CDM Archive

Discipleship Ministries of the PCA

Men's Ministries

Strike It Rich

by

The nineties have been known as the boom years. Many young entrepreneurs have become millionaires by starting dot.com and other tech companies. Wealth was a hot topic in the nineties. Though the year 2000 has brought a rather severe correction to Wall Street, large numbers of people are still striving to climb the wealth ladder and stake their claim.

The prosperity of western culture generates several reactions and emotions. Greed is always a temptation, but so is the other side of the coin: fear of what might happen if prosperity ceases. For those who build their hope on material things, security is tied to wealth. Paul’s instruction in 1Timothy 6:6ff is relevant for Christians and non-Christians alike. He makes it very clear that the overarching purpose of the Christian life is neither financial gain nor wealth. Rather it is godliness with contentment. The root meaning of the word “godliness” is piety toward God and respect. William Hendriksen translates contentment as “soul-sufficiency.”

For those who are in the acquiring stage of life, there is ample warning from Paul. He first states a fact -“we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we are not able to take anything out of it.” You do not see any U-Hauls in a funeral procession. The Lord’s provisions of food and clothing should lead to contentment, but such thinking is very hard to practice in our materialistic society. Those who are eager to get rich face many dangers. They crave the material pleasures and possessions that the world has to offer. As an angel of light, Satan tempts Christians even as he tempted the Lord when he took him to a high mountain and offered him the kingdoms of this world. The hymn “All For Jesus” describes such danger, “Worldlings prize their gems of beauty, cling to gilded toys of dust, boast of wealth and fame and pleasure…” There is no godliness in that lifestyle.

Paul says very forthrightly, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” It is especially sobering to note that this warning is directed toward church members. They have wandered from the faith and have experienced many pains. This love of the material is often accompanied with dissatisfaction, anxiety, envy, and selfishness. Such a love propels the person into thinking of himself as the center of his universe. Do you need to take heed to Paul’s warning about money?

In 1 Timothy 6:17-19 Paul instructs Timothy on how to teach and lead people who are already rich. Because of what wealth often does to people, they need to be dealt with forthrightly. Paul tells Timothy to “command” or “charge” them how to view and handle their wealth.

First, they are to remember that riches are transitory; therefore, they should not be arrogant or snobbish toward others. Humility and thankfulness are the more appropriate reactions to wealth. The temptation for the rich is to put their hope and trust in their wealth, yet Paul says they must be reminded to put their hope and trust in God. God in his sovereign mercy provides “everything for our enjoyment.” Neither wealth nor money is inherently evil, but when they become idols, which one loves and trusts then they become evil. Jesus said that a man cannot have two masters (God and mammon); he will love the one and hate the other. The parables of the rich landowner (Luke 12:13-21), and the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) teach the pitfall of putting one’s hope in earthly riches.

Second, what are the wealthy to do with their riches? Timothy as a pastor/teacher was to command them to do good and be rich in good deeds, to be generous and share with those in need. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently ran an article entitled “Philanthropy Basics 101.” The article reported that in this time of unprecedented prosperity, parents are searching for ways to instill the value of giving in their children. It quoted the author of a new book which said, “Parents have become more affluent, and they worry that because they have a big house and fancy car that their kids only know that level of living. They worry that their children don’t have a sense of what others are going through and don’t know how to share their wealth.”

This concern is growing across the nation. One private school is even offering a high school course in philanthropy. Studies show that children are more open to giving and volunteering, which is a good sign. The church should be on the forefront of teaching parents and children the importance of giving to those in need. The subject of money has been taboo in families for generations; now the barriers are coming down. One eighteen-year- old said, “The course showed me how blessed I am, and being so blessed, how important it is to help others.” How is your congregation taught about the subject of money? Do they understand that giving in this world is the way to lay up treasure in the age to come? Do they really understand that giving to others is the way to truly strike it rich?

Passing on the PCA Distinctives to the Next Generation

by

As the Coordinator of Christian Education and Publications and as one who was involved in the development of the Presbyterian Church in America, I am often asked, “What is distinctive about the PCA? Why did you leave the mainline denomination to form a smaller one?” There are multitudes of denominations of all stripes. That’s nothing new (although denominationalism is basically a modern, Western phenomenon). There are numerous Presbyterian denominations, some older and even one or two younger than the PCA.

