It’s been three weeks since I announced my upcoming book, Pilgrim Principles: Journeying with Intention in Everyday Life. So far, I’ve shared with you a free preview from the first two sections of the book, giving you a glimpse of the first, second, and third Pilgrim Principles. Here’s a quick review (you’ve been keeping up, right?):

1. “A pilgrim looks for the Sacred in the Quotidian” // Home

2. “A pilgrim practices somatic spirituality” // Taste

3. “A pilgrim is a good steward of resources” // Possessions

As you know, the book won’t be released until January 6, 2014, but while you wait you can find a free preview from each section of the book every Wednesday until Christmas, giving you a taste of all seven Pilgrim Principles (and hopefully leaving you yearning for more!).

This week’s preview fits perfectly with the pilgrim’s love for travel, focusing on the fourth Pilgrim Principle, “A pilgrim immerses herself in culture. In the book, we cover five areas to immerse yourself in culture both at home and abroad, including customs, beliefs, location, food, and  the subject of this week’s free preview: language. 

Enjoy, and mark your calendars for the Pilgrim Principles website and book trailer release next week (made with the help of two pilgrims who have contributed here: video by Dan Cumberland with music by Kelsey Kopecky). And of course, another free preview right here on A Sacred Journey.

MORE PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

And because I’m just getting excited, here’s another review of the book, this time from Abby Hollingsworth, blogger at dearabbyleigh.com (remember my “Dress for the Trip You Want to Have” post?):

“Like an archeologist preparing a precious lost artifact for display, Lacy brings the ancient art of pilgrimage into the spotlight of our modern world with great care and delight. Pilgrim Principles is a gentle call to the Sacred in all of our daily journeys, a reminder that we are travelers in this world whether we leave home or not, and the opportunity to traverse this life with intention is one we can’t afford not to take. Lacy is a qualified and generous guide in this journey, one that brings readers closer to their true selves by the end.”

-Abby Hollingsworth, dearabbyleigh.com

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pilgrim principles free book preview: language

The final category we’re going to explore that the pilgrim encounters as she enters another culture is language. Language covers a whole world of difference, including not only foreign tongues, but regional dialects and popular expressions as well.

If you speak English, you are lucky enough to be able to navigate your way through most of the world with your mother tongue (or second, third, or fourth language, if that’s the case–if so, you can just skip on right on ahead!). But there is a downside to this as well: since it is not as necessary for native English speakers to learn another language, many do not. However, learning another culture’s language–at least enough to engage in some form of conversation–is important for the pilgrim seeking immersion.

This is even true for various dialects of the same language. There are many different dialects within the English language, but the ones I’ve most often encountered are American English (my own dialect) and British English. Some of these differences you learn the hard way, but once you know them, you feel far more engaged in the culture you are visiting.

While studying abroad in London, I visited a friend and his family in Birmingham. My friend and I were lounging late one afternoon, a cup of tea in my hand, and my friend’s father came in and said, “Lacy, would you like some tea?” I responded by saying “Oh I already have some, thank you,” thinking that it was kind for him to offer. However, that was not quite the case. My friend jumped in, translating what his father was really asking in his thick West Midlands accent: “What he means is, would you like some supper?”

“Oh!” I replied. All these years, after watching British TV shows, movies, and reading British books, I was thinking that the British were simply having tea all the time (which really wouldn’t be an overstatement). However, now that I know they also use “tea” to describe supper, I assume that many of those instances involved a little more than tea and biscuits (not your flaky Southern biscuits, by the way, but that’s another differentiation entirely).

And of course, beyond tongues and dialects, language can be unique to a culture through expressions. At the graduate school I attended, The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, it was common knowledge that because we were studying and processing things together, we shared a common language–always talking about story, self-care, “sitting with” things, and moving from “binaries” to the reality of “both/and.”

Feeling a little foreign? It makes sense. I’m sure someone who glanced at this book without understanding the language we’ve been using might feel a little foreign, too. That’s because even when we’re talking about pilgrimage, we’re using a particular language–departure, arrival, return, journey, path, longing, desire, Sacred, Divine–these aren’t words that many people use every day (see the glossary on page 9 if you need a refresher). But as you’ve been immersed in this language over the past many weeks, you’d probably say that you know more about what it means to be a pilgrim.

