ORDER OF SERVICE JANUARY 6TH 2013-EPIPHANY

January 6^th,  2013

Announcements     The Work of Church and Community

WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD

Welcome and greeting one another with the Peace of Christ.

One: The peace of Christ be with you. All: And with your spirit.

* Introit     Hope Is a Star (verse 1)     VU 7

Hope is a star that shines in the night,

leading us on till the morning is bright.

When God is a child there's joy in our song.

The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong,

and none shall be afraid.

* Call to Worship

One: A shining light has led us far –

All: we have found the child of peace.

One: Ancient songs have strengthened our spirits –

All: we have seen the child of love.

One: A gift of new life has dispelled our fears –

All: we have held the child of hope.

One: The cradle of straw has found our hearts –

All: we shall journey with this child of joy.

Hymn Arise Your Light Has Come VU 79

Opening Prayer (Based on Isaiah 60:1-6)

One: Lift up your eyes and look around,

Arise and shine, (raise face upward and extend arms up and out)

for our light has come! (wiggle fingers in the air)

One: Arise, for the glory of God is shining on us.

Shadows shall cover the earth,

but the brightness of God’s presence is upon us.

Lift up your eyes and look around,

All: arise and shine for our light has come!

One: Nations will be drawn to our light, and rulers to the dawning of our new day; people are gathering to come home.

Lift up your eyes and look around,

All: arise and shine for our light has come!

One: We will see this and be filled with joy; we will tremble with excitement. Great caravans will come, bringing gifts of praise.

Everyone will tell the good news of what God has done.

Lift up your eyes and look around,

All: arise and shine for our light has come!

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD

Isaiah 60:1–6 Arise, shine; for your light has come.

Psalm 72 God’s anointed defends the poor. Pts. 1 & 2, VU 790

* Hymn     The First Noel     VU 91

Opening the Word/Children's Time & The Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 2:1–12 The visit of the Magi.

Reflection

WE RESPOND IN FAITH

* Hymn The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy VU 73

Minute for Mission & Offering Our Gifts to God

* Offering Song/Doxology     Praise God from Whom  VU 541

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

Times of silence will be offered throughout this prayer

WE GO TO SERVE GOD

* Hymn     I Am the Light of the World     VU 87

* Commissioning and Benediction

* Choral Amen

ORDER OF SERVICE DECEMBER 30TH 2012 CHRISTMAS 1

The Congregations of St. Mark’s and St. David’s

United Church of Canada

Port Hawkesbury/Port Hastings, NS

Office: 625-2229, Fax 625-3597, e-mail: stmarks1@eastlink.ca

Blog: http://ourcontactonline.blogspot.com/

Ministers: Whole People of God

Minister: Nan Corrigan D. M. Music Director: Al Fougere

December 30^th, 2012

1^st Sunday of Christmas

Announcements The Work of Church and Community

WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD

Welcome and greeting one another with the Peace of Christ.

One: The peace of Christ be with you. All: And with your spirit.

* Introit      Il est né     (chorus only)          VU 50

Il est né, le divin Enfant,

jouez, hautbois, résonnez, musettes;

il est né, le divin Enfant;

chantons tous son avènement.

He is born, little Child divine;

play on the reeds while the lutes are strumming.

He is born, little Child divine;

join the song to announce the day.

* Call to Worship

One: Light the candles: 

All: the hope of our hearts has been born!

One: Sing the carols: 

All: the star to guide our spirits has risen!

One: Embrace your neighbour:

All: the cradle of compassion receives us all!

One: Believe in the mystery: 

All: the love we long for is here.

Hymn Angels We Have Heard on High VU 38

Opening Prayer Prayer with Liturgical Movements

God of stables and stars, you are the hope that leads us forward. 

(Move hands together in a forward motion with palms up.)

You are the love that cradles our hearts.

(Place hands over heart.)

You are the peace that quiets our fears.

