Two weeks into this sabbatical I am finally somewhere I can get internet access! So I am sitting in the bar of the Manor House Hotel on Holy Island writing this.
It has been the most amazing two weeks! I feel so blessed and am so grateful for this gift of time and space as I do some research and sharing about what makes community - and I spend time resting, reading, praying and meeting old and new friends on the way.
Much to my surprise I am being led to write a book as the days go by. I have 100 days off duty and I am pondering 100 reflections for 100 days - very much a working title but perhaps a picture, a thought and a prayer for travelling people and communities moving on. This has developed from my posting images every day so far on Facebook - friend request me if you want to join this aspect of my time!
I think so far I have learnt four things about journeying and finding community.
1. You have to let baggage go and remember where you are starting from. I had to sit up til 1.25am on Wednesday 6th April to get my list done and I know there were things left undone! I had to get to a point where others were trusted to carry stuff on, some quite big stuff. I felt waking up a few hours later a real sense of peace. Also there was nothing ahead apart from agreed preaching appointments I was responsible for! I began sabbatical returning to my home town of Harpenden, taking Mum to hospital. I stayed two nights in my old bedroom! I walked round Harpenden town centre, a beautiful place, I went out with two good friends who were in youth group with me, I sat in the magnificent sanctuary of High Street Methodist Church on a pew my Grandad probably made in 1930 and dedicated this time to God. I am looking forward to leading worship at High Street next month. How you start a journey is important. Who you are and your beginnings in life can shape who you are. It was important I had time at the beginning to deal with stuff, lists, tidying, washing, mother, concentrated prayer time to travel well.
2. Communities and you change! It was an absolute joy to be invited to return to lead worship at Oakham and Empingham churches in Rutland, ten years on from leaving them. It was very strange staying in a manse I had lived in. Charlotte and Leo Osborn were wonderfully kind hosts. I loved leading communion at Oakham - we had a real celebration. They felt lighter and apparently I have changed too! Someone said " I sat there and thought "is this the Ian we had here 100's of years ago?""
Empingham in the afternoon was a wonderful occasion - the tenth anniversary of our refurbishing the premises. The Circuit turned out in big numbers and we opened a time capsule we put together ten years ago - a very smelly Rutland Times and a 90p Methodist Recorder and hopes for 2016 written by the 2006 congregation. Some of the folk are not here now. Others still are. Going back somewhere you have shared you hear stories of how things have moved. At Oakham it was good to see people I did not know and to remember people who had died since I was there. Two members had died the week before I led the worship.
3. Christian communities when open and inclusive can grow or at least give people life. I was glad to have Emmaus House in Edinburgh recommended to me. A Christian community set up by the Scottish Episcopal Church, a lovely community, a shared breakfast table with people from all over the world (and Selsey!) in six days and a great prayer time each morning in a chapel in a shed. I discovered in Edinburgh walking around how many churches were open and doing community stuff. St Johns at the west end of Princes Street is an inclusive community open to all. Sunday worship there was great - a lovely liturgy and a beautiful sung setting of the Beatitudes, I also discovered St Mary's Cathedral, one of the most awesome sacred spaces I have ever been in. I sat in there for hours watching people come and go, and returned twice for worship, one amazing choral Eucharist and one choral evensong. I might have asked for a transfer and not return! I did find the City of Edinburgh Methodist Church and its wonderful cafe, and also I appreciated lunchtime prayers at St Giles on the Royal Mile. Numbers coming to acts of worship in these places were quite large - and quite young. All searching I guess for something. In Newcastle on Monday I visited Brunswick Methodist, open for coffee and also while I was there holding a listening ear service and a young parents and carers drop in. A question I have is as people drop in to things how does a church keep everything running? Do new groups and more acts of worship create new leaders from within them? How do you lead droppers in to Christian faith and commitment? Or are people wanting needs met and then return when they need them meeting again, like me and going to retreat places or Lindisfarne regularly? For now I rejoice in churches being open and out there. In Edinburgh there is also some fab inter faith stuff going on - Sikhs giving out food on the North Bridge for example and talking to clients about faith.
4. That in order to do anything you need to take in. So I am here for six days on Holy Island in the wonderful community of Marygate House and this time here with by coincidence two lovely people I have been here with before which makes shared meals more fun! More on this bit next time I find some wifi, but just to say the fabulous weather, daily prayer in the church and sitting watching the world go by is just great.
So that's my first two weeks. One final thought on community for now - at the bar here is a group of young adults who clearly know each other well and those who are meant to be working. They keep looking at me waiting for me to leave as I am the only one in here apart from them! Community that says it is open needs to be open - I feel uncomfortable so I am going. Perhaps a lesson when our churches are perceived as private parties!!
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