St. Cuthbert’s Way and the Norwegians

Many of you know that on my mother’s side there is a strong Norwegian lineage. With names like Signe, Astrid, Dagny, Trigva, and Sigrid, you do have to ask if you do not already know where these names comes from, we are very much Scandinavian!

So when i was wandering around Iona and finally found St Columba’s Bay, it was great fun to run into Norwegians and hear where they were from. The funny thing is that they kept apologizing to the Ionians. Iona, embraced Christianity when St Columba set up residency in the 6th century. And it’s the Vikings that kept coming and invading decimating the monks and the tiny island. (The Norwegians I met said, “Well, if you weren’t the first born son, you were getting nothing, you had to go and invade something to have land!”) What was remarkable is that the people of Iona accepted their kind apologies and said, “NO, if the Vikings hadn’t come the Romans would have kept invading, the Vikings helped us.”

Continuing along the way of St Cuthbert, it’s the monks from Iona who established Melrose Abbey where St Cuthbert entered the monastic life and his life ended in ministry on the isle of Lindisfarne. Lindisfarne is a unique island, where due to the coastal tides it is inaccessible 12 hours of the day and then passable only for 12, the waters come up and cover the walking path and road for 6 hours at a time! Lindisfarne was also a site of Viking invasions... and as I worshiped yesterday morning and waited to receive Eucharist i glanced to my left and there were three plaques commemorating the resolution of  the Viking invasions. In 1993 they were commemorating the Viking invasions (the 1200th anniversary) and in the congregation were Norwegians who brought a letter from their bishop giving thanks for Christianity coming to Norway and seeking forgiveness for the pillaging the Vikings did on Lindisfarne. The framed handwritten note by Lindisfarne stated the conflict was now over.... reconciled. They were of the same body, same Lord through baptism and because of the persistence of the christians of the British Isles! This plaque was a send off surprise for me as we left the island and then headed to Durham where St. Cuthbert’s remains were transported..... due to more invasions!

St Cuthbert’s remains were taken from Lindisfarne due to Norman invasions, they traveled for 7 years until coming to rest in Durham Cathedral. And in the cathedral you can see Cuthbert’s resting place behind the high altar and  the actual wooden coffin from 687! Apparently his coffin was well preserved and so it has lasted! It truly is amazing to see something so old and kept so faithfully, and added bonus our docent was very knowledgeable about the artifacts. Cuthbert’s cross, stole, and comb (gotta look good in the coffin!) were all included with his body in his coffin. As we were talking with our docent I shared that we had hiked and finally made it here to Durham (I said we did the final leg by train to Durham!) I shared about the Norwegians in Iona and she said, “OH, if the invasions had not occurred Durham cathedral would not exist!” You see because the relics of St. Cuthbert were moved around and finally laid to rest in Durham, King Henry VIII did not demolish Durham cathedral because of the relics when he took to smashing abbeys and monasteries (the cause of many of the ruins we saw on our route, communities could not recover and rebuild). 

Often we dwell on the invasion, please understand I am not supporting violence, what these stories have done is to  illuminatedto me what we do and how we move forward from that violence is important. 

How do we shape our history, move towards reconciliation (if possible and preferably sooner than 1200 years!), and fight for others to prevent the same sort of violence to reoccur?

On the final part of my sabbatical i will be learning some Norwegian recipes....it’s fun how unexpected threads get woven into the fabric of our stories. These boots are still walking!

St Cuthbert’s Way- COMPLETE

We made it!

St Cuthbert’s way is 62 miles long, our final journey was 84 miles, not because we got lost but because we had to go off trail for lodging and we stopped along the way to see Abbeys, Castles, and landmarks of note.

But today, today we arrived on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. We could see the Holy Island starting yesterday afternoon when we were 10 miles off, it is gorgeous and the castle and Abbey stand out and are highly visible. Our final 10 miles were joyfully downhill or flat!

