New City Church | Teachings

As the pilgrimage and journey come to a close, we are sent back into the world to bless and praise God. But what does it mean to bless? And what does it look like to return home?

The pilgrimage is not just a grind, but a journey of joy. On the journey, we are invited to choose the path of happiness, reform our systems to embrace happiness, and center our world on God. And in doing so, we are invited to enter into God’s road to happiness. 

Psalm 127 breaks into our regularly scheduled programming to do something new. It functions as a transition point on the pilgrimage home, moving us from navigating our context to embracing God’s joy in our everyday, including our work.

In Psalm 122, the pilgrimage and our home come into view, and we begin to worship. Worship in the pilgrimage is a communal experience. We come to share the most beautiful truth we have ever experienced. We gather to expect God to work in only the ways God can. We come to be sent out by God’s power on mission. But all of this begins with worshiping God in glad and joyful being as his people. 

As our pilgrimage begins, we start by observing the landscape. As we look around, we can see the dangers and temptations of the hills. But the good news is that we have help. We have overwhelming help from the God of the cosmos, who promises to keep watch over us through all of life for forever.