(Open hands and bring them down to your side.)

You are the joy that sounds through our voices.

(Raise one hand to lips and move it forward in a slow, spinning motion.)

You are the face that shines through the Bethlehem baby.

(Raise both hands up.) 

Amen.

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD

1 Samuel 2:18–20, 26 God blesses the boy Samuel.

Psalm 148 Let the whole of creation praise God. VU 871

* Hymn Go, Tell It on the Mountain VU 43

Opening the Word/Children's Time & The Lord’s Prayer

The Gospel Acclamation

Luke 2:41–52 The boy Jesus learns at the temple

Reflection

WE RESPOND IN FAITH

* Hymn It Came upon the Midnight Clear VU 44

Minute for Mission & Offering Our Gifts to God

* Offering Song/Doxology Grant Us, God, the Grace VU 540

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

One: O God, All: This love grows within us.

WE GO TO SERVE GOD

* Hymn Joy to the World VU 59

* Commissioning and Benediction

As we go forth: may we, like the shepherds,

journey in the name of love.

May we, like the stable owners,

make room for hope.

May we, like the angels,

sing out our joy.

May we, like Mary,

cradle peace in our hearts.

* Choral Amen

MOVIE NIGHT AT THE MANSE DECEMBER 30TH, 2012

Movie Night at the Manse, December 30th at 6:45 p.m.--as we will now be in the Season of Christmas, having concluded the Advent Season pilgrimage to the Bethlehem stable, and had opportunity to read the article from Seasons of the Spirit, "An Unlikely Pilgrim" (see post on blog December 15th), Nan and Bruce invite you to Movie Night at the Manse as we view the movie "The Way" starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. Come join us--we'll supply the popcorn. 

ORDER OF SERVICE CHRISTMAS EVE COMMUNION 2012

December 24^th, 2012

Christmas Eve-A Service of Light

Scripture, Carols, and Communion

December 24^th – Christmas Eve Services with Communion

6:30 p.m. - St. Mark’s, Port Hawkesbury 8:00 p.m. – St. David’s, Port Hastings

* Processional Hymn     O Come, All Ye Faithful       VU60

WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD

*Welcome and greeting one another with the Peace of Christ.

One: The Holy Child of Peace comes to dwell among us!

Let us now share the peace with one another.

The peace of Christ be with you. . All: And with your spirit.

Introit

What child is this, who laid to rest,

on Mary’s lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet

while shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is the Christ the King,

whom shepherds guard and angels sing,

Haste, haste to bring him laud, the Babe, the Son of Mary!

Lighting of the Advent Candles

*Candlelighting Hymn (an echo song)

We light these candles as a sign.

Your light has come into the world.

Jesus has brought Your kingdom here.

Help us to share this good news.

Words & Music: Jane Best ©2012 Wayne Leupold Editions, Inc. Used by permission.

Gathering Prayer

All: Gracious God,
with joy and thanksgiving we gather as your people.
We have come to hear again the timeless story of Christ's birth.
In the excitement of this night, quiet our hearts
that we may know the peace and fullness of this holy time.
Shine, O Light, in the darkness of our world.
Sing, O angels, in the stillness of our hearts,
"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those God favors."
This we pray in the name of the Child of Bethlehem. Amen.

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD

(People are seated -- all lights are dimmed)

The Prophecy of the Messiah
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

Hope is a star that shines in the night,

leading us on till the morning is bright.

When God is a child there's joy in our song,

The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong,

and none shall be afraid.

The Lighting of the Christ Candle

Hymn: We Light This Candle

The Coming of Jesus Is Announced to Mary and Joseph
Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-25

Choir-A Carol of Hope

The Lighting of Gabriel Candle and Mary and Joseph Candles

The Preparations for the Birth of Jesus
Luke 2:1-5O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by;
yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light;
the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

Jesus is Born
Luke 2:6-7Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

Lighting of the Baby Jesus Candle and Placement of Baby in Nativity

Jesus' Birth is Announced to the Shepherds
Luke 2:9-14

*It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold,
“Peace on the earth, good will to all,

from heaven's all gracious King!”
The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.