Why the PCA? What is distinctive about it? It is good to ask these questions periodically to remind ourselves where we came from and how our past impacts our present and future. During my years of serving the church, I have seen that the PCA has meant somewhat different things to different people. Two articles published on pcanews.com last year reflected two somewhat different perspectives of the PCA. Yet I believe that there are five areas that distinguish the PCA. As I describe them I do not want simply to major on the past, as though it were isolated from the present. We can make an idol of the past and miss the present, just as easily as we can idolize the present moment and forget the past.

In abbreviated form, the distinctives are these: The PCA is first and foremost committed to the triune God revealed in the Bible, and committed to the Bible as the “only rule of faith and life.” Second, the PCA is a confessional church. Its basic beliefs are reflected in those doctrines set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. Third, the PCA is a connectional church, as implied by the word “Presbyterian.” Not only are individual Christians added to the church, the body of Christ, but also each church is connected with other similar churches. Fourth, the PCA takes seriously the idea of the parity of elders. Governance in the Presbyterian system is shared, not hierarchical. And, fifth, the PCA has intentionally taken the great commission of our Lord most seriously. There are other things that are unique about the PCA, but these are the five that primarily answer the questions above. Let’s consider them more fully.

The Authority of Scripture

First, the PCA recognizes the authority of the Bible. That authority is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, which we believe to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God. We take the Bible seriously. There is no equivocation on the concept that the Bible is the authoritative and revealed will of God for his people. We believe that it contains special revealed truth about the Triune God that we will not find in any other source. It tells us what God wants us to know and to believe. (WCF, I).

Because truth matters and is more than subjective opinion, God selected and led “holy men” of old to write the Word of God. The Bible is true because it is God’s Word and it is God’s Word because it is true. Attempts to undermine the Bible’s authority are always before the church-our enemy sees to that. Nonetheless, we can be pleased to be a part of a church that takes the Bible seriously. As a matter of historical fact, we are the first Presbyterian denomination to require teaching and ruling elders and deacons to affirm by a vow that they believe the Bible to be the inerrant and inspired Word of God. (Book of Church Order, 24-5). It is not simply men’s words about God, but God speaking through his Spirit. We believe that the Holy Spirit who inspired the authors to write these words works in people’s lives to open their minds and hearts to God’s truth revealed in the Bible.

Though we do not believe that the Bible contains all of God’s truth (he has written another book-general revelation), we believe the Bible is our standard for faith and life (WCF I, 2). It is the plumb line by which we judge all matters of religion and life. Because the Bible is God’s book, we say without hesitation that anything that contradicts the Bible (properly interpreted) is wrong. God’s Word is true.

The authority of Scripture was important to the PCA in 1973 but does it matter today?Yes, and perhaps more so as postmodernism emphasizes that truth is relative or is whatever you want it to be. In a recent interview on C-Span, a well-known Harvard law professor said you cannot know what is right, you can only know what is wrong. But we can know what is right because the Bible tells us. People continually testify to how God uses the Bible to change their lives, to shine his light in the darkness, or help them develop a worldview that enables them to see reality as it is. Lives are being transformed by its truth. Gratefully, the PCA has made the Bible its foundation and does not hesitate to teach that to all five generations.

A Confessional Commitment

Second, the PCA is a confessional church. Its system of doctrine is set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms written in the 1640s. This Confession connects us with the churches down through the years that have embraced that system of doctrine. Church officers are required to submit to the Westminster Standards and to believe that the system of doctrine they contain best reflects in summary form what the Bible teaches.

Of course, only the Bible is infallible and the confessional Standards must not be elevated to the same level. They can be, and have been, changed at certain points. This is one of the strengths of the Confession: it teaches in the first chapter that the final authority in matters of faith and life is the Bible.Alister McGrath made a point about the historic creeds of Christendom which I would apply to our confessional statements: while they unify us around certain understandings of biblical teaching on key topics, they can also encourage a more serious study of the Bible. Like the ancient creeds, we believe that the Westminster Standards give us a summary of some of the main tenets of the Christian faith. They do not address every biblical doctrine, and were written to deal with certain topics at a particular point in history, and are subject to the higher authority of Scripture. Nonetheless, they draw us, within the reformed, Calvinistic family, together with a common doctrinal understanding.

