On Friday morning, the St. Paul’s Senior Choir and their traveling companions will be landing at Heathrow, en route to a visit of Windsor Castle and, thence, to Bath for the weekend.
Though I have been to England before, there are special reasons to anticipate this one. Having the opportunity to travel with my two daughters, Jen and Liz, will be a joy. The two previous times I traveled to England, my late wife and their mother, the Rev. Margaret Sammons, was by my side.
When Margaret (known to me as “Peg”) and I decided to get married back in 1977, there were no models for a married clergy couple. No one knew exactly how this could work. We didn’t either, and we almost called it off.
But then a wise spiritual advisor said, “Don’t you think God realizes you’re going to be married and can work this out?”
Getting married was one of the scariest but ultimately best decisions we ever made. It led to a rich, 44-year journey, which took us to parishes in Massachusetts, Michigan, and finally led us to the Diocese of Ohio in 1993.
We served as co-rectors of St. Michael’s in the Hills in Toledo for 20 years, bid farewell to both daughters as they left for college and started families of their own. I know Peg will be smiling upon this trip from heaven, seeing her two daughters travel to such a sacred place, and watching all of us participate in the historic worship traditions that have shaped our spiritual lives as Anglicans/Episcopalians.
On this trip, I will be bringing with me a deep appreciation for all God has blessed me with in my life, a beloved family who brings me joy every day, and a church community which spans time and space, and connects us to loved ones who have gone before us into eternity.
If you are a Salisbury traveler, I invite you to consider how you might make this trip into a pilgrimage:
- What do you most need from God at this time in your life?
- What fresh evidence do you need of the “love that will not let you go?”
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find,” says Jesus (Matthew 7:7). Helpful words to remember before a pilgrimage.
Be well, Salisbury pilgrims and beloved arm chair travelers at home!
Greg Sammons +
About the Author
The Rev. Gregory Sammons, Diocese of Ohio
The Rev. Gregory Sammons is a retired priest of the Diocese of Ohio, now living in Dayton. The father of Liz Rodems (a second soprano in the St. Paul’s Senior Choir) Gregory is traveling to the UK with the Senior Choir and will serve as the trip blogger.
Follow along with his daily writings through the Stories from Salisbury blog.