Lighting of the Angel Candles

*The first Nowell the angel did say

was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
in fields where they lay a-keeping their sheep

on a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, born is the King of Israel.

Lighting of the Shepherd Candles

The Shepherds Find the Baby Jesus
Luke 2:15-18

The Wise Men Bring Their Gifts to Jesus
Matthew 2:1-11*And by the light of that same star

three wise men came from country far;
to seek for a king was their intent,

and to follow the star wherever it went.
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, born is the King of Israel.

*Then entered in those wise men three,

full reverently upon their knee,
and offered there in his presence

their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, born is the King of Israel.

Lighting of the King Candles

WE RESPOND IN FAITH

Offering Our Gifts to God

* Offering Song/Doxology 544VU

Prayers of Confession and Assurance

Merciful God, we confess that often we find darkness more comfortable than light.
We confess that we find your good news frightening and unsettling,
especially when we consider its demands as well as its promises.
We confess that Christmas has become more to us than the birthday of the Christ,
partly because we do not want a Christ-Child in our lives or in our world.
Forgive us, bend us, change us, remake us.
Give us the courage to lay ourselves open to the wonder and healing of your coming.
Be born again into our world, be born again into our hearts and lives.
Hear now our silent and personal confessions as we prepare ourselves for your nativity. (silence)

The true light that enlightens all has come into the world.
That light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness has never been able to put it out. Through the Child of Bethlehem, we know ourselves to be forgiven, we know ourselves to be loved.
This is the good news! Thanks be to God!

* Communion Hymn Arise Your Light Is Come VU 79

Sacrament of Communion Communion Insert, cover of VU

Distribution Hymn O Holy Night Printed

(St. Mark's—congregation will come forward; St. David's—served in pews. Candles representing the people are lit during Communion)

WE GO TO SERVE GOD

(electric lights are dimmed for singing of final hymn)

* Hymn Silent Night VU 67

* Commissioning and Benediction

One: The candles have been lit – light in the depth of night.

The carols have been sung – lifting hearts with angels heavenward.

The story has been told – live it, now, every day:

All: this hope, this peace, this joy, this love,

given to the world through Jesus, the Christ,

God with us, Emmanuel.

* Choral Amen 

ADVENT 4 & CHRISTMAS REFLECTION

Different Roads

The Season of Christmas is a bit of an oddity. While we may
begin preparing for it months in advance, and while the
preparation may reach a veritable fevered pitch at times, the
reality is that for many of us the preparation becomes the
very festival; Christmas arrives, and we are over it.

Perhaps we might view things a little differently. Perhaps
we might see Christmas not so much as a day or
season, but as an apex, a climax. We journey towards it, and
we journey away from it, but it is never itself a static thing.

This can make sense, for Christmas is about birth. We
may prepare for a birth, but there is no time to rest! Any new
parents will tell you that the birth of a child offers barely a
microsecond of rest, before a totally transformed life begins
for all concerned. Maybe Christmas can be like that.

This brief, 12-day season that begins with the birth
of Jesus ends with the celebration of the Epiphany, or
the story of the arrival of the magi. These foreigners are,
for Matthew, the first people to worship the Christ child,
symbolizing among other things that the love of God is for
all people, including those from far away, even from other
faith traditions.


We can only assume that the magi were going about
their daily lives when some kind of cosmic event – a star
– interfered with business as usual and sent them on an
unusual journey. (By the way, 99% of Christmas cards to the
contrary, they did not arrive at the stable, but visited Jesus
and Mary in a house, perhaps when Jesus was as old as two
– see Matthew 2:11.) What is extra remarkable about this
journey, however, is not just that it led them to an encounter
with Jesus Christ, but that it took them in a new direction
beyond that moment.