There is genuine commitment to our confessional Standards within the PCA, though there are different degrees of commitment and understanding. Some believe that the Confession is the system with all of its parts essential to the whole. Others believe it contains the system of doctrine and not each part is essential to that system. That diversity is not unique to the PCA but reflects historic Presbyterianism as well. B.B. Warfield and J. Gresham Machen are two familiar examples.

What has maintained the PCA’s high level of commitment to those Standards has been the agreement that it is not up to the individual officers to determine what is essential to the system, but rather it is a collective judgment made by the courts to whom the officers are accountable.Our confessional commitment was important to the PCA in 1973, but does it matter today?Yes, it still matters that the PCA is committed to those confessional Standards. Even considering the different levels of commitment and understanding of the Standards, the history of the PCA’s actions reveal the consistency of our doctrinal commitment. The actions of the church courts and the preaching and teaching of the word reflect that confessional commitment. While the PCA continues to reflect the different views stated above, we are distinguished by our commitment to those Standards.

This commitment may matter more today as postmodernism continues to sweep through our culture suggesting that beliefs are merely individual matters and choices and that no one can insist that others believe just like they do. Each person becomes his or her own standard; hence, the Bible is privately interpreted and the church’s doctrinal system is disregarded. People are free to believe and interpret those beliefs in their own way. In this context, our confessional Standards become a good unifying check and balance. They keep us in touch with the church that has gone before us in history.

Connectionalism

Third, the PCA is a connectional church. Not only are we joined together by a common faith and doctrinal understanding, but also by a common view of the church. We believe that churches do not exist independently of each other. They are joined together with churches that share a common faith and doctrinal commitment. Presbyterianism not only indicates a particular style or form of government but also a connectional approach.

Connectionalism was important to the PCA in 1973, but does it matter today?Yes, and even more so because we have been reminded of the need to see ourselves as part of something larger than ourselves. Coming out of the influence of modernity with its emphasis on privatization and individualism, the PCA seeks to reflect its connection with the Church universal throughout the ages. Plus we continue to see the need to come together and help each other better understand God’s truth. Whether it is demonstrated by a presbytery-wide men’s retreat, a mercy ministry conference for four thousand women, or a summer camp for young people, our connectionalism allows us to benefit from each other’s strengths and offset each other’s weaknesses, and it reminds us that we are a part of a larger whole.

Parity of Elders

Fourth, the PCA believes in the parity of elders. Churches are led and overseen not only by the ordained clergy but by ordained laymen as well. One of the great doctrines that resurfaced with the Protestant Reformation was the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. As the Apostle Paul stated, “there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus….” Our entry into God’s presence does not require any human hierarchical priesthood. Christ has invited us as individuals to come. However, the keys of the kingdom, referred to by Jesus in Matthew 16, were given to the elders of the church.

The PCA recognizes that there are two types of elders: teaching elders and ruling elders. Both have equal authority in overseeing and shepherding the Church. Though the PCA gave the concept a unique interpretation by requiring that an equal number of ruling and teaching elders serve on its standing committees, the idea of equal authority was present from the beginning. One of the concerns that led to the formation of the PCA was that the Presbyterian system of governance as practiced in the mainline church was becoming increasingly hierarchical in its practice.

Parity of elders was important in to the PCA in 1973, but does it matter today? Once again the answer is yes. A problem has developed that could threaten this principle of parity and the grassroots nature of the PCA. Fewer ruling elders are participating in the General Assembly and presbytery sessions. That has caused a larger number of clergy to speak and rule at those levels. With postmodernism’s challenge to authority and the strong reaction of the younger generations against what they perceive as authoritarian leaders who lord over people, the concept of parity and the priesthood of all believers is necessary to keep the laity involved in oversight of the church and ministry.

