Iona has been a place of pilgrimage since St Columba came from Ireland in AD 563 to found a monastery and convert Scotland to Christianity. I will be staying in the Abby, a world wide ecumenical center and participating in the life of the community for two weeks.
St John's Kirk, Perth
St. John's is where John Knox delivered a sermon on
11 May 1559 that served to launch the Reformation in Scotland.
St Andrews
Although St. Andrews is known for Golf today, until the Reformation in the mid 16th century is was the principal centre of Christian Pilgrimage in Scotland. There are many sites in the village that carry deep spiritual connections with Celtic Christianity as well as Roman Christianity. After the Reformation, St. Andrews fell out of favor as a pilgrimage site. Today, its spiritual value has been rekindled. While in St. Andrews, I do hope to plan a round of golf on the Old Course which has hosted golfers since the 1500s - perhaps proving that golf is indeed a spiritual game.
John Knox House, Edinburgh
John Knox, leader of the Scottish Reformation and founder of the Presbyterian Church, lived in this house for a short time before he died here in 1572. Now maintained by the Church of Scotland, the museum holds an exhibition about Knox's life and times. I visited this house briefly in 1995 and look forward to a more knowledgeable and in depth visit.
St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh
St. Giles is the "mother" church of Presbyterian
movement. In 1559, John Knox was elected its pastor.
I plan to attend a Sunday Service here.
Lindisfarne Priory (Monastery), Lindisfarne Island
This is one of the most important early centers of Christianity
in Anglo-Saxon England. Miracles said to have occurred here,
established this 11th century priory as a major Pilgrimage
center. The monastery is in ruins yet it remains a very
spiritual location. It is possible to walk to the island during low
From October 6 through October 31, I will be in Scotland. For the greater part of that time, I will be staying with the Iona Community on the Island of Iona off the coast of Northern Scotland. Iona’s status as a spiritual center dates from AD 563 when St. Columba arrived from Ireland and established a monastic community there. Around AD 1200, a Benedictine monastery was founded on the Island. Iona Abby, remodeled in the 15th century and rebuilt in the 20th century, has been the Island’s focal point since that time. The ancient graveyard next to the Abby features a mound marking the burial place of 48 of Scotland’s early kings.
Today the Iona Community is an ecumenical community with participants world wide working for peace and social justice, the rebuilding of community and the renewal of worship. I will be staying in the Abby in a monastic atmosphere with daily chores as well as worship and study experiences and interactions with Clergy and Lay Christian leaders from around the globe. I look forward to sharing some of those experiences with you when I return.
Pastor Mike
As I update this page, newer entries will appear at the top with earlier entries following.
The Abby where I am staying
Sabbatical Reflections ~ Rev. Michael Williams
Below are the places I intend
to visit on my
Sabbatical Pilgrimage.
October 8, 2011
I have arrived at Iona Abby and am settling in. There are some 35 people here this week and I am the only one from the US. This morning at worship in the Abby, I had the privelage of assisting in the service by serving communion. My room is small - a rather nice monestic cell - overlooking the Abby courtyard. A fair amount of rain but still decent weather - after a while, we don't even notice the rain. Although, I hear when the wind picks up . . . . .
The Island has the feel of what the Celts call "a thin place" - a place where heaven and earth seem especially close. There is a sense of being part of a faith that spans the centuries - that in a way, the saints that served in this place 1000+ years ago are still nearby. Outside the Abby is a Celtic Cross that has stood in the same place for 1000 years. One cannot stand beside it without feeling the presence of a God who is not only eternal, but who continues to be active in the live of his people.
Below is a portion of an anonymous poem from a book wife Linda gave me as I began my journey:
To the Pilgrim,
Set out! You were born for the road. Set Out! You have a meeting to keep.
Where? With whom? Perhaps with yourself.
Set out! Your steps will be your words - the road your song - the weariness your prayers. And at the end, your silence will speak to you.
Set out! You were born for the road - the Pilgrim's road. Someone is coming to meet you - is seeking you - in the shrine at the end of the road - in the shrine at the depths of your heart!
He is your peace. He is your joy! Go! God already walks with you!
I invite you to join in the discipline of pilgrimage with me - where is your road?
October 13, 2011
I had to look up the date as I began this note - dates aren't important in the same way here. There is a rythmn to life in the Abby but it is more related to the day of the week than the actual date. Each day has a specific focus and a "space" is created for that focus. On Tuesday the space created was a healing space and I found that theme and service particularly comforting ---- and challenging. Healing is not only about accepting God's healing but also about acting as Christ's ministers to bring healing to others - both individuals and groups.
During the day Tuesday, we walked about the island - the seven mile walk being a mini pilgrimage in itself. We stopped at 10 locations on the island, some historical, some spiritual, some both. At each stop we read scripture, sang, took a moment for personal meditation and reflection and closed in prayer before moving on. The day was beautiful - physically and spiritually.
On Wednesday morning, I was invited to read the scripture at the morning service which was a special experience. Reading scripture in the same place where a congregation gathered some 1200 years ago (this part of the Abby is orginal) to hear God's Word reminded me once again of God's continued presence in life. The photo looks over the bible from which I read, just after the service as people are leaving.