Can we let that happen in our lives? Can we dare to open
ourselves to God’s spirit leading us, guiding us, nudging us
in a new direction? How much can we resist the temptation to
return to the ordinary, and instead move off on another road?

Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2012 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFUSION Advent • Christmas • Epiphany 2012–2013, p. 17

ANNOUNCEMENTS SUNDAY DECEMBER 23RD, 2012

Participating through leadership in worship this morning are:

Organist: Al Fougere

Greeters (St. M.): Larry & Lucille Evans

Greeter (St. D.): Heather Deschenes

Lay Reader (St. M.): Larry Evans

(St. D.): Arnold Mac Lean

Mission Moment (St. M.): Barb Mac Intyre

Collectors (St. M.): Bruce Corrigan, Joyce Oliver-Snair, Larry & Lucille Evans

(St. D.): Marie Davis, Ashley Mac Leod

MINISTER’S OFFICE HOURS:

Monday 9-12 noon

Tuesday 9-12 noon

Wednesday 9-12 noon at St. David’s You may drop by for a coffee.

Thursday 9 – 12 noon

Friday – Minister’s Day Off

The Manse telephone number is 625-0407

Food Bank donations are received on the last Sunday of each month.

Prayer Shawl Knitting Circle Knitters and crocheters - gather together in the parlour of St. Mark’s on the 3^rd Monday of each month. Mon., Jan. 21^st at 1 p.m. will be our next time of gathering.

Copies of the “UPPER ROOM” for January-February are available.

Dec. 24^th – Christmas Eve Services with Communion

6:30 p.m. - St. Mark’s 8:00 p.m. – St. David’s

Dec. 26^th – 10:30 a.m.; Service at the Nursing Home

Dec. 30^th – 9:30 a.m.; Combined Worship at St. Mark’s. NO Worship Service at St. David’s.

ST. MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

COURTESY CAR

If you need a ride to church during the month of December call

Dave Chapman at 787-2610

Please make your Courtesy Car request well in advance if possible. Sunday Worship requests should be made by the evening before

or by 8 a.m. Sunday morning at latest.

St. Mark’s Readers: For the month of January

January 6, 2013                                   Denis Bernard

January 13, 2013                                 Brenda MacInnis 

January 20, 2013                                 Vida Hood

January 27, 2013                              Clark Brander 

ST. DAVID’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

Sunday School at St. Davids on the First and Last Sunday of each month. (This will run two Sunday's together, but it is easier to remember this way) May God keep you in his warm and comforting embrace, Lisa

Hall Cleaners for December are Jean Hatcher & Marjorie Langford.

Dec. 24^th – 8:00 p.m.; Christmas Eve Service with Communion

REMINDER: The Treasurer will close her books on December 31, 2012. Any donations received after that date will be credited to 2013.

St. David’s Readers: For the month of January

January 6^th - Bob Downard 625-1620

January 13^th - Julia Mac Kinnon 625-2798

January 20^th - Yvonne Fox 625-2556 

January 27^{th -} Alicia Vink 234-3140

**********

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Peace and Reconciliation Pilgrimage to Corrymeela, Northern Ireland (Note: New orientation dates and registration dates!) Orientation: February 8 -9, 2013, at Tatamagouche Centre (included in cost) Trip: Sunday May 5 – Monday May 13, 2013 Cost: $1,500.00 Participants must register no later than February 1st, 2013. (Flight from Canada to Belfast not included.) The Corrymeela community near Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, is an ecumenical Christian community working locally, nationally and internationally to embrace difference, heal divisions and enable peace-making and reconciliation. The goals of the trip are to deepen our understanding of peacemaking from a faith-based perspective within the Northern Ireland context, and to learn more of the Corrymeela Community’s history, organization and ongoing practice. Contact Tatamagouche Centre for details: 1-800-218-2220 or www.tatacentre.

