's compass. In N (New Name), we are assured about a new anticipation of our new identity and purpose. This leads us to the concluding part of anticipating the 8th Day of the promised future to come.

My Thoughts
The pilgrim's compass is more like an literary device to help us remember the four compass directions. Its purpose is to orientate us toward a particular direction. In doing so, each of these directions is an opportunity to integrate Prayer with Scripture; Experience with Spiritual Disciplines; and theory with practice. I appreciate how Lang reminds us that the word "compass" in Latin means "step together." This shows us the importance of traveling partners. While some may think of taking an solo journey, it is best to travel together as a community when it comes to spiritual direction. I also appreciate the tools he put together for us; such as the spiritual exercises; liturgical calendar; the pilgrims' prayer; and of course the ESWN compass acronym.

What makes this book really useful is the "Journaling and Prayer Exercises" which we could put into practice right away especially after one finishes reading one chapter. Coupled with the resources, one could profitably learn and reflect on the journey stage by stage. In fact, one could use and re-use the same set of resources to evaluate our spiritual milestones. This expands the usefulness of the tools and the opportunities for reflection.

Having said that, I believe there are a lot more things that the author could have said about the compass. What about the intersections of NW; NE; SW; SE? How do we move from one phase to another? What is the role of a spiritual director? Unless one is familiar with the tools in the book, I feel that this book is best used with a community group. That way, sojourners could teach one another or to help one another through the questions and stages of their spiritual journey.

Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

When we consider our lifelong discipleship as a kind of pilgrimage, we are reminded of the ways in which our story is mysteriously interwoven with God's story. Daily discipleship is seen as our participation with God in the larger work of redemption that God is undertaking. We sojourn through this life recognizing that our journey with God is but a chapter in the larger story of God's work and that our wandering is not aimless, but designed to bring us truly home.

We all are pilgrims. Searching and looking for significance that always leads us to the next best thing. Never finding and always looking until we find our rest in Him. How do we get there? What is this journey of life? In my reading of this text, I found that this came in two parts. A foundation of what the journey is and the last part tools for the sojourner. Using a compass of South, East, West and North, the Pilgrims compass starts with

Struggle. How struggle leads us home
Wounding, how our wounds reveal our need for home
New name, how our identity determines where we end up
Eighth Day heaven bound


All through this text, the journey is never meant to be done alone. It paints a clear picture on how individualism only hurts and turns us into isolation. This was key for me. Another interesting insight was on the eighth day and the origins of the eighth day in the bible. It is not one I have heard before and I am not going to get into it as I think this should be one to discover for oneself. The book itself is journey of discovery. A discovery of what God desires for his people.

A Special Thank you to Westminster John Knox Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Read this book and accept a personal invitation from a very real and relevant God who wants you to get up and go with Him. This requires much trust, along with being present, aware and responsive. We must also be mindful that many times, our plans are not always God’s plans.

Many churches of our current century, while decreasing in overall attendance, are experiencing increases in faith vibrancy. Many are resembling the early church in more ways than one.

Our individual faith journeys can strongly pull us on a journey toward God. Our pilgrimage, or quest to know God, will lead us to places and experiences that will encourage us and teach us to love better...God, others and ourselves.

A pilgrimage could invite or draw you into the wilderness. Each wilderness can be different for each individual. As we venture into our wildernesses, the author advises us to adjust, adapt and accept. Very sound and useful advice.

One of my favorite bits of advice from this book is to practice a walking prayer. Take daily walks and ask God to show you what He wants you to see. Then pay attention and expect Him to answer. I want to incorporate this practice into my life!

As you read through this book, the author will guide you through the compass points of Encounter, Struggle, Wounding and New Name. The compass is a very valuable tool for a pilgrim on a journey.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Westminster John Knox Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.