Northumberland hand written blogs

All Saints East Window

Holy island blog 1

SO now I'm here, what do I feel?

Overwhelmed, yet silent
Nothingness, yet pregnant with meaning.
Exhausted,yet exhilarated.
Filthy, yet being cleansed.

The Anglican Church St. Mary's is overwhelming too.
I need time to,take it in.

The Lawson statue dominates
(The one of the monks carrying Cuthbert's coffin)
And also needs to sink in.

Also beautiful fisherfolk carpet work copying so-called carpet pages out of the 
Lindisfarne Gospels.

God seems silent now and yet in the morning I know God spoke of the need to be 
God's servant.
"Having just had a long opportunity to do so",
The sense was "Go and tell".

So, like Mary after the Annunciation, I am obedient and
Treasure up these things in my heart.

But I need to learn from Aidan and go out Into the quiet lanes to preach the 
Good news; compel me by your Spirit,Lord.
Amen.

Holy island blog 4

So what do I think? Where am I now? Am I on a boat at "sea with God"? Have I arrived? Or, yet another option, Is the destination simply the journey? Perhaps a better question is What have I learnt? But that sounds too "Latin" and not enough "Celtic" For me, as I've been reading about the Synod of Whitby And the Irish monks leaving Holy Island as a result. So let's call them areas of potential growth instead. Silence is one key area of growth - and one that'll contInure, I reckon. A lightness of holding onto possessions (in a positive sense) is another. Using imagination and allowing time to think and reflect another. IF I wanted a rule to live by, which I don't yet, these would be a good start, if combined with an urgency to share God's Word in a hurting World. I hope my blog is beginning to do this. I hope my preaching continues to do this. I hope my life will show this in action. And yet in the area of relationships, there is so much to be done. With people, I mean, leaving aside with God. My goal must be to do the above within a context of developing,pastoral gifts, finding time to be with folk. My impatience with current management speak And general wordiness seems to grow with a "Celtic" worldliness. I need to do what needs to be done, But to concentrate on what is truly important perhaps this will do for starters ... BIll the arrived of sorts pilgrim.

Bill made it!

Last blog before holy island

Well it's off today I can't delay So here I go I can't say no It' s waiting there So I must share As I've relied On time and tide For no one waits Break through the gates And enter boldly in From this dear world of sin A thinner place to be With God twixt earth and sea

final blog before the crossing!

Well, I got here, on foot, Porlock to Brackley, Bourne/Edenham to Beal opposite Lindisfarne. And tomorrow, Friday 5th. August, I'll be going over the pilgrim's causeway to Holy Island (barefoot and in shorts!) When you read this, I'll be there, assuming I don't sink, and yes, we've checked the tide times. As I write this another black cloud skids by and I Think, well I've had my ups and downs - losing (and then finding) my phones, wallet etc. Ups and down of walking, but not too many hills. in fact, I wanted to go up more in Yorkshire.Thistles, thorns, nettles, oilseed rape and corn, but also ridgeways, canals and finally coastal paths. Old railways, Roman roads and roadworks too. It's like life, full of ups and downs, but with a final destination, and yet ... The destination is in fact the journey itself And the journey is, in fact, the destination. See you back in Porlock, those of you who are near, soon God bless BIll and Daff

A long version of psalm 119

A long version of psalm 119, Though or as long as the original (25 x 4 rather than 23 X 8 for those of you with An arithmetic all Hebrew bent. For those of you unfamiliar with the original It is an acrostic psalm Always walk in the way of the Lord As we walk, we bring peace Answer to the Lord and his peace As we walk in the way of the Lord. Better it is to walk in the way of the Lord But not to fail to do justice Bring unto the Lord justice and peace By walking in the way of the Lord Could we walk in the way of the Lord Confront war and bring justice Call to the Lord for justice and peace Come let us walk in the way of the Lord Do walk in the way of the Lord Don't fail to bring justice and peace Dread disobeying the way of the Lord Delight to walk in the way of the Lord Each one walks in the way of the Lord Encourages the way of righteousness Enter his gates with peace and justice Ever to was in the way of the Lord For to walk in the way of the Lord Forgive hate, war and do right Forsake not the way of peace Fear God and walk in the way of the Lord Gently walk in the any of the Lord Go and bring peace, and righteousness Give no time for war and hatred Go and walk in the way of the Lord Hearken to walk in the way of the Lord Have joy in your heart and peace Hate not the way of righteousness Hope to walk in the way of the Lord I will walk in the way of the Lord In justice, peace and righteousness It is right to love justice and peace I'll walk in the way of the Lord Just to walk in the way of the Lord Judges us by peace and righteousness Justice and peace are God's ways Joy comes from walking with the Lord. Know the Lord and walk in the way of the Lord Knowledge is his, of truth and right Knights walk in the way of peace Kings too walk in the way of the Lord Love to walk in the way of the Lord Learn to love justice and peace Law-abiding in peace and justice Let us walk in the way of the Lord My will's to walk in the way of the Lord Marvel at God's righteousness and peace Make way for peace and justice May we walk in the way of the Lord Not to give up the way of the Lord Nor to let go his peace and justiice Neither eschew righteousness Never forsake the way of the Lord. Often walk in the way of the Lord Observe the way of justice and peace Or dwell in the way of righteousness Only walk in the way of the Lord! Pleased to walk in the way of the Lord Pursue righteousness and peace Peace and justice are the Lord's way Pass not up on the way of the Lord Question not the way of the Lord Quell war and bring justice and peace Quicken the way of peace and justice Quietly walk in the way of the Lord Run and walk in the way of the Lord Rehearse ways of justice and peace Righteousness reigns with peace and justice Repeatedly walk in the way of the Lord Serve God, walking in the way of the Lord Seek righteousness, justice and peace Stop war and love righteous ways Safe to walk in the way of the Lord Trump not the way of the Lord Take care to love peace and justice Trust in God's justice and righteousness Try to walk in the way of the Lord Unswervingly walk in the way of the Lord Understand ways of justice and peace Uphold peace and justice Undergirded by the way of the Lord Veer not from the way of the Lord Very true is God's way of peace Vanquish war, and build righteousness Verily walk in the way of the Lord Wander to from the way of the Lord Walk in the ways of righteousness Wonder at the Lord's way of peace Want to walk in the way of the Lord Yearn to walk in the way of the Lord Your will is to walk in righteousness Yardsticks meet of justice and peace You must walk in the way of the Lord Zealously walk,in the way of the Lord Zestful to keep peace and justice Zealously guard ways of righteousness Zestfully walk ice the way of the Lord