The Great Commission

Fifth, the PCA began with a strong commitment to the Great Commission-to evangelism at home and abroad, and to education and discipleship. The PCA has always demonstrated an aggressive evangelism and church growth strategy, and an educational and world missions and emphasis. At a recent weekend conference, I heard a testimony about a church where 80 percent of the members had become Christians in the last ten years. While most of the PCA’s growth has been from what we call transfer growth, we must continue to emphasize a strong evangelistic concern. Much of the growth that has come from evangelism, has been a result of personal evangelistic efforts.

The Great Commission was important to the PCA in 1973, but does it matter today?Again, a resounding yes. We must reflect a concern for the lost and for discipling those who profess faith in Christ. In a culture permeated by change, instability, and ambiguity, we must confidently declare the hope offered in the gospel. We must be able to give a reason for what we believe. We cannot afford to loose this distinctive lest we fail to challenge those without faith in Christ to believe in him and his Gospel.

There are definite demonstrations of unity in these five distinctives. Yet the PCA is a diverse denomination. Some are more focused on world missions, while others are committed to church growth and evangelism. Others have demonstrated a high level of commitment to discipling members in the Christian faith. Some have held to a broader or more universal view of the church while others have been more restrictive. Some have supported parachurch ministries, while others have questioned the validity of ministries not under the governance of the courts.

There have also been diverse understandings of certain specifics not essential to the life and health of the church. For example, in the recent debates over the “days of creation” the unifying point was commitment to the historical account of creation recorded in Scripture. The debates never questioned the authority of the Scriptures. The point of diversity was how to interpret the “days.” Worship is another example. When the PCA was organized, part three of the Book of Church Order relating to worship was written to reflect our unifying commitment to follow the Bible in the implementation of corporate worship, and freedom in practice which gave rise to a diversity of forms of worship. The role of women in church ministry has been another area where there is a unifying principle that ordination to office is for qualified men; however, there is diversity in the way PCA churches involve women in that ministry.

A strong commitment to and unity on these five distinctives, combined with flexibility on second level issues of polity implementation, has and will hold the PCA together and keep the church moving forward and growing. In Book Four of the Institutes of the Christian Religion Calvin reminds us that not all doctrines are of equal importance, and he gives examples of those that are and are not essential. That is the key to maintaining our integrity and commitment to that which God led us to establish in 1973, to maintain in 2001, and to grow in the 21st century.

Some have recently claimed that the church has begun to emphasize one or two of its distinctives at the expense of the others, and in some isolated incidents that may be true. Some have focused on a part rather than the whole. But when we evaluate the PCA at large, the five distinctives continue to define who we are. We must work to maintain that wholeness. We do not want to turn off or turn away the rising generations to which we were committed when we formed the PCA. Communicating a legalistic hard line view of Christianity, which is impossible to maintain, is the surest way I know to lose the rising generations that God has called us to disciple. I believe our greatest challenge at this moment in history is to demonstrate a commitment to our distinctives and a willingness to give one another room for diversity.

Turning Events into Opportunities

by

Welcome to the first issue of Equip for Ministry 2001. You have been a faithful reader and we thank you. We are committed to being your resource for ideas, products, services, and people that can enhance the ministry of formal and informal local church leaders. We enjoy putting together each issue with that commitment in mind. I hope you will notice the new cover design. We want this magazine to be friendly and helpful for our readers. We really do think of ourselves as teammates with you, networking to strengthen our local churches. “The church grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work,” and we believe that part of CE/P’s challenge in the PCA is to help facilitate resources.

In the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis, God says a most significant thing. “‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.’…So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.” Although building the tower was a sinful act, we should not gloss over God’s point: there is strength in unity and number. We need to realize that our personal or local agendas are not as effective as our corporate and broader one. That is a strength of our Presbyterian system. When it is properly practiced, it brings us together with an intentional connectedness that demonstrates the axiom “the whole is larger than the sum of its parts.” My desire for all of CE/P’s programs, particularly Equip for Ministry, is that our readers would always be reminded of that principle, which I believe has a solid biblical base. We should not only acknowledge it but practice it as well.

