Pilgrimage is one of those pious words that scare many people off because they’re afraid they’re going to have to walk over rocks in their bare feet and eat gruel for six months. It’s actually far less esoteric than that. You’ve probably already been on a pilgrimage once or twice in your life—perhaps when you visited the town where you grew up and you walked its streets with a full heart, seeing everything through the lens of memory. Or when... Read more
10. You’re young and want an adventure. 9. You’re old and want to reflect on your life. 8. You’ve had a divorce, finished chemotherapy, or are grieving a loss. 7. You want to draw closer to God. 6. You’re pretty sure there is no God, but there’s a tiny sliver of doubt. 5. You think a pilgrimage sounds better than therapy. 4. You want to make new friends. 3. You want to be alone. 2. You’ve got itchy feet. 1.... Read more
I know I said I wouldn’t be back blogging until after the first of the year, but I couldn’t resist returning for this one post. That’s because the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has a splendid special exhibit on a topic near and dear to my heart: Sacred Journeys. The exhibit runs until February 21—and if you’re a fan of Holy Rover, I know you will find it fascinating, even if you don’t have a child to take along. The Children’s Museum of... Read more
Well, my dear Holy Rover readers, it’s time to say goodbye for awhile. Within the past few weeks the idea for a book has waltzed into my life, and she is such an insistent partner that we’re going to dance by ourselves for awhile. This project will be a memoir with spiritual themes. The style is a blend of what might happen if St. Augustine, Anne Lamott, Kathleen Norris and Bill Bryson were involved in some sort of weird literary plural marriage. I’ll... Read more
Today’s post is an article of mine that was recently published by the PBS-affiliated website Next Avenue. 8 Top Spiritual Sites in America: Refresh your soul at these sacred destinations by Lori Erickson From Wild to Eat, Pray, Love, spiritual journeys have been on the pop culture radar. But people have been making treks to holy sites for millennia — in fact, these types of locations are probably the oldest form of tourism. Spiritual journeys differ from ordinary vacations in that... Read more
I’ve been doing this blog for a number of years, but there’s one huge category of spirituality that I’ve never written about—the spirituality of music. Well, today is the day to fix that omission. That’s because I recently had the chance to witness one of the most remarkable musical events in the U.S.: the Symphony in the Flint Hills. This Kansas treasure combines classical music with tallgrass prairie under a wide open Western sky. The concert has its roots in 1994, when Flint Hills... Read more
One of the religious groups I’ve always admired are the Mennonites. Though small in number, they have an influence far greater than their size would suggest. After a natural disaster, for example, they are often the first to arrive to help and the last to leave. Along with the Quakers, they are one of the historic peace churches, with a long tradition of pacifism and non-violent resistance. These good folks do much to improve the reputation of Christianity. So on a recent... Read more
You might say that the topic of death is hot these days. Many people are questioning the standard Western practices surrounding death, which too often occurs after medical interventions that prolong suffering, prohibit people from coming to a sense of peace about their dying, and separate people from their loved ones when they need them the most. That’s why I think Kathleen Dowling Singh’s The Grace in Dying : How We Are Transformed Spiritually as We Die is so important. Regular readers may remember that not long ago I raved... Read more
In 1972, artist Ben Long was looking for a place to put his newly acquired fresco painting skills t0 work. He approached J. Faulton Hodge, the rector at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in West Jefferson, North Carolina, with an offer to paint a fresco inside the church. “I’ll even do the work for free,” he said. “We’ll take it!” replied an enthusiastic Father Hodge. “But tell me–what’s a fresco?” So begins the story of a holy site located in the... Read more
Since its Broadway opening in 2011, the irreverent musical The Book of Mormon has won nine Tony Awards and set box-office records. So what did the Mormons do in response to this show that enthusiastically blasphemes nearly everything they hold sacred? Did they protest, threaten, or file lawsuits? Nope. Instead they took out ads in playbills saying, “The book is always better.” If you think that’s an easy response to take, imagine if it was your religion, political party, or... Read more
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