It’s amazing how deep language goes, isn’t it? By learning the languages of other cultures–whether a country as big as Russia or a community as small as a graduate school in downtown Seattle–we can truly know more of a culture and become immersed.

 

 

PRACTICE

This week, begin exploring your own language–the unique words or phrases you use that are common to you–and discover what story your language is telling. You can also begin paying attention to the language of those around you, particularly those who might be different than you, seeking to understand them in a new way.

And why not begin preparing for your next journey by starting to study the language of a place you’ve always wanted to visit? It might seem daunting to learn it all, but “hello,” “please,” and “thank you,” is a good place to start.

REFLECTION

Do you have experience speaking different languages? What does it feel like when you begin to understand another language, whether new expressions, different dialects, or a new language entirely?

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This post was an excerpt from
Pilgrim Principles: Journeying with Intention in Everyday Life,
releasing January 6, 2014.

Come back next Wednesday for another free preview!

Two weeks ago I announced my upcoming book, Pilgrim Principles: Journeying with Intention in Everyday Life. So far, I’ve shared with you a free preview from the first two sections of the book, giving you a glimpse of the first and second Pilgrim Principles. Read the first two free previews here:

1. “A pilgrim looks for the Sacred in the Quotidian” // Home

2. “A pilgrim practices somatic spirituality” // Taste

The book won’t be released until January 6, 2014, but while you wait you can find a free preview from each section of the book every Wednesday until Christmas, giving you a taste of all seven Pilgrim Principles (and hopefully leaving you yearning for more!). This week’s preview is of the third Pilgrim Principle, “A pilgrim is a good steward of resources,” and explores the resources we have at our disposal for our journeys but are often overlooked (or sometimes just neglected): time, money, abilities, possessions, and the environment. Today’s preview is all about possessions–just in time for a season where our obsession for possessions threatens to overpower meaning, no?

Enjoy, and feel free to spread the love by sharing away!

MORE PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

Some more thoughts on the book, this time from Dan Cumberland of The Meaning Movement:

“Lacy is a woman of great depth and insight.  Her work and words continually call me into deeper places of meaning and authenticity. Listen closely to what she has to say! She will take you to surprising and important places—personally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.”

-Dan Cumberland, themeaningmovement.com

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pilgrim principles free book preview: possessions

In this week’s introduction, I described the outfitting of the traditional pilgrim–coat, staff, hat, small satchel. Though times have changed and many advancements have been made in the travel gear market, one thing remains the same between the possessions of the traditional and modern pilgrim on a literal journey: they possess only what they can carry.

This doesn’t mean that they carry only the obvious necessities, though. Pilgrims today carry a change of clothes, soap, and a toothbrush, yes–but they also carry journals for reflection, books for inspiration, and photographs for remembrance. They might carry music for motivation or lip gloss to help them forget that they haven’t showered in five days. These things can be just as important to the well-being of the pilgrim as a jacket to shield him from the rain or a broken-in pair of boots.

Of course, filling a single bag with both practical and personal necessities can quickly result in overpacking. In fact, I’ve heard many stories of pilgrims on the Road to Santiago de Compostela leaving things behind that weren’t so important after all, just to lighten the load. As they journeyed, learning more about themselves as well as the path on which they walked, they came to realize that they could do without the things that once seemed necessary. In fact, in the end they felt better for it.

Being intentional with our possessions and lightening the load is something we can also practice in our daily lives as pilgrims, though with the amount of possessions in our homes, it will take more than a split-second to decide what we can leave behind and what to let go. Whether you can feel it or not, the possessions that surround us have a significant effect on our well-being, just as the weight of the pilgrim’s possessions can impact his journey. All of our possessions have joined us on our journey at one point. Whether their arrival was met with excitement, obligation, or indifference, anything that continues to be in our possession is still with us on our journey, no matter how deep and dark the closet is in which we try to hide it.

