Spiritual Walleye

Here in the northwoods, walleye is a dangerous delicacy.  Tender.  Tasty.  And you have to work around the bones.

The Sacred Journey, by Charles Foster, is like a spiritual walleye dinner.  If you can navigate the bones, you'll find inspiration and deep soul nourishment.

The Sacred Journey, the last in The Ancient Practices Series, is about pilgrimage.  When I received my free copy from Thomas Nelson for blog review, I wasn't too sure.  The whole concept of sacred pilgrimage smacks of supersititon and relic worship.

However, as Foster unpacked (or should I say back-packed) the process, I found myself drawn into the journey.

He explores the ancient practice of pilgrimage, relays his own travels to sacred sites, interviews modern day pilgrims, and mines the minds of historians and theologians on the subject.

Charles Foster is a professional wordsmith -- and the book is worth the read on that count alone.  About every other paragraph, I found myself, saying, "Wow!  I want to turn phrases like that." 

Although Foster draws primarily from Christian streams, he also explores other faith traditions as well:  Hindu, Muslim, etc -- which makes for muddy water.  Discernment is needed to navigate the text. You might want to filtrate before you drink deeply.

I would especially recommend this book for pastors preparing for sabbatical, and those sensing the need to "get away" -- even for a weekend.  The book is refreshing, and I gleaned much from the read.

It made me want to go climb a mountain and find a monastary.

Purchase Here

(A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me from Thomas Nelson Publishers for review on this blog.)