Tuesday, 31 May 2016
Day 17 Walk 15
Monday, 30 May 2016
Blog 14 (Walking Day 14 - Harwell to Oxford/Cowley)
Today was the first day I had one or more companion all day
(Rachma and Steven had joined me at the end of day 12).
In the morning my friend David and I started from Harwell - we struggled to cross two main roads (one being the A34) and the main GWR line; David's comments were:
b----y roads, b-----y railways and b-----y footpaths.
Despite our careful map work several paths ran out at the boundaries and failed to cross road or rail.
However, eventually we got to Abingdon, late, to a nice pub, Nag's Head.
I was allowed 5 minutes before-hand in a lovely church - St. Helen's - with fantastic
roof-paintings - but we were in danger of being late for our meet with David's wife, Louise and Daff.
After too long and too large a lunch (Bill) we left for a long idyllic walk on the side of the Thames.
Unfortunately, too long - so we made many stops as exhaustion began to set in; the last at a pub on the river in Sandford
(so 2:1 score Pubs to churches, I'm afraid).
We arrived back at Louise and David's exhausted - not having the energy to go out;
poor Louise having to cook us a delicious chilli.
No psalm today, nor tomorrow, rest day when I'll be catching up with sending past blogs. Bill the relaxing Pilgrim
The
Blog 12
For today - Warnborough to Uffington; another version of a Psalm
(NB note to Dane - can they be spaced after every 4 lines - I think the last one
lost its formatting in downloading).
1. Lord, you have been our house and home;
the place in which we make our dwelling.
Before you had created the heavens,
beyond the mountains of human telling.
2. You are God, God for ever and ever,
And yet when all's due, you turn us to dust
You command us to turn back and repent
To do you great deeds, you tell us we must.
3. A thousand years to you flash by,
They are, as it were, one watch in the night;
like yesterday, which came and went past
As but a blink in your eye, in your sight.
4. Our years pass you by, for us like a dream,
In the dew of the morning, renewed is the grass.
As the day goes past, as the evening fades,
our yesterdays, as it were, let them pass.
5. But does your wrath overshadow us
The psalmist, in psalm ninety, tells us so.
Our iniquities and our secret sins,
offend you so much, you tell us to go.
6. Our span is only toil and trouble
Our years come to finish, like a sigh
Seventy, or eighty, if we are strong
But the fear of your wrath makes it nigh.
7. Let us count our days and blessings
So as to give wisdom in our heart.
Turn back, O Lord, relent and save us
Have compassion on us, at least in part.
8.In the morning give us your steadfast love,
May we gladly rejoice all our days.
Let us be glad in all our afflictions.
Let our work serve you, in all of our ways.
9. Give glory and power to our children,
Let your favour return on our lands;
O prosper the work that we do,
O prosper the work of our hands.
Amen.
Friday, 27 May 2016
WALK TO AVEBURY (from Bromham)
Tuesday, 24 May 2016
Day 10 (Walk 9)
Monday, 23 May 2016
A bull in a field
Saturday, 21 May 2016
Day 7 - Radstock
Friday, 20 May 2016
Day 6 - North Wootton
Addition to Blog 6 - walking from Glastonbury
Amazed by scipture quoted in postcard blog: Eccl 6:1
In the same church, in North Woottn - was a special copy
of a pre-Raphaelite made by a previous Rector (see Pevsner’s Buildings of England -N. Som)
Later saw a hovering buzzard, at the top of a rise looking back to the Tor - in a straight line.
Earlier had seen a black heron and white aigrette.
I had a sense of walking in God’s way; but found it difficult to reflect (something to do with too many pubs??). Over one tenth of the way there!
To counter the pubs covered; a list of churches visited that were open so far:
Wootton Courtenay
Dunster
Williton
Sampford Brett
Halford
Nether Stowey
Cannington
(village outside) Cossington
Glastonbury Abbey
North Wootton
Thursday, 19 May 2016
Day 5 - Lecto Divina
Wednesday, 18 May 2016
Day 4 - The Missing Postcards
How good it is to be in the house of the lord. How good it is to be in a hot bubble bath in a strangers house.
A long day today wet and mostly flat with a few wrong turns.maybe 5 or 6 miles out of the way. My first off road experience. But it's all off road. Lost some postcards and a fleece top.