We could all benefit from lightening our load, as far as possessions go. And as is the case with the pilgrim, that doesn’t mean only keeping the things that are “necessary” in practical terms. It also means that we should hold onto the possessions that bring us life and nourish our souls. Beauty and remembrance meet needs of their own. However, deciding what stays and what goes isn’t an easy task. That’s why (again, as with the pilgrim) we have to pay attention to our daily journeys in order to discern which possessions are of true value to us and which ones are ultimately a burden.

For many of us, lightening the load is a great task that can take hours, days, months, and maybe (gulp!) years. But it is a necessary task if we want to live as pilgrims in the everyday, being good stewards of our resources and conscious of our possessions. There are a lot of great resources and suggestions out there about how to begin the minimizing process (there’s even an entire minimalist movement), and it’s up to you as to how to begin. I want to leave you with a suggestion that can help you begin lightening your load right now: start with just one thing a day.

PRACTICE

Each day, identify one thing that you don’t need or use anymore and put it in an “outbox”–a designated box of things to sell, donate, or give to someone else. At the end of the month, get rid of the items inside. I have a feeling that if you start small like this, you’ll find it to be an easy and liberating process, and you might just be surprised by the things you no longer need or desire as your journey continues.

REFLECTION

What are some possessions you have that enrich your journey, bringing you life? Which possessions are burdensome items whose absence would lighten your spiritual and emotional load? Take action by placing these things in your outbox today.

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This post was an excerpt from
Pilgrim Principles: Journeying with Intention in Everyday Life,
releasing January 6, 2014.

Come back next Wednesday for another free preview!

Last week I announced my upcoming book, Pilgrim Principles: Journeying with Intention in Everyday Life, and shared with you a free preview from the first section of the book, focused on the first Pilgrim Principle: “A pilgrim looks for the Sacred in the Quotidian.” Read it here.

The book won’t be released until January 6, 2014, but while you wait you can find a free preview from each section of the book every Wednesday until Christmas, giving you a taste of all seven Pilgrim Principles (and hopefully leaving you yearning for more!). This week’s preview is of the second Pilgrim Principle, “A pilgrim practices somatic spirituality,” and explores how you can even experience the Sacred through your sense of taste (go figure!). Other categories explored with this principle in the book include the other four senses: hearing, touch, smell, and sight.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

Early reviews of the book are starting to roll in! Here’s what Ronna Detrick, writer, spiritual director, and provocateur (read our interview with her here) had to say:

“Lacy has the provocative ability to blend the sacred and the practical, the spiritual and the everyday, in wisdom-full and passionate ways. In Pilgrim Principles, she takes you by the hand (and heart), gently guiding you with prose, prayer, and praxis; inviting and compelling meaningful ways of integrating faith, hope, and love with the everyday stuff of life. You can trust her. Buy the book. Take the journey.”

Ronna Detrick, ronnadetrick.com 

Without further ado, another free preview. Enjoy (and pass it on)!

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pilgrim principles free preview: taste

Food is commonly understood as a necessity in life for our physical nourishment, but it has long been a source of spiritual nourishment as well. I’m not talking about that tub of ice cream you pull out of the freezer at the end of a bad day or the bag of chips you completely devour while sitting on the couch. Whether we want to admit it or not, I think we all know that any nourishment we get from such over-indulgences is false. While the first bite might taste divine, our thoughts inevitably take over and we eat absentmindedly. In such instances we are not present, we are not aware, and we are warding off spiritual nourishment rather than receiving it.

When I talk about the spiritual nourishment that comes from food, I’m thinking of long dinners at the table surrounded by friends. I’m thinking of making rich simmering soup for your family on a cold winter’s night. And I’m imagining the taste of a blackberry picked fresh from the wild bush in the summertime. Each of these instances can nourish the spirit, and each involves taste in some way or another.

The pilgrim is quite familiar with taste–in the metaphorical way, at least. To even have set off on a journey, the pilgrim must have tasted something of the Divine, leaving him longing for more. Often such a taste can be fleeting, but it awakens the senses and sparks desire. For the pilgrim committed to his journey, this is only a foretaste, for it is a glimpse of the goodness yet to come along the road.

