40-day Connecticut River Journey to Make Its Way to Vermont
The Episcopal Churches of New England, the New England Synod of the ELCA, and Kairos Earth, in partnership with local, statewide, and regional organizations along the Connecticut River, are organizing the first-ever pilgrimage along the length of the river. A core group of “river pilgrims” will journey the full length of the river, being joined by “daily pilgrims” as they traverse individual stretches/communities, and by “pilgrims in prayer” for those who aren’t able to paddle along or join in events but want to participate in the 40-day spiritual practices that correspond with the Pilgrimage dates.
The pilgrimage begins on May 31, 2017, and is for anyone who would like to engage in a sacred relationship with the natural world, especially with water and the Connecticut River. This journey, like any true pilgrimage, is intended to be a doorway to interior transformation and lasting change. The daily prayer and spiritual exercises of the pilgrimage, as well as the land-based gatherings, will be held in the context of the Christian tradition. People of all backgrounds, faiths, and beliefs are welcome to join.
There are numerous ways get involved. Participants are invited to do any of the following:
- Paddle a section of the Connecticut River for a day, several days, a week, or the entire river over five weeks;
- Offer thanks for the gift of water from a local river, pond, or lake;
- Volunteer to host or help with and/or attend an event at a location in close proximity to the river;
- Make a donation to assist with the Pilgrimage or a contribution to help with the Connecticut River’s conservation; or,
- Join with other Pilgrims in Prayer from a local church by following along with the spiritual lessons and readings from the River of Life prayer book.
To register or learn more about the Pilgrimage, visit the Kairos Earth Registration page. Paddling spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Event registration and paddling applications will open January 10, 2017.
Article content: Adapted from Kairos Earth website
Photo credit: I, Denimadept [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons