Gathering Stones

By Claudia Kern

Medieval pilgrims marked the beginning of their pilgrimage with ritual ceremony. A Mass was held and special rites of blessing were conferred on their walking staffs, satchels, and drinking gourds.

Rev. Johnson will be departing on his “pilgrimage” to Meghalaya shortly after the Sunday service on September 28 and he will carry with him a collection of small stones (“no larger than from the tip of a man’s thumb to the first joint”) to present to the Mukhap congregation as a means of sharing our unique chalice for joys and concerns.

To “bless” Bruce’s journey and to symbolically insure that all our wishes for our friends in India travel with him, please take a few quiet moments alone or with family to gather a special stone from the land where you live or from a place you love—stones from hikes (Mt. Cardigan, Moose Mountain), rivers and streams (Connecticut River), Spirit in Nature Path, favorite swimming hole, etc. Next take a few minutes to write a few words or a simple story about this place that Bruce, our storyteller exemplar, can retell in India. On September 28, as part of the service, the stones and their stories will be placed in baskets. From these, Bruce will choose a sampling of stones to travel with him and to give to the church in Mukhap. For those of you with children, this will be a wonderful way for them to begin to participate in our partnership with India.