Nomads and Pilgrims Study Series

This 6-lesson study guide goes along with the Lent 2005 sermon series: "Nomads and Pilgrims".

The study sheets are available as PDF files, which you can download and print.

Study Introduction: Nomads and Pilgrims
The Songs of Ascent - A Modern-Day Journey

Pilgrimage. The word brings to mind many different images, from the trivial to the sublime. In Natchez, Mississippi, it is a reference to the annual springtime tour of antebellum homes, when visitors flock to the town to see period costumes and enjoy the blooming azaleas. Elvis fans are intent on making their pilgrimages to Graceland, Elvis's home in Memphis. In every major religion annual pilgrimages, trips to places of sacred significance, are undertaken by the faithful; Muslims go to Mecca, Jews (and many Christians) go to Jerusalem, Catholic Christians go to the Vatican in Rome or to sites where miracles are reported to have occurred.

The image of a pilgrimage has often been used as a metaphor for the Christian life and with good reason. As Christians, we recognize that we are on a journey, that this world is not our true home, that we should never get too comfortable in this present world. Pilgrims making their way to their destination, adding to their numbers as they go along, often find that the trip itself becomes part of the spiritual experience. This is the case for the Christian walk as well. We are learning as we go along.

Nomads are on the move, too. They carry their homes with them and follow their herds or pursue new markets for their handiwork. But unlike pilgrims, they are simply wanderers with no final destination. Wherever they make camp is home for the time being. Pilgrims, on the other hand, have a destination in mind and their journey has a purpose. Pilgrims are restless to reach their journey's end; they press on and don't linger too long in any one place.

The focus of our Lenten sermons and study this year is this theme of pilgrimage. Our texts will come from a group of Psalms called the Songs of Ascent. These are songs that were used by Jewish pilgrims as they made their way to Jerusalem for the three annual festivals of the Jewish year. In some ways, they probably served as "trail songs," songs to pass the time and keep people entertained. But their content and themes also helped to focus the pilgrims' minds on the purpose of their journey. These songs helped the pilgrims prepare their hearts to worship God when they reached their destination.

In the same way, the themes of these songs can help us on our journey. They remind us of the tools we have to help us press on, they inspire us when we are tempted to feel discouraged, and above all, they keep us focused on the God who is at the heart of our true home and who is with us on the journey as well. Catherine of Siena writes, "All the way to heaven is heaven, for has He not said, 'I am the Way?'" As we study these Songs of Ascent, may our hearts be warmed by the thought of our destination and may our eyes by opened to the gracious God who accompanies us on our journey.

See also:

• NV: On-Line Study Guides - Pilgrims and Nomads Series
• Another sermon series on the Psalms of Ascent (1998)

These study materials were developed by Andy Gathman, Caroline Wilkinson, Keith Wright and Debbie Schmidt.
They are meant to be freely used, but please contact us if you would like
to distribute them from somewhere other than our website.
© 2005, Central Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, MD 21204 410/823-6145
www.centralpc.org