Pilgrim’s Progress, Chapter 6
Welcome to Calvary Episcopal church!
This is the last in our series of pilgrims writing about our pilgrimage to Charleston as a practice of truth bearing, building community and making ongoing steps towards reconciliation, with God’s help.
Pilgrim’s Progress by Betty Wolfe
In retrospect, a couple of signs appeared, unrecognized by me, prior to our Charleston Pilgrimage in February. One was the January, Northern Orange NAACP Martin Luther King, Jr. Banquet, which I attended for the first time thanks to the efforts of Geraldine Fleming and its venue in Durham. The food was delicious, the speeches and music energizing, and the neighboring table occupied by Rev. Tony Boss and our Practicing Heaven friends from Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church. We closed the event singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. There was no handout; many, many, most attendees clearly knew this poem song by heart. I do not, so hummed along and mostly got the hang of the refrain by the last verse. It’s an important and heart catching hymn.
The second sign was instigated by the weather warning the day before our early morning departure: Snow, sleet, ice along some east/west, north/south line. Were we in or out? We could only live through the hours to find out. To avoid an added anxiety, I decided to take pilgrim hat in hand and inquire of Betty & Jerry Eidenier if I might alight by early afternoon and roost with them overnight rather than wait in Durham. Betty’s response: “Oh, Good!” That was the sign.
Every pilgrim needs such friends for starting out! The day of departure engendered much text to-ing and fro-ing and decisions to be made individually and corporately.
As you know, we successfully departed in early afternoon rather than morning; Elizabeth drove us to Charleston no worries, and one fantastic meal in Florence.
The Song Sign: After an early morning visit to the Denmark Veasey Memorial, a tour of the McLeod Plantation and lunch at the Glass Onion, we embarked on a self-paced tour of The Old Slave Mart. It was then and there, as I found space to run a hand along the brick walls built by enslaved labor, briefly rest it, perhaps where other hands sought support in moments of chaos and crisis, breathe, that the tune and title started up inside.
Lift every voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list’ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
I still didn’t have all the words; the tune, though came through pretty clearly for the remainder of the pilgrimage! Rather than an annoying earworm, the tune stayed with me during all the van rides, the walking tour with Franklin Williams, our precious time at “Mother” Emmanual AME Church, during our group straggles from place to place and in the African American Museum, and especially on the ride back to Hillsborough among a much quieter, profoundly moved group of pilgrims. The poem-tune somehow soothed and gave respite to mind, body, soul. I hope Jason leads us to it soon!
The Hospitality Sign: Well! The Entirety of our Worship with Calvary Episcopal Church! From Parking to Departing. Eucharist All Over Everyone! Wide Open Hearts and Welcome! A Sustaining Meal Advertised as Refreshments! C’mon Y’all! Before, During, and After THAT, no pilgrim nor pilgrimage can refrain from Anne Lamott’s prayers of Thanks! And Wow!
So Wow! Receive signs. Go with the Good.