I am spending the days in various fellowship functions and spiritual gatherings, in pesonal reflection and exploration, in group study and discussions, in times of resting and eating (the food is very very basic but fresh & nurishing) and in a great many times of laughter with my fellow pilgrims and the members & staff of the Iona Community. Blessings from Iona, Mike
It is a windy and wild day on the Island this morning. Sometimes God speaks in a small still voice but today God has chosen a more dramatic entrance! Nevertheless, I put on the rain/wind suit and headed up the tallest hill on the island. At the top the winds were just awesome - and view even better. As I reached the top, the sun came out in bright rays leading my gaze back to the Abby below. I had taken our worshipping community list with me and lifted up each of our members and friends to God's care as I stood struggling to stand in the wind. It was a time of feeling close to both my community and my God!
Last night our service was titled "World Space." (Prayer Services are called "spaces" rather than "worship.") During this space we remembered and lifted in prayer justice and peace issues worldwide. What made this space so meaningful was the presence of people from so many places around the world. In my pew alone were Germans, a Chinese man, three Canadian youth and a Swiss couple - all who I knew by name! At the conclusion of the prayers, we were invited to light a candle for our own countries. Every continent except Antarctica was represented. We left to these words: "God, teach us love, teach us compassion, but above all, out of love and compassion, teach us to act." Blessings from Iona, Mike
October 20, 2011
Last day on Iona - I leave on the 7:00 am ferry Friday - and hopefully, after two ferry rides, a 45 minute bus ride and a 5 hour train ride - I will end up in Edinburgh for the night. We begin each morning here with a great affirmation I wish to share:
With people everywhere,
we affirm God's goodness at the heart of humanity,
planted more deeply than all that is wrong.
With all creation,
we celebrate the miracle and wonder of life;
the unfolding purposes of God,
forever at work in ourselves and the world!
Blessings from Iona - I certaintly have been blessed to be here!
October 27, 2011
It has been a week since I have had access to a computer that can update our website and even now I am unable to load photos (photos added October 28). Nevertheless, I have been busy traveling and exploring since I left Iona Island.
My first stop was Edinburgh, home not only of the famous Edinburgh Castle but also St. Giles, the home Kirk (or church) of the Presbyterian movement. John Knox (1514-1572) who brought the Reformation from Europe to Scotland was the minister at St. Giles from 1559 to 1572. Other stops included Reformation sites in St. Andrews, Dundee, Perth and Stirling. Today, I am in Stirling and have just visited Stirling Castle, site of a major Reformation battle.
It has been interesting examining the Reformation from Scotland. The reformation, a movement to correct ecclesiastical abuses and increase lay involvment in the structure and worship order of the church, was an intellectual battle, a faith battle and all too often, a bloody battle. There is much to admire in John Knox but there is much question as well. He stood forthrightly for what he believed and he dared to challenge the powers of his time in the name of "purifying" the practices of the church. Yet he was often blinded by his own dogma and the cultural norms of his time. His sermons could inspire people to great heights spiritually but on more than one occasion, lead people to give into their fears and anger. When I return, I hope to be able to share some of stories, insights and musings that I have from these days of following the Reformation movement from this side of the story.
Of course, while in St. Andrews, I did manage to play the oldest golf course in the world - The Old Course. Golf has been played there since the early 1400s. Interestingly, St. Andrews (named after the Apostle) was the major spiritual site in Scotland/Ireland until the reformation abolished its importance. Only then, did the city turn to golf as a main attraction.
This Sunday October 30 is Reformation Sunday. I asked Betty Kasperski to preach from our pulpit since she has recently completed courses in Reformed Theology in her work toward becoming a Commissioned Lay Pastor. So I trust you will hear a very reformed sermon and perhaps consider how events in the 1500s in Scotland, continue to affect how we worship today!
Blessings, Mike
John Knox statue at St. Giles
In the John Knox house Edinburgh. The building is original from late 1400s - saved because of association with Knox who died there in 1572. October 30th is Reformation Sunday!
Canongate Kirk (a Presbyterian Church) in Edinburgh. The sermon Oct. 23 focused on the same passages as were used at GPC and spoke to the fact that just as no one knows the burial place of Moses (Deut. 34:6) - no one knows the resting place of Jesus - for there is none!
Ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral which occupied a site used for worship since the 8th century AD, when the relics of St Andrew, Scotland’s patron saint, were reputed to have been brought there giving the Cathedral and town its name. The Cathedral fell into ruins after the Reformation caused it to be abandoned in 1560.
The William Wallace ("Braveheart") Monument in Stirling. From the top, we see the River Forth where Wallace won a great victory for Scottish Independence in 1297.
I had a great trip to Iona and Scotland but it is very good to be home! I plan to set up a time to share some of the insights I gained during these weeks of visiting and exploring. I have spent much of the time reflecting on how congregations are called to do ministry within their own contexts and how those contexts are constantly changing even in such an ancient land as Scotland. As I was on my trip, some contexts of ministry were changing right in front of me. One of my most interesting days was spent at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. That historic congregation has suddenly found itself face to face with ministry in the midst of a changing world as Occupy London members pitched some 200 tents on church property. The church has struggled with what how to relate to the situation. To see some pictures and information from that ongoing event, use the below link (in color) to one of my personal albums on Facebook. It is a public page and you don't need to be a member of Facebook to see it. If clicking on link doesn't work, you may have to cut and paste the full link in your browser depending on your computer. You may also click on the below five photos to enlarge them. Blessings, Mike