In previous issues, you have read articles and book reviews focusing on cultural awareness and the importance of understanding how to communicate God’s Word (truth) in this pluralistic setting. Of course, when we talk about cultural awareness our real point is effectively communicating and applying God’s truth to this culture. The church is facing a great challenge, and the way we respond will determine (humanly speaking) what kind of future lies ahead. As we have said many times, the Church will survive because it is God’s Church and He says that it will. However, the institutional church as we know it may experience great transformation. Some change is essential. We must not change the wrong things; however, we must be willing to change anything that is not effectively reaching those whom Christ has called us to serve.

We have talked much about the church’s challenge to reach the millennial generation. I wish you could read and study the analyses, and interview the many youth with whom we have talked, who remind us of the urgency of this moment. The church must pull out all stops and do whatever needs to be done to reach the next generation with the truths of God. We have to go beyond the call of duty to communicate to our young people that we love and care for them. The church must demonstrate the kind of caring spirit that Bob Palmer wrote about in his article on covenant baptismal vows in the September/October 2000 issue.

The lead article in this issue, “Covenant Stones of Passage” written by our friend in ministry Brad Winsted, offers some interesting and intriguing ways for local churches to carry out those covenant vows. I hope every local church leader and parent will read, ponder, and discuss them. Joining the church, either as a non-communicant or communicant member, should be one of the most special events in a young person’s life. I think about my days as a pastor and confess that such a “receiving event” was often more of a routine than a celebration. Do not gloss over the ideas suggested in Winsted’s article without careful, serious consideration.

If the statistics about huge numbers of young people leaving the church are right, then we should be willing to do whatever we can, humanly speaking, to demonstrate that our covenant children belong and are accepted in the covenant family. Please take the challenge seriously! Several new books reviewed in this issue should help convince you of the urgency of this matter. Four of them speak to the challenges of this generation that is growing up in a morally and spiritually chaotic world. Church leaders and parents should read, study, and discuss the books by John Seele and Os Guinness. I read and scan many books, and these two are as timely and crucial as any I have read recently. The other books elaborate on the challenge and offer materials that can be used effectively to rise to the occasion.

Though the connection may seem less obvious, the books on effective boards also fit into this scenario. As CE/P has worked with church leaders through the years, we have seen that many are so consumed with activities that ministry time is eaten up by busyness. The books on boards are full of helpful ideas on how leaders can use their time more efficiently and minister more productively. It is our joy and delight to help local leaders consider options that will make them more effective in giving direction and spiritual oversight to the church ministry.

The series of articles on stewardship, as well as the other features such as “Equip Tips” and advertisements, are carefully selected for your benefit. Though the advertisements in Equip for Ministry help us offset a portion of the publishing expenses, they also help us carry out our philosophy of making local church leaders aware of available resources.

Pray for us during this new year that we might listen carefully and obediently to God’s Word and be so unified in spirit and purpose that we can do whatever we set out to do. Of course we realize that while “Paul plants and Apollos waters, only God can give the increase.” To Him be the glory and praise.

Generosity: A Key in Stewardship

by

Living in a time that is short on commitment and sacrifice, Christians are often unaware of how much we are subconsciously affected by postmodern culture. This is particularly true when it comes to stewardship. We often lack a biblical world and life view when it comes to being good stewards of our time, spiritual gifts, and financial resources.

God tells Job in 41:11, “Everything under heaven belongs to me.” And in Psalm 24:1 David testifies, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” It seems that Christians believe this truth about God in a general way, yet when it comes to the everyday routines of life, it is hard to think of ourselves as stewards rather than owners. The thought of having to give an account to God for what we have done with the gifts He has given is lost in the actual managing of those gifts.

