Northern Indiana Bishop Doug Sparks begins his pilgrimage on March 20, 2022 at the Chief Menominee Memorial near Plymouth, Indiana. Photo: Diocese of Northern Indiana
[Episcopal News Service] For some clergy, a sabbatical is a time of rest, perhaps focused on an academic project or a retreat. Not so for Bishop Doug Sparks of Northern Indiana, who is spending his sabbatical walking the 660-mile Potawatomi Trail of Death from Indiana to Kansas.
The trail follows the route taken by a group of Potawatomi—an Upper Midwest Native American tribe—in 1838 from their homeland in north-central Indiana to reservations in eastern Kansas. Historical accounts compiled by the Potawatomi describe a grueling 61-day journey through heat and drought that killed at least 40 of the 859 Potawatomi.
Sparks decided to walk the trail — now signposted in many places by roadside signs — as a “pilgrimage of lament and remembrance” after prayer and consultation with indigenous leaders. It has been previously traveled by caravans in cars and walked in 2006 by religion professor Keith Drury. Sparks started walking on March 20 and is currently in central Illinois about halfway through the walk.
The Potawatomi Path of Death. Map courtesy of Potawatomi Trail of Death Association.
Sparks was scheduled to take a 3-month sabbatical in mid-2020, but postponed it to continue guiding the diocese through the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, he saw one of the signs while driving near Plymouth, Indiana; having never heard of the Potawatomi Trail of Death, he looked it up later. The sign marked the site of the village from which the 859th Potawatomi and their leader, Menominee, were expelled.
Their expulsion was one of several forced marches that took place in the 1830s under President Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal Act, which was passed to remove Native Americans from lands east of the Mississippi who wanted to develop white settlers in exchange for land west. from the Mississippi. Some tribes moved west under the pressure of negotiations with the federal government, but others refused — the most famous being the Cherokee and other southeastern tribes who were forced to walk the 1,000-mile Trail of Tears, where 4,000 died.
Required by a series of treaties to leave his village and move west, Menominee – who combined native spiritual practices with Roman Catholicism – refused. State militiamen herded Menominee and his people—tucked him into a prison truck—and forced them to march toward eastern Kansas. A Catholic priest accompanying the Potawatomi documented horrific conditions of cruelty, disease and death, dying himself shortly after the group reached Kansas.
While his circumstances are obviously very different, Sparks’ walk was already exhausting. He spoke to Episcopal News Service by phone as he walked along a highway between Decatur and Springfield, Illinois, against the background of truck noise and the scorching wind that burned his face. Between the wind, rain, sleet and snow, the weather was the biggest challenge, he said.
This isn’t Sparks’ first long hike, though. In 2019 he walked part of the Camino de Santiago in Spain and he has been a runner for most of his life, running about two and a half miles most days during the pandemic.
Sparks crosses a river along the Camino de Santiago. Photo: Michelle Walker
Since they were already prepared physically, “being prepared spiritually was more challenging,” Sparks told ENS. “I spend most of my day alone praying and singing and thinking about the problems ahead.”
Averaging about 20 miles a day, Sparks planned to camp much of the trip, but with such fierce weather, he stayed in Episcopal churches and hosts’ homes.
“It’s such an amazing experience to be welcomed by so many people as a stranger and a pilgrim,” Sparks said.
He expects to reach Osawatomie, Kansas, in the first week of May, although the stretch of trail still to be covered is so overwhelming that he must focus solely on today’s hike, he said. He has scheduled a meeting with the president of the Potawatomi Trail of Death Association in Springfield and has been in touch with cultural leaders in Oklahoma’s Citizen Potawatomi Nation to learn more about the tribe and share it with his diocese.
– Egan Millard is an assistant editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at emillard@episcopalchurch.org.
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What is the difference between Episcopal and Lutheran?
Episcopal bishops are elected for life. Lutherans take a less hierarchical approach, viewing a bishop as a dignified pastor elected for a six-year term to preside over a larger administrative area or synod. This may interest you : Indiana Dept. of Education unveils new tool that measures academic success. The installation of a bishop requires no other bishops or the laying on of hands.