Psalm 92
New every morning is the love
To sing praises to your name, the most high
It is good to give thanks to the Lord
In the day and when evening is nigh.
To you, O Lord, I sing my thanks and praise
To the melody of the harp and lyre
For you, Lord, have made me glad by your word
To sing of your words, I never tire
Y our words are great, O Lord, your thoughts are deep
The wicked cannot know, doomed nigh forever;
but though they flourish like grass
You, O Lord, are on high forever.
All evildoers shall be scattered
Our enemies shall before us flee
Whilst the righteous flourish
And blossom as a palm tree
Palm and cedars of Lebanon
Planted in God’s house in his sight
In old age they still produce fruit
The Lord is our rock, the most upright.
Tuesday, 17 May 2016
Day 3 - Last Night in the Rectory
Tomorrow's the big day (day 4 of pilgrimage) - but no turning back
(as the hymn has it) - tonight's my last stay in the Rectory.
Walked today over the Quantocks (hill range 2!) - fantastic views back over Exmoor - with some rain .
A large party of schoolkids overtook me and I wandered more - but to great avail.
Also had lovely views over the channel - only marred by the huge compass point of Hinkley - no prizes for guessing my thoughts about a potential new reactor there.
Saw two delightful churches on each side: Sandford Brett and Holford, very welcoming - as well as starting and finishing in Williton and praying with the vicar there.
No more views of Porlock and my last view of North Hill today (apart from as I begin tomorrow).
Also not much more sun - rain forecasted tomorrow - ah well.
Thanks to God for my progress so far.
Bill the Porlock Pilgrim
A psalm based on Psalm 83
We are called to be shepherds - and servants;
priests of all believers, I say.
Here (in Psalm eighty-three) - we pray God
- doesn't be silent - don't be still.
Why so? God speaks in sheer silence
after earthquake, fire and wind in "Kings"
But the psalmist calls upon God
to cut down with tempest and flame.
Does God answer? Not by setting
the mountains ablaze. No hurricanes
blow, hurricanos says Lear, - fear
God instead. Else be put to shame.
Don't keep silent; Lord, it's time to act
To return wholeness to our hurting world
Where enemies may try to destroy us
Don't hear the world say: "Have us act first".
So what can I learn from today, from this psalm
To trust in God alone, whose name is the Lord
The most high over all the earth
- will act when he wills, not in our time.
A midday canticle (based upon Psalms 90/1)
I lift up my eyes to the Lord
LET US GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD
The mountains and trees are his also
LET US GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD
He will deliver me from the snare of the fowler
LORD, SAVE AND HELP US, FOR WE CRY TO YOU
From the midday storm and the evening plague
LORD, SAVE AND HELP US, FOR WE CRY TO YOU
By the still waters and springs you refresh us
WE PRAISE YOU AND WE BLESS YOU
You provide milk and honey for us
WE PRAISE YOU AND WE BLESS YOU
For the plague of pollution and the fever of drought
LORD FORGIVE US AND HEAL US
For the tempest of war and the storm of defeat
LORD FORGIVE US AND HEAL US
For he will command his angels concerning you
LORD, RESTORE US AND LEAD US
For you have made the Most High your home
LORD, RESTORE US AND LEAD US
Monday, 16 May 2016
Day 2 - Dunster Church
I still have to write a poem based on either - but "maintaining the right of the lowly and destitute" resonates with me.
Still back at the Rectory after Day 2 - which started from Dunster church - via the mill and then up a steep path through the deer park - aptly named, as a fairly tame herd of over 25 does looked at me with only mild interest - I was about 75 yards away.
Eventually I got up onto the the top ridge only to go too far south - I ended up looking down upon Rodhuish, rather than going through it. A little detour took me to Roduhuish church - a chapel of ease - which was as usual delightful (I think I've only been there once before). There are some particularly intersting carvings and sculpture, all priduced by local artists - including Porlock's very own J. Horrobin (if I've got his name right).
Then some road walking took me to Roadwater, where I bumped into the local vicar, Kenneth, who went with me for a herbal tea in a cafe in the old Anglican church building - now housing a cafe and a "heating centre" - interesting to reflect on the usefulness of our church buildings - this was very tastefully done.
