Epidemic Preparedness
Our world is facing a health crisis with COVID-19 (the coronavirus). We are praying daily for the health of our world as we face this challenge and recognize there is anxiety about the virus’ impact on our lives. Our Disaster Preparedness Team has been monitoring COVID-19 carefully and curating resources for our use.
Connected in Common
In order to curate and share resources that will help churches provide opportunities for home-based worship and community, we’ve launched a new resource hub with resources for community worship, prayer, formation, children & youth, communications, and stewardship. Join in sharing and expanding our ministry!
A Seasonal Approach
A “Seasonal Approach to Regathering” outlines leadership principles as we imagine the move from stay-at-home protocols to in-person gatherings. This approach provides a vision for imagining our future as God’s people, understanding the reality of our situation with clarity, and putting into place adaptive missional options.
Upcoming Events
A Pilgrimage over the Pyrenees along the French Way
Have you dreamed of making a pilgrimage walking the Camino to Santiago, Spain? For 2020 we have created another inspiring Camino Pilgrimage open to all Episcopalians across Colorado. On this journey, we will experience the life-changing power of walking the Camino, deepen relationships across the Church in Colorado, and strengthen our bonds with the Reformed Episcopal Church in Spain. We will encounter God in the awe-inspiring landscape of France and Spain and witness the power of the Spirit revealed in pilgrims we will meet along the Way.
Our Camino journey will begin in France in the faith-inspiring village of Lourdes, before traveling south to join the French Way, walking over the Pyrenees and across Spain to Santiago. This pilgrimage invites pilgrims to experience their faith like never before.
View the Camino Pilgrimage Itinerary for a more detailed overview of our time together.
Trip leader: The Rev. Canon Greg Foraker, Missioner for Faith Formation
Trip cost: $3,779-4,449 per person, double occupancy, depending on the number of travelers. There is a single supplement of $699.
For more information, please contact the Rev. Canon Greg Foraker, Missioner for Faith Formation, at Greg@EpiscopalColorado.org.
Pilgrimage FAQs
What can I expect to experience this pilgrimage? This pilgrimage is a perfect opportunity to walk the ancient pilgrimage path from southern France to Santiago, Spain. This inspiring pilgrimage involves physical activity including walking an average of 20 km a day, climbing stairs, and hiking over rocky and uneven ground.
Why is this pilgrimage set for fall? Autumn is a great time to walk the Camino when crowds are lower, fall colors are changing, and temperatures are cooler. It is also a perfect time for pilgrims to renew their faith and find new inspiration just ahead of the Advent and Christmas seasons.
What if my congregation is too small to plan a pilgrimage in the future? This pilgrimage is open to lay and clergy Episcopalians from across Colorado and for pilgrims from congregations of all sizes. This Camino journey will be a perfect opportunity to meet and connect with pilgrims from every corner of Colorado and from around the world.
What physical preparation is needed to make this pilgrimage?
Pilgrims from 21 to 82 have made a Camino journey with our leader. Begin a regular practice of walking now and experience the benefits of integrating body, mind, and spirit as an inspiring and faith-filled practice. You will likely return from the Camino in the best shape of your life.
What spiritual preparation is needed to make this pilgrimage?
Beginning six months before traveling, pilgrims will begin to gather for monthly Zoom meetings and weekly online discussions around the spiritual practices of walking, prayer, and pilgrimage. In addition the group will gather September 11-13 for a weekend retreat at Cathedral Ridge to meet one another in person, share in preparation, and walk and hike together. The cost of the retreat is $150 per person.
Is this a religious pilgrimage? Walking the Camino de Santiago is rooted in Christian faith and history. This pilgrimage offers a profound invitation to deepen one’s relationship with God, to open to others along the way, and to walk with Jesus each day.
Registration
To register, please download and complete the Trip Reservation Form, and mail it to Worldwide Journeys along with:
- A copy of your passport. Please note that your passport must be valid for at least six months after your return date.
- A nonrefundable deposit check for $900 made out to Worldwide Journeys.
Mailing address for registration materials:
Worldwide Journeys
1131 N. Laura St.
Jacksonville, FL 32206-3296.
Space for this inspiring journey is limited. To reserve your place, send your materials and deposit by February 29, 2020.
Questions?
For more information, please contact the Rev. Canon Greg Foraker, Missioner for Faith Formation, at Greg@EpiscopalColorado.org.
A Message from Bishop Kym Lucas: Loving Your Neighbor
Little over a year ago, I heard a sermon by the Reverend Jacqueline Lewis, Senior Pastor of Middle Collegiate Church. And what she talked about, what it means to love your neighbor. And she told a story that I rabbi had told her about how loving your neighbor means loving your neighbor’s cow. The rabbi said loving your neighbor is when you see your neighbor Sam’s cow out, you don’t say, “Ooh, Sam’s cow got out. That’s too bad.” You don’t go, “Hmm. That might not even be Sam’s cow at all.” You also don’t say, “Sam should have known better than to let his cow get out.” To love your neighbor means to love your neighbor enough, to go out and get the cow out of trouble, to bring it back where it belongs.
In this time of COVID-19, we are all being challenged. We are all being inconvenienced. We are all grieving. We are all struggling, because life as we are used to living it is different. And yet we, as Christians, are called by this commandment to love God, to love our neighbor and to love ourselves. And to love our neighbor means being willing to be inconvenienced, to love our neighbor means being willing to go the extra mile.