It Happens

Discussion Questions 

1. Read Deuteronomy 23:9-14; you can find it here. Then read the devotional below, “It Happens.”  

2. How is your body as you read this devotion? What are you feeling and experiencing? Are you comfortable or not? Hungry? Thirsty? Sleepy? In pain? Do you need to use the restroom? Take a moment to check in and be present in your body. 

3. What do you think it means to pray “with our whole bodies” How is your body involved (or not) when you pray? 

4. Deuteronomy 23:14 says, “Your camp must be holy, so that [God] may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you.” Are there things we need to hide from God? Are there subjects that don’t belong in church? In prayer? 

Devotional

[Moses taught them:] “You shall have a designated area outside the camp to which you shall go. With your tools you shall have a trowel; when you relieve yourself outside, you shall dig a hole with it and then cover up your excrement.” – Deuteronomy 23:12-13 (NRSVUE) 

Outside a basilica in Slovenia, I finished our morning prayer with a word about the pilgrimage we were beginning. “It’s not so much that we will be praying every moment of the next five days. But that we’re choosing for this time to understand everything that happens as prayer. 

“The elation of reaching the top of the hill. The exhaustion that sends you to bed at 9. The laughter with your fellow pilgrims. The irritation with your fellow pilgrims. All of it, prayer.” 

Almost immediately, someone raised their hand. “I also have a shovel if anyone needs it.” 

One of the things I was not prepared for when I started leading pilgrimages was how much I’d be talking about poop. On every trip. Frequency. Time of day. Amount and quality of coffee necessary. 

Pilgrims pray about it. They plan around it. They offer each other medicine, and wipes, and a shovel. And I love it. Because, as I am fond of repeating, pilgrimage is a prayer we say with our whole bodies. 

Israel has a shovel. And a plan. A scripture that reads like backcountry camping regulations. Of course they do. They’ve chosen to share life together. And life means bodies. And bodies means… digging catholes and covering them up. 

Deuteronomy says that’s so God doesn’t get grossed out and abandon the people. But on our pilgrimages, I see just the opposite: when the poop-talk starts, I know the Incarnate One can’t be far behind. 

Prayer
Incarnate One, move.