J2A means Journey To Adulthood, and between July 30th and August 11th, 2008, a group of eleven awesome youth from First United Church took the meaning of these words more literally than usual.
Accompanied by three adults, the J2A group headed down to Sedona and other parts of Arizona for an 11-day pilgrimage. It was the culmination of two years of planning and preparation by the youth, with the strong support of their parents, families, and the First United community.
A pilgrimage is a journey - both physical and spiritual. It is a time when we take ourselves away from our usual comforts and routines, where we find new space within ourselves which allows us to hear God's voice. It's a time for discernment, where we can seek answers to our own personal questions — about our faith, our life, and our future. It's a time for finding that still point within ourselves where God's call to us can be heard, and for deciding how we will respond to it within our own lives.
In the case of the J2A pilgrimage, it was all of those things, plus a whole lot more: it included fun, adventure, an opportunity to experience different cultures (native-American, and Spanish-American), and a chance to encounter nature in some of its most awesome forms.
And to be alone with God.
This blog will allow you to follow along on our journey. We hope you enjoy it!
Use the links to the left to track the different stages of our story.
2 comments:
May God be with each of you and may you encounter the Christ in each of yourselves as you journey together through the coming days.
This is a great idea! I'm excited that we can follow along from the UK. Have an amazing experience all of you!
Kate and Marti
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