Erskine Action

On August 19th, twenty pilgrims, most of them Associate Reformed Presbyterian pastors, departed our shores for a 2-week Holy Land tour. Unlike many Holy Land excursions, this particular trip was designed for pastors, with an intentional emphasis placed upon their retreat and renewal. Participants were mid-career pastors who had never had the opportunity to visit Israel before.

The itinerary included a week in the region of Galilee, with the balance of the days spent in and around Jerusalem. The daily program: to walk in the steps of Jesus. This included day trips to sites such as Nazareth, Caesarea and Bethlehem. Late afternoons were spent in reflection and retreat; each evening, after worship, we heard a message touching upon the life and words of Jesus.

Those of us on the trip will tell you that seeing the world of our Lord first hand (whether Capernaum or the Via Dolorosa) brought forth various responses from the pilgrims, sometimes sadness, then wonder and joy. There was much laughter, and a few tears, as well. We were often struck with surprise at the scale of places, or how our imagination had construed a decidedly false picture of Jesus’ daily life. The learning for each participant was varied, yet uniformly “overwhelming.” One thing I can safely say about our pilgrimage: we all left with a deeper love for the Lord, and an unspeakable gratefulness for the Incarnation.

How did Erskine Seminary fund such a trip? The entire Pilgrimage, including pre- and post-trip retreats, was made possible by a grant from the Cousins Foundation of Atlanta, Georgia. The Foundation has a deep commitment to the care of pastors, and I thank the Lord that this commitment will now bear fruit in Erskine graduates.