An evening of storytelling, poetry and music centered on themes of place, faith and wonder will take place at Point Loma Nazarene University this month.
For the first time, “Sojourner Stories,” an event aimed to create space for reflection on pilgrimage and how people engage with specific places and faith, will come to PLNU’s campus.
Montague Williams, director of PLNU’s Pilgrimage Innovation Hub, which is hosting the event,
said it was created to bring together stories from pilgrimage experiences. He said that organizers hope to continue it in the future.
It is scheduled for March 26 from 6-8:30 p.m. at Ellipse Chapel in the First Church of the Nazarene, located on campus. The evening will begin with hors d’oeuvres, mocktails and a DJ from 6-6:30 p.m., followed by live storytelling, poetry and musical performances.
According to organizers, the event will feature stories from participants about their pilgrimage experiences and meaningful encounters with specific places.
Williams said the event is also intended to foster connection among participants and create space for shared experiences.
“We want participants to walk away inspired by the possibility of practicing pilgrimage in its various forms,” Williams said. “We also hope people get to know each other and find ways to continue those conversations beyond the event.”
Josiah Roberts, an adjunct professor of writing at PLNU, is one of the featured storytellers. His piece draws from a personal pilgrimage through Spain and Portugal, where he walked the Camino de Santiago, a historic European pilgrimage route that leads to a cathedral in northern Spain, after completing graduate school.
His work, presented in the form of poetry, reflects on both the experience of pilgrimage and the challenges of returning to everyday life.
“Coming back from pilgrimage can be a weird experience,” Roberts said. “You’ve experienced such a high, and then you come back to your everyday life. How do you transition back?”
The event will include a mix of storytelling styles, with participants sharing through spoken word, music and personal narrative.
Wanda Gailey, operations coordinator for the Pilgrimage Innovation Hub, emphasized the personal impact of the stories that will be shared.
“I think they can expect some beautiful and vulnerable stories from people’s experiences,” Gailey said. “I think they’ll be able to reflect on their own life experiences, to be encouraged or challenged by what they hear.”
Organizers said the event is open to students and community members interested in the relationship between faith and place, offering an opportunity for reflection and shared experiences through storytelling.
“I hope it’s an emotional experience,” Roberts said. “That people can connect and feel like their story connects, too.”
The event is free to attend, with space available for 150 participants.
Ava Bailey-Klugh