The way of St Cuthbert begins in Melrose, Scotland where St Cuthbert grew up and was taught by monks from Iona who lived in the Melrose Abbey. The path follows along the different towns in and amongst the hills and valleys of the Scottish countryside and northeastern English country side. We learned St Cuthbert’s way is not always the shortest way to get to the next town but it was always beautiful to follow and see what lay just beyond the next ridge (there was always another ridge!)

Things we learned:

• There is always going to be a hill (or “ascent” as our book called it) in the first 2 miles and it will get your heart going.
• There is always going to be a hill in the last 2 miles because you are tired and would rather it be flat
• Cuthbert meandered around to get to the sea. His way is not the shortest route.
• We went 6 days without riding in a car, watching TV, or talking on the phone and it was delightful.
• We had 6 days of SUNSHINE! (One day threatened rain but cleared up and I think most people got sunburned!)
• Hiking poles are THE BEST (thanks Kermit for ours!)
• Each person you encountered was a new adventure to learn about.
• Afternoon tea makes the world a better place

This time of year is before the heavy rains, our trails were not overgrown or very muddy. We also were in and amongst 3 different groups. Hikers can hike in several ways, many companies will book your stay and take care of moving your luggage from one place to another. OR you can coordinate your own trip. We were amongst three other groups who all ended today at the Holy Island. Each of us had different companies who planned out our trip and one group did their own logistics. While we never started hiking out together on each day, we would find each other along the way. The group of 4 women hiking together, the group of three men hiking together, a couple and then Rob and me. Each day we  would find each other on trail or at the end of trail. (Each town only had so many bed and breakfasts and restaurants.) While we didn’t learn everyone’s names it was fun to hear each other’s stories, give thanks for the small triumphs and be thankful all at the same time for each little blessing.

Today Rob and I saw each and every person we traveled with on the road. From what i understand this time of year is not peak season, so there were times where we heard no other humans, just birds or silence—- one foot after another. It was beautiful to see the topography change, the climate change, the flora change and to be able to have the opportunity to do such a hike.

Tomorrow we leave the Holy Island and continue a bit more of St Cuthbert- we will see him once more in Durham, where his remains were taken for safe keeping during the 11century invasions and have remained there ever since!

It’s all Scottish!

Did you know?

• The inventor of Velcro was Scottish
• The inventor of the Kaleidoscope was Scottish
• The inventor of Chloroform was Scottish (and was the first anesthesia used.
• Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish) based his book on Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde on Deacon Brodie a real life cabinet maker by day and thief by night (he kept copies of the keys to the cabinets he made!)
• Charles Dickens found the name for Ebenezer Scrooge on a grave in Edinburgh when he misread Ebenezer Scroogie who was a “Meal Man” not a “Mean Man”
• J K Rowling also found names for her characters from tombstones in Edinburgh, Thomas Riddle’s grave can be found in Greyfriar’s churchyard
• Mary, Queen of Scots, was named queen when she was 5 days old, married at 15, widowed at 17, orphaned at 19 and married three times (the third husband murdered her second husband and ultimately died in a danish prison)
• Edinburgh, Jedburgh, and Dryburgh all rhyme with burrow not BERG 
• There are some Scottish hills around here and sheep, lots of sheep.
• The Kelvin temperature measurement was named after, you have got it, a Scotsman.
• Clydesdales, yea they are from the region around the Clyde River in Scotland.

In the words of Mike Meyers, “If it’s not Scottish, it’s crap!”

A little more of Scotland (second attempt)

So, I had a brilliant wordy (and worded!)  post composed and ready to post catching you up on the past five days.

AND then the iPad literally ate the post. I created it, had it waiting to post as a draft...and where did it go?????

If, miraculously, the post appears, you will know what indeed went on....I know, i know, sabbatical problems, people are hungry and there are real injustices going on, i just wanted to let you know there was a different post (in case it, again, shows up somehow). End Rant.