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Christmas Carol Service River Denys Presbyterian Church December 23, 2012 at 7 pm, led by Corrie Stewart. *Ministry of Music by local and Invited guests *Fellowship and refreshment to follow *Everyone welcome *Free Will Offering Presented by River Denys, Malagawatch, and Orangedale Presbyterian Churches

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Our Annual Holiday Concert will take place in Our Lady of Assumption Church Arichat, on Sunday December 30 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Everyone is invited to come and enjoy a relaxing afternoon with friends, music and the Blessings of Christmas joys. A donation basket will be available for those who wish to make a donation. Les Friends of Notre Dame de l’Assomption wishes to thank everyone who supported our parish throughout the year.  Best Wishes for a Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

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New Years Celebration Havre Boucher Community Centre will be hosting a New Years Dance again this year to bring in 2013. The band will be "The Barrett's Privateer's". The cost is $10.00 and the time is 10:00 to 2:00 pm.

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ORDER OF SERVICE DECEMBER 23RD, 2012 ADVENT 4

The Congregations of St. Mark’s and St. David’s

United Church of Canada

Port Hawkesbury/Port Hastings, NS

Office: 625-2229, Fax 625-3597, e-mail: stmarks1@eastlink.ca

Blog: http://ourcontactonline.blogspot.com/

Ministers: Whole People of God

Minister: Nan Corrigan D. M. Music Director: Al Fougere

December 23^rd, 2012

4^th Sunday of Advent-Love

* please stand as able

Announcements The Work of Church and Community

WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD

Welcome and greeting one another with the Peace of Christ.

One: The peace of Christ be with you. All: And with your spirit.

* Introit I Am Walking a Path

I am walking a path of love, I am walking a path of love,

I am walking a path of love, lead me home, lead me home.

Words & music copyright © Janet Bauman Tissandier, 2-825-7 St., Canmore, AB T1W 2C4.

* Call to Worship

One: From ancient days, All: God has been present.

One: From ancient days, All: we pray and we listen.

One: From ancient days, All: the promise has sounded.

One: From ancient days, All: we journey in hope.

One: From ancient days, All: love finds new birth.

One: From ancient days, All: we worship in wonder.

Advent Candlelighting Liturgy

We Light the Candle of Love (back of bulletin)

*Candlelighting Hymn Advent Candle Song (an echo song)

We light these candles as a sign.

Your light has come into the world.

Jesus has brought Your kingdom here.

Help us to share this good news.

We light this candle as a sign.

Your love has come into the world.

Your Spirit draws us close to you.

Help us to share this good news.

Words & Music: Jane Best ©2012 Wayne Leupold Editions, Inc. Used by permission.

Prayer of Confession

In the midst of the bustle, we can lose sight of the quiet star that calls to us.

All: Help us see the promise of this season.

In the midst of the tasks, we can lose our way to the simple town called Bethlehem, and the story of the season.

All: Help us journey to the source of this season.

In the midst of the rush, we can lose our compassion for those who ask if there is any room in our hearts.

All: Help us share the love of this season. (silence for reflection)

Words of Affirmation

The good news of this season is that God is with us, now and forever. God’s love has been and always will be there for us.

Hymn: O Come, All Ye Faithful VU 60

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD

Micah 5:2–5a Out of Bethlehem in Judea will come a leader.

(spoken with lines of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” sung as a response)

Sing: O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie. Bethlehem! Your family may seem small, but from you will come someone who will rule Israel, whose origin is from ancient days. Sing: Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by. A woman shall labour and give birth, and when this child appears, then all the others will return to the people Israel. This child will grow up to be like a shep­herd, standing and feeding my flock with strength and majesty.

Sing: Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.

All will live securely because this one will be known to the ends of the earth and will be the one of peace.