To savor these tastes, the pilgrim must exercise the senses, and in a way, that’s what we’ve been doing all week. By connecting to the Sacred through touch, sound, smell, and sight, we have been sharpening our senses, manifesting externally what we long to experience internally, and we can do that through tasting, too. When we taste something–savor it, slowly and truly–we inhale its goodness and by it are blessed. Surely, as we learn to savor the simple blessing of food, we will learn to fully savor life’s Sacred Encounters as well.

PRACTICE

Perhaps the greatest thing about practicing somatic spirituality–using our bodies and our senses with the intention of Sacred Encounter–is that when we are engaging the senses, we can be fully present. Today, find a food you love and taste it; fully, slowly, silently savor it, being present to your every delight, and know that where you delight and savor, you will truly taste the Divine.

REFLECTION

What was it like to be present while eating, savoring both the moment and the flavor of your food or drink?

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This post was an excerpt from
Pilgrim Principles: Journeying with Intention in Everyday Life,
releasing January 6, 2014.

Come back next Wednesday for another free preview!

Today, I’m excited to announce the upcoming release of my book, Pilgrim Principles: Journeying with Intention in Everyday life, releasing January 6, 2014. Pilgrim Principles is a seven-week journey right at home that uses the Pilgrim Principles Rule of Life (download your copy for free when you subscribe here) to explore how to live like a pilgrim each day, infusing your daily life with spirituality and intention.

Each Wednesday until Christmas, I’ll be releasing a free preview of a section in each chapter. This week’s chapter is all about the first Pilgrim Principle, “A pilgrim looks for the Sacred in the quotidian” (which means “ordinary”), and focuses on how you can do that in your home. Other categories explored with this principle in the book include morning, work, community, and night. Come back Wednesday for a free preview from the next Pilgrim Principle: “A pilgrim practices somatic spirituality.”

Enjoy (and pass it on)!

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pilgrim principles free book preview: home

You might not use the word ritual everyday. In fact, images of dancing around a fire in the light of the full moon might be going through your mind. Perhaps you’re more comfortable with the term tradition, but the truth is, ritual and tradition go hand in hand.

To understand more what a ritual really is, let’s look at the definitions of ritual and tradition so we can know the difference between the two. Tradition is defined as “something that is handed down…from generation to generation.” A ritual is defined as “a repetitive behavior,” often practiced for the purpose of observance. Tradition is about remembering, while ritual is about enacting.

What these two terms have in common is that they are both about making meaning. Tradition focuses on carrying on meaning from the past, while ritual is creating meaning in the present. The pilgrim knows this, and uses rituals to help her in her search for the Sacred within the quotidian. Through ritualization and the enacting of meaning, ordinary moments for the pilgrim can become moments of intention and Sacred Encounter. You can do this at home in your ordinary moments today.

Here are a few ways to ritualize the quotidian moments that are a part of life at home, inviting the Sacred into those ordinary places:

When you wake up and wash your face, bringing refreshment for the new day, splash your face three times: in the name of the Creator, Christ, and the Sacred Guide.

Many people start their day with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Instead of drinking it absentmindedly while watching the news, find a quiet place to sip your cup, being present with each delicious drop. It’s manna from heaven after all, isn’t it? It’s the least you could do.

Prepare dinner at night without any distractions, finding relief in the steady rhythm of the chop-chop-chopping of the knife on the cutting board. It might very well be the first silence you’ve experienced all day. You can either savor the silence, or you could use that time to pray or reflect over things you’re grateful for in the day you’ve just experienced. Try this with other tasks that take some time but must be done, like washing the dishes or mowing the lawn.

If you go around locking doors and closing windows before you go to bed each night, ritualize your physical actions toward safety as a prayer for your soul’s protection for the following day against whatever might lead you away from your truest self and the Sacred.

 

 PRACTICE

Since rituals are about making meaning in the present moment, you can also easily create rituals of your own. Simply find something that seems ordinary or mundane in your day and figure out a way it could be more meaningful, infusing it with the Sacred.

REFLECTION

What is one regular aspect of your day that you can turn into a Sacred ritual?

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This post was an excerpt from
Pilgrim Principles: Journeying with Intention in Everyday Life,
releasing January 6, 2014.

Come back next Wednesday for another free preview!

3D book image by CodeArt