Today we began the hike called “The Way of St Cuthbert”- this hike is for the organized! The crest and shield markers are very easy to spot, easy to follow, and take you to and fro, hither and yon on very visible trails (yes, Rob is still in charge of the map, but we rarely need it anyway).

St Cuthbert grew up in Melrose, where our hike began today. Melrose Abbey was the place where the monks lived, prayed, and led a school. Cuthbert joined the school and later became a monk also. Eventually he became a priest and much further along he became the bishop of Lindisfarne (our final destination). He was known for his care and compassion for people. This path of 63 miles traces the River Tweed and the towns that Cuthbert would have visited and overseen while in ministry in this area. We hiked to Dryburgh Abbey today, roughly 7 miles, and settled in for the night.

The differences in hiking today verses last week are striking to me. 

In Iona, I hiked on my own, it was foggy and i kept stepping in mud holes, if you got lost you hit water, temperatures were quite cool, and  I only found one trail marker on the whole island and it didn’t say what it was marking or why it was there.

On this path of St Cuthbert’s we have this lovely shield we see plastered all along the way. Rob is hiking with me and near me, we have a river not an ocean to keep us on track, and the sun was shining today.

Each of these forms of hiking are marvelous and have their place. Sometimes we need the clear directed path, sometimes we need the wandering times. Sometimes we need tangible companionship, sometimes we need merely the alone time with God.

Psalm 121 says “I lift my eyes up, up to the hills, where does my help come from?”

Today Rob and I hiked up 1400ft in the first 1.2miles. It was a breathtaking experience (in all meanings of the word!) and 5 miles later when we glanced back at the hills it was hard to believe we had hiked through them, they were so high and far away.

Some days we need to have others with us sharing their story of how to get up over the hills

Some days we need to tell our stories of how we made it over the hills.

Each day we take one step at a time where ever we might be on the path, marked or unmarked.

And some days we rest on the bench, on the way up or on the way down, gathering up our strength for the next part of the journey.... astonished by the beautiful creation around us.

The unique place called: Iona

Insights on Iona:

• Iona is where you luggage driver is the bartender at night at the pub and bakes bread for the bakery in the morning.
• Midsummer Murders (think murder she wrote but bettter) could never be filmed here because one episode would wipe out an entire family (Each episode has 3 murders, the town has 135 permanent  residents)
• Iona is gorgeous!
• 3 restaurants in town, only one that you can pop in without reservations.
• “Not all who wander are lost” (CS Lewis or JRR Tolkien), Me: Here: I wander and am mostly always lost
• Sheep do not give directions regardless of how desperately you might be in need of them.
• It rains on Iona a lot (not a big deal if you wear the right clothes and wait 15 minutes because it also stops too)
• Gullies of rain (really called streams) and the path often look alike but are not the same thing. (One is less nice to step in/on)
• I am a fan of fences, they keep animals in their space and humans something to follow to find civilization again.

Iona is beautiful. It’s an island 3 miles long and about a mile wide. It’s easy to get lost on the trails, but not too badly, you will eventually hit water and worst case could follow the coastline back. Again worst case.

I arrived with SUNSHINE! It was gorgeous and not taking these moments for granted, I walked to the Abbey and the Nunnery and toured town (it’s less than a mile from where I am staying to the Abbey. Not knowing when the sun would be back, I took full advantage of its presence, which is good because on Thursday we didn’t see hide the sun at all and we almost saw the sun on Friday....it was brighter.....

Iona is an old island and it is where St Columba established a monastary in the 6th century and  he was buried here (though I believe some of his remains have been removed). It has been a pilgrimage site for hundreds of years with nooks and crannies to discover.

The now Iona Community was established in the 1930’s by George McLeod... which created a prayerful community focused around 1. Prayer, 2. Scripture, 3. Accountability, 4. Social Justice and 5. Meeting together. This community offers morning prayers at 9am and Evening prayers at 9pm. There are several faith communities on the island- the Cowley Brothers (think SSJE in Massachusetts!) have the Bishop’s house on the island and offer Morning prayer at 8am and Compline at 8:15pm and the Catholics gather at 5pm daily and the Presbyterians only meet on Sundays (i think). There are a lot of opportunities for prayerfulness.

