Walking with God and One Another

What a blessing it has been to perambulate together this summer!

Our series of five Holy Walks has been an opportunity to deepen our spiritual connection to the land. We have honed our sense of wonder in the world around us, and gratitude for the great Creator. Click through to this album with more photos of all the walks.

• At St. John's Marsh a small but mighty crew scrambled across 25A and down the slope of Harbor Road to look at our 6 acres of high marsh. We learned about the importance of marshes for water quality and the long connection of St. John's to the land here.
• At St. John's Pond Preserve many of us walked through the park behind the church for the first time. We followed the paths cared for by the Nature Conservancy in silence, experiencing the holiness of being together and with God. We also took a bonus trip up to the founders burying ground - which is now mostly relocated to the Memorial Cemetery.
• St. John's Memorial Cemetery we walked the manicured paths of the Olmstead-designed park, reflecting on our own ancestors, and the land which has formed us. We had a chance to share the memories we carry with us and that inform our faith.
• And finally we circumambulated St. John's Pond, a 2.5 mile hike which took us up on the Greenbelt State Park and down the unpaved roads behind Franklin Pond. We learned about the Medieval practice of Rogation - walking the boundaries of the parish and praying for its wellbeing. We prayed for the growth of our land an community.

We are hoping to have one final walk of sorts, a trip to the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood. It's tentatively scheduled for 2pm on Sunday, September 24th, but watch this space as details may change.