In the Coracle
“It’s almost like you’re writing a book one post at a time” - Kedge
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I cringe, but perhaps you’ll appreciate it
I mentioned that I was asked to speak at the Everett Vineyard two Sundays ago. It looks like the crew there posted a recording of my ramblings on their podcast page. Wayne’s a good teacher and it’s worth you subscribing to their podcast series, or if you want, you can just click through here to listen to my chat.
I talk a bit about my past year’s signposts - shutting down our church plant and visiting Celtic lands, and I look at the transformation of Jesus’ apostle John.
As you’re listening, imagine me speaking more clearly and slowly, rambling less, talking for 13 minutes shorter, and speaking in a voice much like James Earl Jones. That’s the only way that I can re-listen to myself :-)
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1 Comment »A Celtic Community Way of Life
Following is my project paper from the Following the Celtic Trail trip and course I did in August 07 with Bakke Graduate University. I have to say I’m not as proud of the paper as I’d like to be, but I think it may be helpful to folks out here on the ‘net.
Here ya go:
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5 Comments »Following the Celtic Trail - Trip Journal Summary
Summary
When I returned home and told people about the trip, I initially told most people that I had enjoyed my time, but that it was a bit disappointing. I had expected “the experience of a lifetime” - a true pilgrimage – but I had experienced a nice time, but just a nice time. I met many people that I appreciated building friendships with, but I couldn’t say that the experience transformed me or my thoughts of Christian life.
I returned to a new job as a web developer for a startup company. My first two months after my return were full speed ahead; I worked – quite literally – from around 9am to 2am or 3am, seven days a week.
I wrote a little bit at a time in my trip journal, but the more time went on, the more I realized that I had a lot to process from the trip. A month in, I realized that there was a lot to consider from the trip, and that the themes of Celtic spirituality and particularly Celtic monasticism were tugging greatly at me.
I began to describe the trip to people as something I wanted to do again, at my own pace, and as soon as possible. I also had no idea what to write about for my class project. The themes were all too large. I used the illustration that I felt that my spiritual journey was on a path, and then on this trip I felt that there was a large stone column placed in front of me that I needed to explore. It was higher than I could see, and sunk deep into the ground. It went far to the left and to the right. In prayer, I felt that I shouldn’t rush through my processing of the trip just to finish my paper, that there was much here to think through and that if I did it too quickly, I would have a hard time coming back to it.
I applied for an extension with BGU for my project paper, citing two main reasons: My day job was all-consuming at the moment, and I had a lot of processing still to do. Meanwhile I picked up the pace of trip journaling. As I did this, I found myself re-invigorated. I also talked with my wife about doing a family vacation back to Northern Ireland and Scotland soon – perhaps as soon as next summer. She liked the idea, and that gave me hope that I could spend a couple of days at Northumbria community and at Lindisfarne, and experiencing Edinburgh again.
I still have major questions that I don’t think I am any closer to answering now - the main one is, “what is the major difference between a church and a monastery in today’s culture; and what is different between being a member of a healthy, functioning missionally-shaped church, and being a monk?”
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No Comments »Following the Celtic Trail - Day 9 and 10
Sunday – Day 9
On Sunday, I joined Jack in taking Mary to the airport to fly home, and then went to Jack’s church again. The church was hosting a youth group who would help with a youth fair to serve the children in the neighborhood. I was struck by how similar Northern Irish youth group kids were to ones I know – giggly, emboldened by being around other people like them, exploring but yet tentative.
After worship, I walked through the city of Belfast for the day. I estimate that I walked more than ten miles – from the church’s neighborhood down into the city center, through the shopping areas, out to the college, and many other places. I walked along part of the Peace Walls again and saw other tourists looking at the murals. I stopped in a couple of pubs for half-pints of Guinness. I still felt like an outsider. In one pub, I was hoping to order food, but I never did figure out how to do it, and the locals’ comments about my wisdom in walking into the place with a backpack were unnerving. I finished my beer and left quickly, not knowing if they were joking or serious. Since I was on Falls Ave, I decided to play it safe.
I was loosely looking for a tattoo parlor in Belfast that I’d found on the Internet before I left. I was hoping to have a shoulder piece done of the same Celtic cross that was on the gravestone in Downpatrick, and I knew the street that the parlor was on, but not the address. I walked much of the street but never did find it. If I had found it, I would likely have done the design if I’d liked the portfolios of the available artists. I felt more connected with Celtic spirituality than I had before I had come, and the model of Patrick was something that I wanted to remember. This was something I had thought about for a few months before the trip.
During my walking, I found a lovely neighborhood in East Belfast which was very hip and postmodern. I sat in a place that felt like a martini bar, where an acoustic duo played folk and blues music. I enjoyed myself. I also found a little pub that Mark and Stewart Drennan had told me about when I asked them where I could find traditional music in town. I waited for a few hours for the show to start, and didn’t stay long. The music was all right, but the crowd was quite touristy. I wasn’t really in the mood for tourist chat. I took a cab back to the Drennans’ home.
Monday – Day 10
On Monday, I flew home from Belfast airport through Newark and back to Seattle. A highlight of the flight home was reading Ray Simpson’s book, “A Pilgrim Way”, which focused on Community of Aidan and Hilda and monastic models. Another was flying over Greenland, whose ice was far more mountainous than I had imagined. I always thought of Greenland as a flat ice field. It was beautiful.
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