What Makes Lutherans Different? What sets the Lutheran Church apart from the rest of the Christian community is its approach to God’s grace and salvation; Lutherans believe that only by God’s grace (Sola Gratia) people are saved from sin through faith (Sola Fide).
What religion is Lutheran closest to?
Lutheranism is a denomination within the Christian religion. The namesake who led the Lutherans in their protest against the Roman Catholic Church was Martin Luther. On the same subject : Tensions run high as Indiana suffers third-straight loss. He started this protest against the Catholic Church in the 15th century.
Is Lutheran similar to Catholic?
The Lutherans and Catholics agree on many Christian essences. However, it cannot be denied that they have problems with many of their beliefs and practices. The Christian teachings are the same for both. In fact, they are considered the writings of Church Fathers.
Is Lutheran similar to Methodist?
Methodists attach great importance to the presence of the spirit of God everywhere, while Lutherans have a general belief that one can only seek God in holy places. 3. Methodists attach great importance to doing good deeds, while Lutherans focus more on faith and creed.
Are Baptist and Lutheran the same?
Perhaps the greatest difference between Baptists and Lutherans is found in this question, “What does God do for man and what does man do for God?” Lutherans believe that repentance, baptism and the sacrament are pure gospel and so God does for man, but Baptists think otherwise.
What do the Episcopalians believe?
We believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death and resurrection saved the world. Read also : Indiana men’s tennis’ late singles rally falls short against South Florida. We have a legacy of inclusion that strives to tell and illustrate God’s love for every human being; women and men serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our Church.
What is the difference between Protestant and Episcopalian?
As adjectives the difference between episcopal and protestant. is that episcopal is episcopal while protestant (Christianity) is of or belonging to different denominations of Christianity that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation on the basis of theological or political differences.
Do Episcopalians believe in Mary?
Because Anglicans believe that Jesus was both man and God the Son, the second Person of the Trinity, within the Anglican Communion and the ongoing Anglican movement, Mary is honored as the theotokos, a Koiné Greek term meaning “God-bearer” or “God-bearer” means. one whom God bears”.
What Bible does Episcopal Church use?
Episcopalians trace their ancestry to the Church of England. As such, the English Bible, specifically the authorized King James Bible, is the Episcopal Bible. Anglicans first arrived in North America through the English Puritans and Pilgrims.
What religion is similar to Episcopalian?
Episcopalians and Catholics are very similar and sometimes difficult to tell apart. As some of you may know, the word “Catholic” means “to be found everywhere” or, to be more precise, “universal”. We can see some Catholic customs and beliefs in almost every religion.
Is Anglican Catholic the same as Episcopalian?
Both Anglican and Episcopal have more similarities than differences. Episcopal is considered a subset of Anglican. Anglicanism is a mixture of Catholicism and Protestantism while Episcopal beliefs are more Protestant in nature. Both follow the same ‘Book of prayers’.
What is Episcopalian similar to?
Episcopalian is the Anglian community that considers itself both Catholic and Protestant. They consider themselves Catholic because they believe in understanding the old churches, and call themselves Protestant because they are open to reformation or renewal.
What religion is Episcopal closest to?
| Episcopal Church | |
|---|---|
| scripture | holy bible |
| Theology | Anglican Doctrine |
| polity | episcopal |
| presiding bishop | Michael Curry |
Is marriage a sacrament in the Episcopal Church?
Marriage is a sacrament and as such the Episcopal Church takes it seriously. Historically, Christian marriage is a solemn and public covenant between a man and a woman in the presence of God.
Is the Sacrament of Marriage? In the Christian view, marriage is a sacrament instituted by Christ. The purpose of marriage is not only the care of children, but also the “community and well-being of the couple”. †
Why does the Church teach that marriage is a sacrament?
As the Church has taught through the ages, marital love, expressed in sexual union, must be open to new life. Just as God’s love produces life, so is human love in marriage. Therefore, the whole marriage is sacramental.
What are the four defining characteristics of a sacramental marriage?
A valid Catholic marriage results from four elements: (1) the spouses are free to marry; (2) they freely exchange their consent; (3) by agreeing to marry, they intend to be married for life, to be faithful to each other and to be open to children; and (4) their consent is given in the canonical form, i.e. in…
What is the difference between natural and sacramental marriage?