My learnings have been on the hikes here. The first day i wandered the trails at the northern tip of the island. Lovely. Wasn’t sure where i was most moments but I figured if i kept the houses in sight i would make it back okay. I had water, a power bar and a warm jacket. Worst case that would be my dinner. (Don’t worry, found a real dinner too!)

The second day i bought a map and set forth to do more of the northern part of the island through the hills. While i can navigate a train station and trains, i seem to be terrible at topographical maps paired with the rain here and trails that aren’t trails and sheep that don’t give directions... I wandered a good bit. I ran into a great group who pointed me out to where i was and then sent me on my way.

The third Day i set out encouraged by my friend who stayed with me that the hike was an easy one to Columba’s Bay (where they think the Saint first arrived- his abbey is 2 miles south-why? More mud for me to hike through)... so off i went. And the wandering began ....Today’s daily office readings talked about “do not judge others lest you be judged”- I was reminded of this when i was hiking into a bay and recalled my thoughts when our host said, “yea last week a hiker broke his ankle on his hike down to Marble Bay and when they found him he had hypothermia”— as i hiked down into a valley I realized my judgement passed on this other hiker thinking “Oh, the novice”—- and found myself looking at this ravine going “OH my!”..... needless to say i wasn’t even on Marble Bay! I survived just fine, no twisted ankles.

The blessing and challenge of Iona is that the trails are not marked with markers or sign posts, the paths allow you to wander, to meander, be lost (with or without a map!) and then return. You are never too far away and yet very isolated. I found myself alone on most of my trails  and realizing the gift of companions on the way and also, if i am the only one out here, how nuts or lost am I?

I finally made it to St Columba’s Bay (they believe he first arrived here due to it’s size and location) and it is beautiful. And it is there i ran into the Norwegians. They came from the other path, the one i thought was too long- uh, it’s the easiest path i have ever hiked here! We had a delightful conversation about the space and hike.

The gift of this island and it’s smallness is that you become community - most stay 2-3 nights. My fellow residents and i had dinner together last night (remember only 3 places to eat at night) and they had helped the Norwegians i met this afternoon when they came across on the ferry. I came across the ferry with a sweet couple who I keep crossing paths with as they are hiking one way and i the other. While we haven’t exchanged names and numbers, we check in with each other and are always thankful to see each other! 

At breakfast the first day we were talking about the journey here. My companion said, “it’s the great equalizer”- everyone has to spend quite a bit of time getting here due to the islands and transportation. No matter if you are a monk, resident, or pilgrim- everyone takes that ferry over!

There were moments on the hikes where i found myself getting frustrated and to turn my mood around i would think, “Well, at least i have hiking boots and not running shoes” or “I am able to hike and be lost” or “THANK YOU LILLY and St John’s for this opportunity”..... and then i would find a road or fence and be okay....

What are the equalizing things in your life?

How do you turn your mindset about when the mud puddles could pull you down?

Who are the strangers that are community on your path?

(The way of St Cuthbert is a marked path and I have told Rob he is in charge of the map)

It’s a Journey

Today I arrive in Iona, where they had no internet last week.

So to get to Iona I traveled 8hours by plane, 3 hours by train, another 3 hours by train, 1 hour by ferry, 1 hour by bus, and a short ferry. Then a walk uphill to my hotel.

Sometimes it is about the journey.

Insights from today:

1. While a shower is a great way to start the morning, sometimes you should start with coffee then negotiate the shower. European showers are not for the non-persistent. I figured how to turn the shower head on AND how to have the correct temperature but there were more nozzles and dials than normal AND the hot and cold were reversed!
2. DO NOT multi task if choosing shower first and then coffee. (Especially if European shower)
3. ALWAYS use bath mat, this combines the first two mentioned. If you move the bathmatt because you went to plug in the teapot because the shower was so confusing and realized caffeine sooner than later would be more helpful, you need to remember to put the bathmatt back in place so that you do not slip and fall on tile floor that has a declining slope to it. (No bruises or scrapes happened to create this helpful insight but OUCH!)
4. always ask directions, people love to help- especially if you are an easy assist! I overshot the train station in Glasgow because I was looking at everything in the city with SUNLIGHT!