Sing: The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

Psalm 80 Shepherd of Israel, hear us. Part 1 VU 794

* Hymn: O Little Town of Bethlehem Vs. 2-4 VU 64

Opening the Word/Time with Children & The Lord’s Prayer

The Gospel Acclamation

Luke 1:39-55 Bible Story: Mary Remembers

Holy Is Your Name (sung during story) Printed

WE RESPOND IN FAITH

* A New Creed VU918

* Hymn To a Maid Whose Name Was Mary VU 14

Minute for Mission & Offering Our Gifts to God

* Offering Song/Doxology VU 544

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

(Times for silent prayer will be offered throughout)

WE GO TO SERVE GOD

* Hymn The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy VU 73

* Commissioning and Benediction

Held by the compassion of God –

giver of surprises, lover of justice –

held by this remarkable God,

we leave this place ready to live in gratitude,

ready to reach out in kindness,

ready to walk together in peace.

* Choral Amen

Reflecting on the Word Advent as Pilgrimage

Luke 1:39–55 “[Elizabeth said], ‘As soon as I heard your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy’” (Luke 1:44).

We may think of prophets mostly as older men who offer messages of “doom and gloom,” but such is simply not the case. In the beginning of Luke’s gospel we encounter several prophets who do not at all fit that mould, reminding us (as we explored a few weeks ago) that we are all called to be prophets, and that the prophetic message we are called to proclaim is one of joy. Both Elizabeth and Mary declare some of the wonders of what God is doing in their world, and as we read their story we are reminded of what God is doing in our world.

• What are some of the “wonders of what God is doing” in your world?
• What has made you “leap for joy” on this Advent journey?
• How are you “walking a path of love?”   

A Pilgrimage Story from Seasons of the Spirit

Throughout the Season of Advent, we have been thinking about the season as a "pilgrimage" to the Bethlehem manger. Below is an article about one person's pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago for your enjoyment and reflection. Look for more information to follow about "Movie Night at the Manse" as we gather to view Martin Sheen in the movie "The Way", relax and celebrate the Christmas Season together.  

An unlikely pilgrim 

Michelle Coram

My pilgrimage was never meant to be meaningful.

