Scotland

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Metaphorical Coracle…

Posted by David Ward on 18/05/2010
Posted in: Personal thoughts, Pilgrimage. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

When Wendy (my wife) and I were beginning to plan our move to the Borders of Scotland and England, she came up with the expression “metaphorical coracle” to describe the ‘journey’ we were about to make.

Although we were setting out in the spirit of the Celtic travelling monks, who sailed away in their coracles in search of a ‘desert in the ocean’, our mode of transport was altogether more modern and less prosaic, hence the ‘metaphorical’ bit.

Northumbria Community uses two metaphors to describe elements of Celtic Christian spirituality – ‘cell’ and ‘coracle’. The cell speaks of the inner journey, of monastic life and contemplation, whilst the coracle speaks of geographical and physical travel, of mission and journey “for the love of Christ”.

I must confess that I have always had a bias towards the ‘coracle’ bit rather than the more static cell. Being a contemplative on the move, enjoying community ‘on the road’ has always appealed to my more pioneering and adventurous side. Pilgrimage has been an exciting discovery for me…I believe that every place was sacred, that God’s presence is everywhere in God’s world, but I have learned that it is more possible to be aware of that presence in some places than others.

I’ve just got back from leading the annual pilgrimage along St Cuthbert’s Way for Northumbria Community. Once again I have enjoyed the company of another varied bunch of pilgrims, deep conversation, aches and pains, silence and solitude, side-splitting laughter and happy ‘chance-encounters’.

It comes as the culmination of lots of thinking about a new context (a replacement for ‘Community’) to work out my relationship with God through Jesus; I finally believe that my new metaphor for this journey is, appropriately “Pilgrimage”. In one sense there’s nothing new…the road goes on, the journey continues. But in another sense it feels like a more dynamic and mobile metaphor than the settled and static metaphore that community had become.

I have been and am doing a lot of reading, thinking and meditating, the fruits of which will, no doubt, spill over slowly onto this blog. I am also planning more walking pilgrimages to special places with associations to my relationship and history with God, but along with these literal ‘walks’ I am also beginning to find new motivation in the whole idea of “Life as Pilgrimage”. Perhaps it has to do with the approach of my 60th year (yet another mid-life crisis!), but I find it a stimulating and energising metaphor.

“Life as Pilgrimage”…watch this space!

A mobile sort of stability…

Posted by David Ward on 10/03/2010
Posted in: Personal thoughts, Pilgrimage, Relationships. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

I’ve been walking around the town ramparts of Berwick-upon-Tweed today. Spring is definitely in the air, and the sun is warm on my skin when the cold wind drops for a moment. I’m glad to be here in ‘Borderland’ today, with all the opportunities that this new year may bring.

So, it’s strange when my thoughts turn to another place and to a group of friends from what seems like ages ago…

I was born in a small town on the north coast of Kent (Whitstable, if you’re interested), and I stayed there for the first 33 years of my life. Since then I’ve lived in Manchester, North Wales, Cheshire and Northumberland, before coming to rest (who knows for how long!) in the Scottish Borders. I worked out that this also equates to living in 11 different houses, 10 of which were in the last 14 years. Loads of mobility but not, you’d think, much stability there.

But…to return to where I started….

I became a Christian at the age of 9, and joined a little church which was probably the best church gathering I’ve ever belonged to (although my current church is shaping up to equal it, I think, but haven’t been there for long yet).

I also had a small circle of close friends of around my own age who came from a selection of the local churches…David, Brett, Brian, Alan, Stephen, Anne, Denise, John, Mandy, Robin, Jeanette, Kevin, Christine, Trevor and Richard…apologies if you think you should be part of the list and I’ve forgotten you!

As together we grew in age and faith in the heady days of the 60s and 70s we spent a fair bit of our time putting the world and, particularly, the church to rights. We could have done so much better at promoting the Kingdom of God in our town than our predecessors…if only we had the chance. I remember having this dream/fantasy in which all of us went our separate ways, but then, one day, in answer to a dramatic call from God we all returned to the town and revival broke out in Kent.

Nearly thirty years have passed. Old dreams have died or been realised, or have maybe been replaced by new ones. Some of my friends have done much better on The Journey than me, while others have decided they’d prefer a different journey altogether. I’ve lost touch with most – I know that Brett is in Northamptonshire, Brian, Alan and Mandy are still in Kent, Stephen is in France and Trevor in the USA; the rest…who knows?

Probably, like me, we’ve all reached the conclusion that we are unable to sort ourselves out, let alone the church (and fortunately, it’s not entirely our job anyway). Of course, I also know that revival couldn’t possibly break out in Kent, as it’s going to begin in Scotland ;0)

But, joking apart, where did this ramble get me?

St Benedict, the 6th century monk who wrote the Rule of Life that bears his name put it like this:

“Grow where you’re planted.”
Well, he didn’t put it quite like that, as he was a monk, not a gardener, but that’s the gist of it.
After 30 years of moving around, changing counties, countries, homes, churches etc. I’ve come to the conclusion that growing where you happen to be planted right now is the only sensible way to live, learning life’s lessons in the place and with the people God has given for as long as this lesson lasts, and accepting that none of us really knows how to do this thing we call life, so we’d best see what we can learn from each other undfer God’s direction. Continually moving on in search of things that are novel is no more the answer to growing and maturing as a person or as a Christian than is staying put rather than facing new challenges, demands, adventure and relationships.
So, here’s to friends old and new, dreams lost and fulfilled and to a life of mobility and stability (provided we know which one is appropriate at a particular time…).

Another Border Blunder!

Posted by David Ward on 01/10/2009
Posted in: Personal thoughts. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

We last updated our wills in about 1997…they’re still lodged with a solicitor in Prestatyn, North Wales…a lot has happened since then so when we finally had enough money to get on with an update we duely made an appointment to see a solicitor in Berwick.

The day came for our update visit. The solicitor was very pleasant and we were soon chatting through the changes we wished to make to the will.

“By the way, what’s your current address?” she said.

“We live in Foulden Deans, just across the border into Scotland,” I replied.

Even as I said the word, “Scotland” I realised an awful truth, which was quickly confirmed by the solicitor…

“Scotland…then I’m afraid I can’t help you. I’m not allowed to practice Scottish law; you need a solicitor in Scotland. She helpfully gave us some possible contacts and we said our embarrased goodbyes.

Will I ever get the hang of this cross-border stuff…