Sometimes you can take the shorter route, I could have flown into Scotland and eliminated a train ride, but that didn’t make sense for the rest of the travels and because I had three hours to wait I was able to see my dear friend who lives in London who hopped on the Tube and met me for coffee (my jet legged self).... it also meant I met a “non practicing atheist” in the train station who told me the history of Oban, the best bus to catch and a bit about melrose abbey too!

While I think I could have driven from Glasgow to Oban- watching the scenery go by on the trainn was a treat with trees and snow and stillness. Not to mention I did not have to remember which side of the road to drive on.....

I am fascinated by Scotland’s nooks and crannies, it’s water and small coastal towns, it looks a lot like Newburyport and Salem, MA, fishing ports.

I of course took three wrong turns this morning and it took three folks to make sure I had the correct ticket (online services are only so helpful) but it’s part of the journey, meeting folks along the way.

On the train there was an 18 month old who was overjoyed at everything that passed by- no distinguishable words but we knew to look because of his alerting sound and we too took joy in his joy.

Letting go allows one to see a little bit more, rely a little less only on yourself and realize the fun and joy you can have with the folks around you.

Home is...

Home is where the heart is.

Home is where your friends are

Home is where the Army sends you

Home is where a hot meal and good friends sit around the table with you

You might know the phrase with a different ending. Regardless it reminds me that we define home in several ways, not just in an address.

As many of you already know I grew up in a military family, we moved routinely every 1-3 years. One of my least favorite questions to be asked was “where is home”- you see both of my grandfathers were also in the army, so while they resided in Florida and in Arizona, those places were not their places of origin though they had become home.

How do we define home?

In the south this is in reference to where our people are from, where they are buried, where they have come from.

For me home has become where you are in the moment and what has formed you. AND home is where there is a seat a the table.

For me, Sewanee is one of those places. College was the first time I lived anywhere for 4 years and during those four years my parents moved 3 times. Sewanee, though, stayed the same (sometimes a strength and sometimes that is it’s own weakness). Sewanee is the place where I chose to listen more deeply, to wander, to be in groups that were different, and ask harder questions. And we always found food together in the dining hall.

Sewanee is also a place I keep coming back to, for weddings, for funerals, for council meetings and while an official capacity brings me back now, it’s the relationships that make it home. Finding time to drink a cup of coffee or tea, go for a run (race pace has been redefined from those college years) and savor the space as it changes and as I do too. Tonight we will share a meal together with the soon to be graduating class of seminarians as they head out from calling Sewanee “home” for three years and go to “work in the vineyard.” Home is about to change for these new graduates.

At St Luke’s in Atlanta they are home to a congregation who worships there, they are also home to a “soup kitchen” where folks come to eat and they are the physical home address to a large population that have no homes. As you may or may not realize, to do a lot of the paperwork you need to have a job you must have a physical address. St Luke’s has become that for their people who are in need and go through their assistance program. While people do not reside at the church, they do not have a shelter, they do have a program where St Luke’s is their mailing address, mailroom, and physical home address. The church opens up their doors so that their folks in need can get their feet on the ground and on their way to finding and creating their own homes. 

As I am traveling, I have been staying in homes along the way. Dear friends have opened their doors and and tables to invite me in and we get to sit around the table sharing a meal and catching up, hearing where the spirit is moving in each person’s life and laughing at the joyful adventures God has us on. Each space has become home for the night for me, each meal feeding both heart and soul.

Where is home for you? Is it a place? Is a meal? 

How are you inviting others in to experience “home” with you and inviting them to your table?