The Camino de Santiago, in Spain, is over a thousand
years old and trodden by tens of thousands of pilgrims
each year. For me, though, it was simply a cheap
holiday. A safe walk to do as a solo traveller. And, I’d been
told, a sure way to get fit. I didn’t believe that the remains of
Saint James had somehow managed to end up in Santiago de
Compostela. And I wasn’t expecting any miracles.
So I feel like a fraud collecting my pilgrim passport in
Pamplona – a document that gets you into the less-thansalubrious
pilgrim accommodation along the way. I hand
over the equivalent of about $12 for my bunk and dutifully
accept my first stamp.
My first impression is of a basic backpackers hostel. But
there are some differences, too.
I listen to three nuns, in habits, sing grace before their
meal in the common room.
I inhale a pungent mix of stale sweat and tiger balm.
And I watch a German woman tend an English woman’s
blisters.
“I’m doing this for my son, you know,” the English
woman says. “He died last year.”
“I’ll be praying for you and your son,” says the German
woman, lotion and bandage in hand.
I’m perplexed by the exchange. They can’t have known
each other more than 48 hours. I slip away to my bed. It’s
clear no one else regards the Camino as a budget bootcamp,
and I don’t want to be found out as a fake.
The next morning, I set off, just me, a backpack, and a
walking stick I call Jimmy, my one nod to the saint this walk
is supposed to be all about. The path is simple enough –
a dirt track, marked by yellow arrows. A cheery hola and
buen camino greets me as the first (of many) pilgrims pass
me on the trail.
I’m not sure why everyone is being so friendly. I’m not
feeling particularly chipper as I tackle my first big hill. My
feet are starting to hurt already. Saying hola or buen camino
to every pilgrim that passes me is going to make me insane.
It only takes an hour or so to develop my first blister,
and I pull over to sit down and assess. Every single pilgrim
stops to check on me. I am asked, in about five different languages,
if I am okay. I answer in English that I am. The lack
of a common language in no way hinders the conversations.
Still, I am determined to do it on my own. I load myself
up with food and water from supermarkets – bars are scattered
along the path, but I’m embarrassed to go in. I smell
bad, I dropped out of my Spanish classes, and I don’t know
any other pilgrims. Public toilets don’t seem to exist in rural
Spain, and I find myself diving into blackberry bushes when
the need arises. It’s a prickly experience, to say the least.
After the first day’s walk, I email my friends back home
and try to explain the Camino. I decide it is like a roving
time-out room for adults. I cannot help but reflect on what
I have done (that would be the impulsive use of frequent
flyer points that got me here) and what I haven’t done (that
would be learning Spanish and getting fit).
The second day is less like a time-out room, and more
like a good, old fashioned thrashing. I start the day hurting
and then I go and make myself hurt some more. Somehow I
push through the pain and make it to the hostel. After dinner,
I hear bells and instinctively follow the sound to enter a
church. I’m glad to sit down and rest my throbbing feet.
The language barrier during Mass is quite useful. Unlike
at home, there is no chance of me being offended at the priest’s
theological position. I feel welcome here even though I do not
understand. I watch the older Spanish women go to Communion,
faces lined, bodies hunched over and hands clutching their
rosary beads. I wish that faith was contagious, perhaps like a
divine form of measles. I fear that modern life has vaccinated
me against believing in anything that can’t be explained.
My church attendance must be having some kind of
effect, because I find myself making deals with God as the
days roll on. I don’t really believe in God as an Old Man
in the Sky, but the image works for me as I bargain like a
naughty child might with Santa.
God, it has been a long day. Lots of hills. I’ve said hola to
everyone and smiled and waved. I went to Mass last night.
Is it possible that tonight’s hostel might actually have a
shower with hot water?
Of course it didn’t. Still, removing the peregrina (pilgrim)
scent has its own pleasure, even if it’s done with cold
water. “There is no pleasure without the pain,” a hospitalero
(warden) smiles at me as I limp into the hostel. I am beginning
to think he might be right.
God, I like potato. I like eggs. But I have had tortilla
bocadillos every day for two weeks now. I never thought I’d
say this, but I’m craving broccoli.
As I sit with a fellow pilgrim in a small restaurant that
night I explain to the cook that I am vegetariana.
The cook frowns, and asks, Huevos? Papas?
Eggs and potato. Again. She doesn’t look like someone
I should argue with and I don’t know the word for broccoli.
There is only one answer.
Si, I say. I won’t be rushing in for a cholesterol check the
minute I get home. And I sincerely hope I’m not developing
scurvy. But guilt-free eating is one of the few benefits of
walking 20 kilometres a day.
Gracias, I say, and mean it, as the plate piled high with
fried eggs and chips is placed in front of me.
God, I really need a good night’s sleep. That Spanish guy
in the bunk below me … well, he’s big. Really big. I saw him