Kenneth is about to start a 10-day silent retreat and so we prayed a blessing for each other - out aloud as he hadn't started yet.
At the end of the day - not that late in the afternoon - I found the lovely church at Williton - St. George's I think, but I could easily be wrong. It was so refreshing that I decided to make it the start point tomorrow - better to dwell on that than the bus service to Minehead - and on a local firm Webbers going bankrupt.
I found an amazing card there of St. Cuthbert's cross - which I hope to see at Durham Cathedral - and hope to go back for some small gifts tomorrow. I've also only been to this church once before, I think.
Earlier in the day, at Rodhuuish, I found this "refugee" prayer - lat's make it our own, God bless, Bill
Heavenly Father, you are the source of all goodness, generosity and love.
We thank you for opening the hearts of many
to those who are fleeing for their lives.
Help us now to open our arms in welcome.
and reach out our hands in support,
that the desperate might find new hope,
and lives torn apart be restored.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son, Our Lord,
who fled persecution at His birth
and at His last triumphed over death.
Amen.
A midday canticle (based upon Psalm 87)
Singers and dancers both say you are God
FOR ALL BELONGS TO THE CREATOR
Your holy city was founded on the mountain
FOR ALL BELONGS TO THE CREATOR
Glorious things are spoken of you
FOR ALL BELONGS TO THE CREATOR
My springs are in you, you are my fountain
FOR ALL BELONGS TO THE CREATOR
I know Tyre, Philistia, Rahab and Babylon
EVERY PART OF THE EARTH IS SACRED
Ethiopia is in famine, will the crops fail?
EVERY PART OF THE EARTH IS SACRED
You, God, will register all the peoples
EVERY PART OF THE EARTH IS SACRED
God will establish it: Hail, Most high, Hail
EVERY PART OF THE EARTH IS SACRED
Whatever befalls your children
MY SPRINGS AND FOUNTAINS ARE IN YOU
Whatever befalls your creation
MY SPRINGS AND FOUNTAINS ARE IN YOU
Every part of the earth is sacred
MY SPRINGS AND FOUNTAINS ARE IN YOU
For all belongs to the Creator
MY SPRINGS AND FOUNTAINS ARE IN YOU
Lord, our God, you renew the earth
Restore the waters, refresh the air
Revive the land and breathe on us new life. Amen.
Sunday, 15 May 2016
Day 1 - The Start, Sunday 15th May
Stage 1 starts today and I feel strange - it doesn't seem to have begun properly yet.
Walked to Luccmobe and saw some parishioners, then up a very steep hill to Wooton Courtenay
(bagged church #1!) to Grabbist. Lovely walk down into Dunster where I arrived 1 1/4 hrs. early for evensong (three of us and a churchwarden) - so plenty of time for a pint in a lovely pub garden.
to me by neighbour Candy on Sun but forgot:
it's from the celtic tradition - a song of amergin:
(I saw plenty of sea, the moon and the sun - but no stags, hawks or boars!)
I am the ocean wave.
I am the sound of the billows.
I am the seven-horned stag.
I am the dewdrop in sunlight.
I am the fairset of flowers.
I am the raging boar.
I am the lake on the plain.
I am the meaning of the poem.
I am the point of the spear.
Who levels the mountain?
Who speaks the age of the moon?
Who has been where the sun sleeps?
(loosely based on Psalm 81??)
Are you ready, steady, it’s off
I go one by one, two by two
We all peel off, save one
who walks to his destination
Others walk by, greet, give best wishes
then it’s finding new paths to walk
Glorious sun-kissed compassion and grace
Glittering wood - gladly showering leaves
Sing aloud to God our strength
Raise a song - blow the trumpet
The full-moon not so full - rises
In the sun-blessed sky’s warmth
I relieved your shoulder of the burden
- says God. My rucksack feels ok
But lighter without - so what is my burden
I’m carrying with me on Pilgrimage way?
From Wootton Courtenay the path is so stepp
Yet God renews us when we call in distress
In the secret places of thunder
Hurry - not today, just wind and warmth.
Open wide your mouths and I will fill them
and I want to act and think and pray
But listen to God - then we will be filled
with fresh wheat and sun-dripped honey.