Natural marriage is the name given in Catholic canon law to the covenant “by which a man and a woman enter into a partnership among themselves for life, and which by its nature is ordained in the well-being of the spouses and the procreation and education of descendants”, and is distinguished from a sacramental or …
What makes a marriage sacramental?
Just as God’s love produces life, so is human love in marriage. Therefore, the whole marriage is sacramental. The human expressions of a couple’s love, given through body and mind, are also expressions of God’s love.
Is marriage a sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church?
In Catholicism, marriage is a sacrament that a baptized man and a baptized woman administer to each other through their marriage vows and lifelong partnership.
Is marriage always a sacrament?
Marriage has never been regarded as one of the sacraments of Christian initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) or of those who confer character (Baptism, Confirmation, ordination).
When did marriage become a sacrament in the Catholic Church?
The Sacrament of Marriage It wasn’t until the Council of Trent in 1563 that marriage was officially considered one of the seven sacraments, says Elizabeth Davies of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
What are the 7 sacraments of the Catholic Church and their meaning?
Sacraments are effective signs of grace instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, through which divine life is imparted. There are seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, and Ordination.
What does the church say about the sacrament of marriage?
Jesus taught that marriage is indissoluble: “Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate” (Matthew 19:6). Through the sacrament of marriage, the Church teaches that Jesus gives the strength and grace to live the real meaning of marriage.
What does the Catholic Church say about marriage?
Marriage in the Catholic Church, also known as sacred marriage, is the “covenant whereby a man and a woman enter into a partnership among themselves for life and which is by its nature ordained in the well-being of the spouses and the procreation and education descendants”, and who “was raised by Christ the …
When did the Catholic Church recognize marriage as a sacrament?
The Sacrament of Marriage It wasn’t until the Council of Trent in 1563 that marriage was officially considered one of the seven sacraments, says Elizabeth Davies of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
What does the church have to do with marriage?
In the Catholic faith, the church is considered a holy place where Christ is present, and since marriage is considered a covenant with God, the only place where a marriage ceremony can be performed is indoors, in a church “to observe the sanctity of the ceremony itself,” explains Scalia.
Are Episcopalians high church?
heritage of the church (High Church), became influential in the Episcopal Church in the 1840s. Although it enriched the worship and spiritual discipline of the church, it caused much controversy, as many Episcopalians preferred the Protestant heritage (Low Church). Church).
What is the difference between high and low Episcopal Church? “Low church”, in a contemporary Anglican context, indicates a Protestant emphasis, and “high church” indicates an emphasis on ritual, often as Anglo-Catholicism.
What kind of church is Episcopal?
| Episcopal Church | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Protestant (with various theological and doctrinal identities, including Anglo-Catholic, Liberal, and Evangelical) |
| Orientation | Anglican |
| scripture | holy bible |
| Theology | Anglican Doctrine |
What is the difference between Protestant and Episcopalian?
As adjectives the difference between episcopal and protestant. is that episcopal is episcopal while protestant (Christianity) is of or belonging to different denominations of Christianity that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation on the basis of theological or political differences.
What do Episcopal church believe?
We believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death and resurrection saved the world. We have a legacy of inclusion that strives to tell and illustrate God’s love for every human being; women and men serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our Church.
What is the difference between Catholic and Episcopalian?
Episcopalian allows women to be priests or bishops (sometimes), but Catholics do not allow women to be popes or priests. Episcopalians do not believe in the authority of the pope and thus have bishops while Catholics have centralization and thus pope.
What is considered high church?
The term high church refers to beliefs and practices of Christian ecclesiology, liturgy, and theology that emphasize formality and resistance to modernization.
Which denominations are high church?
Anglo-Catholics are sometimes called high clergy, in the sense that they give a “high” place to the importance of the episcopal form of church government, the sacraments and liturgical worship. The term Hoge Kerk was first used around the end of the 17th century to reflect this particular emphasis within the…
What is meant by low church?
Low Church definition: Emphasizing the priesthood, sacraments, and ceremonies of worship especially in Anglican worship and often emphasizing evangelical principles.
What is high church vs low church?