quaffing red wine in unpilgrimlike quantities at dinner. The
risk of him snoring is as huge as he is. Please don’t let him…
Snore? The word doesn’t begin to do justice to the sounds
he makes. It’s a herd of pigs below me, surely, not one man. It’s
definitely a herd of pigs. But what were they doing? Eating,
drinking, emptying their bowels, mating, or being slaughtered?
It was hard to tell. Mercifully, physical exhaustion is
its own anaesthetic, and the herd of pigs disappears into the
dark, distant night.
The days merge into one another. Get up. Change from
sleeping clothes to walking clothes. Ease reluctant feet into
boots. Have yoghurt or bread for breakfast. Put on backpack.
Walk. No big decisions. Follow the yellow arrows. Rest when
you need to rest. Eat when you need to eat. Walk. Surrender
to the rhythm. It’s simple, but hard. Life at home is cushy, but
complicated. I decide it’s a fair exchange.
The faces become familiar, and I am the one calling out Hola!
I stop in all the bars and discover the joy of a mid-morning hot
chocolate and a toilet with toilet paper. With a dose of humility,
a smile, and a phrase book, I can make myself understood by
the bartender. I’m not sure why I was so determined to avoid
the hospitality of the locals and the friendship of the pilgrims.
One evening, I lend my jacket to John, an Australian
fellow who decides everything in his backpack needs a
wash. John, in turn, has the ingredients for potato and leek
soup. John sits in my clothes as I eat his food. Alone, it’s a
struggle. Together we have more than enough. The loaves
and the fish story suddenly makes sense.
The end is looming for all of us, and hot topic in the
hostels is the compostela, the certificate that proves you have
completed the pilgrimage.
The catch is that you need to convince the authorities that
you are an authentic pilgrim. “Stamps aren’t enough – you
need to prove that you are properly religious, not just a tourist,”
a fellow pilgrim warns. Properly religious? My wavering faith
doesn’t make sense, even to me. I don’t think I can explain what
I believe, in Spanish, to a stranger. Despite the many miles, and
many stamps, I worry that the compostela is going to elude me.
I arrive in the pilgrim office in Santiago and line up
waiting to be spoken to by an official. It feels a bit like
Judgement Day. The lady behind the desk calls me forward.
I am prepared for the interrogation. I have a phrase book.
I brace myself. But there is no judgement from the official,
just a welcoming smile.
“And how was the Camino for you?” she asks.
I can handle anything except kindness. Her gentle
words break through my final resistance to the word pilgrim.
I start to shake, the room starts to spin. I can barely
breathe, let alone speak. Tears stream down my face. The
official nods. She gives me the certificate.
Later, I take the bus to Finisterre, a little fishing village at
the western tip of Europe. As its name suggests, Finisterre
was once quite literally regarded as the end of the earth.
I take part in one last Camino ritual, watching the sunset
from the lighthouse. As the last streaks of light disappear
into the ocean, I have an overwhelming sense of sadness.
My fellow pilgrims are already dispersing to the distant
corners of the world.
The Camino community might have been everchanging,
strange and more than a little smelly. But it was
a community nonetheless. Every pilgrim who said hola and
buen camino. The Spanish snorer. The locals who fed me and
bore my mutilation of their language with such patience
and good humour. The hospitaleros, often volunteers, who
made pancakes and tended blisters, day after day after day.
I turn on my phone as I sit in the dusk, and see a little
envelope appear. It’s a text from my brother.
“Congratulations! Now you can sin all you like for a
whole year!”
I’m not sure he has got the concept of indulgences exactly
right, but I smile. There has been another community with me
on this journey. The community waiting for me at home.
My friends sent long emails to cheer me on when
they really should have been working. My uncle, a retired
farmer, sent text messages to me every single day. And my
parents made horribly expensive calls to my mobile phone
to make sure I was okay.
I realise that my family and friends have been part of my
pilgrimage despite their physical absence. It gives me hope
that my fellow pilgrims will still be part of my life, somehow,
whether it’s through the wonders of the world wide web, or
the simple memories that are now part of me.
The fusion of ancient ritual and modern technology
makes for an appropriate ending. The thousand-year-old
Camino is the best antidote to the lonely stresses of modern
life I’ve ever encountered.
As I get on the bus to leave Finisterre, I watch two pilgrims
embrace. “Buen camino for the rest of your life,” says
one, as she slowly lets go.
And so a new journey begins. The journey home. Buen
camino.
Michelle Coram is an Adelaide, South Australia, based lawyer who likes to combine
travel with deeper questions. Michelle’s latest travels have been with Habitat for Humanity
and she blogs about those experiences at www.adelaidecambodia.blogspot.com.
Used by permission.
Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2012 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFUSION Advent • Christmas • Epiphany 2012–2013 p. 6, 7