Pilgrims with courage to go beyond the fence open opportunity for adventure with God. On our faith pilgrimage in Ireland, we each picked up and carried two stones. One stone represented a burden we carry where we may need deeper trust, surrender, faith, or hope. We would throw this stone off the Cliffs of Moher.
The other stone represented something we wish to receive from Jesus, like healing, grace, love, or forgiveness. We would lay this stone at the foot of the cross of Saint Brendan in Glendalough.
St Brendan is remembered for his courage, his sense of adventure, and deep faith. His ability to trust and venture forth with God was grounded in prayer.
A Prayer of St Brendan
Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown.
Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with You.
Christ of the mysteries, I trust You to be stronger than each storm within me.
I will trust in the darkness and know that my times, even now, are in Your hand.
Tune my spirit to the music of heaven, and somehow, make my obedience count for You.
Amen
Wouldn’t it be nice if our burden of fear to break fresh ground with God could just get lost? Check out my blooper video that became too profound to delete and continue on with the cleaned-up version of throwing my burden off the Cliffs of Moher. I hope the sound of footsteps will bring you more fully into the moment.
The Treasure: Discern which burdens to put down and travel light to break fresh ground with God.
If you’d rather read than watch the video, here’s the full video transcript:
Blooper portion: Whenever we cross a threshold, there’s probably some burdens to be put down. And I actually have … (laughter) … I can’t find my burden!
Well, whenever we cross thresholds into new seasons, sometimes we bring burdens from what’s before. I know that’s true of me. And as I’m coming into a new season across my threshold, I have a rock that represents a burden I’m going to put down. I’m going to throw this rock over the Cliffs of Moher in just a moment. My burden that I’m going to lay down is the exhausting need, perceived need, to know what’s ahead—to know what the plan and the script is going to be. So, by throwing this burden out I’m going to be opening myself up to have an expectancy of what God is going to do next and to celebrate that with Him and lean fully into Him. So, I’m going to throw my burden out now … I’m imagining that I hear the sploosh way down there into the ocean.
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