The worldly message that constantly bombards our minds is “Get it while you can!” Before we know it, we are caught by the twin vices of accumulation and consumption. H. Norman Wright in his book Simplify Your Life describes the consumer oriented person as someone “who drives a bank-financed car on a bond-financed highway on credit-card gas to open a charge account at a department store so he can fill his savings-and-loan financed home with installment-purchased furniture.” To some degree we have all been enticed to spend more than we earn, and thereby create indebtedness rather than wealth. Inappropriate accumulation and consumption of things lead to poor stewardship of time, spiritual gifts, and financial resources. These vices often lead to workaholism; there is no time for family or worship. People are so busy working to get out of debt that they don’t have time to build relationships with those they love. There is no time to use spiritual gifts to edify the body of Christ. And finally, there are no financial resources to be given to kingdom work because of the need to retire debt or accumulate more things. These are just some examples of how the lack of a Christian world and life view will stifle generosity and lead to poor stewardship in every area of life.

Ron Blue in his book Generous Living defines generosity as “the willingness to give or share what you have to benefit others.” That means your time, your abilities, and your financial resources. He also says that generosity is the one ingredient that makes true freedom possible. As a matter of fact, he says if he could boil down to one sentence everything he has learned, it would be this, “Generosity and financial freedom are inextricably linked.”

The Apostle Paul uses an agriculture principle to challenge the church in regard to generosity in showing mercy. “Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will reap generously…. And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written; he has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” As we choose what we want to give to the poor, we should keep in mind this principle of sowing and reaping. The choice we make will also testify to our faith in God. Paul says in verse 8, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you…”

If we give sparingly, we may be making a statement that God is not able to make His grace abound to us in all things, in all times, and in all we need. When opportunities arise to show mercy to the poor and those in need, do we really believe that God is able to take care of us by providing all we need, so that we can abound in every good work? Obviously the Philippians did because Paul wrote in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Paul has already shown in 2 Corinthians 8:3 that the Macedonians believed God was able because they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability. Could it be said that our generosity depends on how big a view of God we have?

Again, Ron Blue says, “We know when we are being financially generous-it is evidenced by the dents in our checkbooks.” Does your checkbook reveal dents in accumulation and consumption, or commitment and sacrifice?

Do I Know You?

by

Most everybody talks about relational ministry. Yet relationships are so easy to miss because our agendas call for more important things.

I’m embarrassed that I don’t know the names of some of the people in our little church. That creates an awkwardness that inhibits any attempt to go further. Think of the people in your congregation, your Sunday school class, people you see regularly, whose names you don’t know. It’s one reason why the church can seem so impersonal.

Consider the visitor-or is she a regular attendee you’ve simply never met? Do you introduce yourself? I never will forget the time I introduced myself to a woman at church. I asked if she was visiting and she informed me that she was a charter member. That sort of response can be a big inhibitor to saying, “Hi, my name is _____.” But if you don’t the visitor might leave saying, “I attended that church and no one spoke to me.”

And knowing a person’s name is just the beginning.

A Session or Deacon’s meeting might start with a conversation about what’s happening in everyone’s life and a time of prayer for each other. It could take a half hour or more, and it could be the most important thing you do. It will help everyone come together for the business at hand. It could surface some significant information, and it will add a little more glue to the bond that solidifies each one’s commitment to the others.

A Sunday school class ought to be about more than increased understanding of a biblical text. To be effective it must rub that passage against our lives. One way to do that is to help people talk to each other about ways they think the Spirit might want them to respond. A class could break into groups of three to five for exercises that help them get to know each other better, know the Bible better, and listen to God apply the Word to their hearts. Variations on this theme work in almost any age group. For instance, take an egg timer to a children’s class and let everyone have one minute. While the sand falls each one in turn can talk about the most fun he ever had, his favorite toy or best friend, or describe his mother or father. As the teacher, don’t forget to take your turn, too.

Many of us live in metropolitan areas where most everybody is from some place else. Often relatives live a considerable distance away, and neighbors seldom know each other. Houses are empty during the day and closed up during the evening. Many times I’ve heard neighbors say, “People will be out when it’s warmer.” But summer comes and, “People will be out when it gets cooler.” The reality is people don’t come out much at all. Relationships in the neighborhood, at the office, or at school are important. But if they don’t extend beyond the confines of that environment they have limited value. And the same is true of relationships at church. Hopefully, the believer will have friendships with some that extend beyond the confines of a church program.

Those relationships are necessary for us to not simply survive, but thrive in this Christian pilgrimage.