The term is usually used in a liturgical context. “Low church”, in a contemporary Anglican context, indicates a Protestant emphasis, and “high church” indicates an emphasis on ritual, often as Anglo-Catholicism.
What is low church Episcopal?
Low Church definition: Emphasizing the priesthood, sacraments, and ceremonies of worship especially in Anglican worship and often emphasizing evangelical principles.
What are the ranks in the Episcopal Church?
Triple order
- bishops.
- priests.
- deacons.
- Recognized lay ministers.
- Other lay ministers.
What makes the Episcopal Church different?
Another difference is that the Episcopal Church – unlike the Catholic Church – rejects the idea that the Bishop of Rome – the Pope – has supreme authority over the Universal Church. Nor do they have a centralized authority as the Pope has for Catholics; instead they have bishops and cardinals.
What does the Episcopal Church believe about the Bible?
The Episcopal Church uses the historical-critical method of studying the Bible, but considers the use of the Bible in worship to be the most important use of the Holy Scriptures. â – The New Testament (containing the stories of Jesus, called the Gospels, and the writings of his early followers).
Do Episcopalians pray to Mary? Anglicans with an evangelical or low church tradition tend to honor Mary. Other Anglicans respect and honor Mary for the special religious significance she holds within Christianity as the mother of Jesus Christ. This honor and respect is called worship.
What version of Bible do Episcopalians use?
Episcopalians trace their ancestry to the Church of England. As such, the English Bible, specifically the authorized King James Bible, is the Episcopal Bible.
Do Episcopalians take the Bible literally?
Despite the widely accepted Anglican Episcopal view that the Bible should not always be taken literally, 14.6 percent of bishops surveyed said they believed in the fundamentalist view that the Bible is “the real word of God and should be taken literally, word by word .”
Is the Episcopal Church Bible based?
| Episcopal Church | |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Anglican |
| scripture | holy bible |
| Theology | Anglican Doctrine |
| polity | episcopal |
What version of the Bible do Anglicans use?
The King James Bible, also known as the Authorized Version, is the primary translation approved for use by the Anglican Church and most Protestant churches around the world. It is named after King James I who ordered the translation at the Hampton Court conference in January 1604.
Does the Episcopal Church take the Bible literally?
Despite the widely accepted Anglican Episcopal view that the Bible should not always be taken literally, 14.6 percent of bishops surveyed said they believed in the fundamentalist view that the Bible is “the real word of God and should be taken literally, word by word .”
Which version of the Bible does the Episcopal Church use?
CLASS. Episcopalians trace their ancestry to the Church of England. As such, the English Bible, specifically the authorized King James Bible, is the Episcopal Bible.
What is the difference between Episcopalians and Christians?
Another difference is that the Episcopal Church – unlike the Catholic Church – rejects the idea that the Bishop of Rome – the Pope – has supreme authority over the Universal Church. Nor do they have a centralized authority as the Pope has for Catholics; instead they have bishops and cardinals.
What is it called when you take the Bible literally?
Biblical literalism or Biblicism is a term used differently by different authors with regard to Bible interpretation.
What is the difference between Catholic and Episcopalian beliefs?
Episcopalians do not believe in the authority of the pope and thus have bishops while Catholics have centralization and thus pope. Episcopalians believe in the marriage of priests or bishops, but Catholics do not allow popes or priests to marry.
How is the Episcopal Church different from the Catholic Church?
Another difference is that the Episcopal Church – unlike the Catholic Church – rejects the idea that the Bishop of Rome – the Pope – has supreme authority over the Universal Church. Nor do they have a centralized authority as the Pope has for Catholics; instead they have bishops and cardinals.
Why did the Episcopal Church split from the Catholic Church?
The Episcopal Church was formally separated from the Church of England in 1789 so that American clergy would not be obliged to accept the supremacy of the British monarch. In 1789, a revised American version of the Book of Common Prayer was produced for the new church.
Do Episcopalians pray the rosary?
The rosary is not a particularly common devotion to Episcopalians. In fact, the invention of the so-called Anglican rosary in the second half of the last century was intended to give bishops a way to pray with beads without being associated with anything that seemed too Roman Catholic.
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