From Glasgow to Iona
WHAT BENNIE'S BEEN DOING: Week 3 (Glasgow & Iona)
NOTE: This post was written on September 16, 2018 but not published until Bluegrass Brigid was created September 25, 2018
I arrived in Glasgow Thursday, September 13, around 8:00 am Glasgow time, but that would be 3:00 am EDT! Since I had to stay awake, first I enjoyed a traditional Scottish breakfast:
And, I saw my first double decker bus! Half expected Stan Shunpike of Harry Potter fame to welcome me aboard… but that was likely delirium from lack of sleep….
Speaking of sleep… ZZZZZZZZZ….
***SLEEP & TRAVEL TO IONA***
After much needed sleep and getting my bearings, I am now ready to reflect on the journey from Louisville... to Glasgow... to Iona.
...which is fabulous because between jet lag and all the stress of finally getting my phone to charge there wasn't much left of me on Friday! Once my mind was at ease that I had enough phone power to talk to David and get my bearings to the train station, I enjoyed a good night's sleep even though I had to get up at 6 am to make it to the train on time.
Next, I found myself overpowered by the inspiring ancient spirituality of Iona and it's people.
Our pilgrimage to the north beach of the island...
The power of this place is beyond words, and I am now needing to renew my power through sleep. But, soon, I will write again and tell you about worship in the abbey this morning...and about our time on the north beach where many monks were slain by Norse invaders in the 800’s… and how we found healing and wholeness in this place of great struggle and great pain… and, yet also of great transformation and great peace!
I arrived in Glasgow Thursday, September 13, around 8:00 am Glasgow time, but that would be 3:00 am EDT! Since I had to stay awake, first I enjoyed a traditional Scottish breakfast:
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| Traditional Scottish Breakfast! |
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| Menu Description of Traditional Scottish Breakfast: Fried Egg, bacon, sausage, black pudding, baked beans, potato scone, grilled tomato, toast |
And, I saw my first double decker bus! Half expected Stan Shunpike of Harry Potter fame to welcome me aboard… but that was likely delirium from lack of sleep….
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| Double Decker buses everywhere in Scotland! |
Speaking of sleep… ZZZZZZZZZ….
***SLEEP & TRAVEL TO IONA***
After much needed sleep and getting my bearings, I am now ready to reflect on the journey from Louisville... to Glasgow... to Iona.
“I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49
The soul food of these last three days can be captured in one word: POWER!
NO POWER… Though I arrived in Glasgow at 8:00 am, I could not check in to the hotel until 3:00 pm! So, I had to keep myself awake for 7 more hours after being awake all night! After 3 coffees, one espresso, a Pepsi MAX, and no doubt an infusion of Holy Ghost Power, I finally got a shower and much needed rest.
Amazing the power of a shower!
Not so amazing... the lack of power - specifically trying to figure out my power converter so I could charge my phone :( Because I am visiting both the United Kingdom and Europe, I needed two different types of power converters. So, I bought one that converted itself to either UK or European. But, for the entire first day in Glasgow, I couldn't figure out how to get either or both to work in any shape form or fashion!
While I am delighting in the freedom to “disconnect” during sabbatical, it is not delightful at all to be “disconnected” from the source of power necessary to be able to talk with my husband or find my way on Google maps!
After two unsuccessful shopping expeditions, valiant prayer and not a little sweating and swearing, I somehow got the UK part of the converter to work with my phone charger. It shouldn't have worked because the design of the converter prevented a flush connection with the charger placed in that particular way. It shouldn't have worked, but it did! I had power even though I didn't think I would!
It got me thinking, this is why the church - imperfect though it may be - still matters very much. It's our connection to power. As Luke puts it, we are to “stay until the Holy Spirit clothes us with power from on high.”
Sometimes we have to wait for power. Sometimes power comes in ways we don't expect. Sometimes our connection to the source of power seems imperfect or impossible, even - yet, somehow when we choose to connect anyway, we still get power we didn't think we could get!
...which brings me to LITTLE POWER… Little power is all I needed to wash my clothes in the sink and hang them to dry before packing up and heading to Iona on Saturday.
And, that gave me MORE POWER than I had felt in days! Not only did I make it to the train station in time, but early enough to figure out how to print my ticket at an automated machine that made no sense at all until I figured out it was a touch screen. You would think the big flashing message “Touch Screen to Begin" would have given me a clue! But, I had my mind focused on the key pad next to the credit card slot and didn't notice. Funny how we don't see something if we're not looking for it…
The next challenge was figuring out which train to board. There was a huge overhead screen with all that the train schedules and platforms. I found my scheduled train, but no platform number! This time, I looked around before I panicked. I noticed some of the other trains didn't have platform numbers either. In fact, it seemed only the trains scheduled to take off in the next 5-10 minutes had platform numbers.
So, I waited with patience until power clothed me from on high! Finally, the screen flashed “Platform 6” and I was on my way to Iona! Of course, I have to confess to all you Harry Potter fans out there that I secretly knew my train was really at Platform 5 ¾!
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| First Train Station Experience - Glasgow |
So, I waited with patience until power clothed me from on high! Finally, the screen flashed “Platform 6” and I was on my way to Iona! Of course, I have to confess to all you Harry Potter fans out there that I secretly knew my train was really at Platform 5 ¾!
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| Platform 5 and 3/4! |
After I found my “computer-automated assigned seat” on the train, that's when the power really began to explode from on high! Who should be automatically assigned to sit next to me but the very Reverend Dr. John Philip Newell himself!
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| My seatmate, John Philip Newell! |
What are the odds! I thought this kind of thing only happened in the movies! What a powerful experience it has been since I boarded the train in Glasgow Saturday morning until this very moment I am writing to you on Sunday night. The pictures and captions below tell the story...
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| Scottish Highlands between Glasgow & Oban |
As we gazed out the train window to take in the beauty of the Highlands, John Philip reminded me of a phrase from one of the great Celtic Prayers of Iona:
As the mist scatters from the crest of the hills
May each ill haze clear from my soul O God
Then, I experienced the mystery and power of the sea on the ferry rides to the Islands of Mull and Iona.
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| Ferry Ride from Oban to Craignure |
Next, I found myself overpowered by the inspiring ancient spirituality of Iona and it's people.
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| My first view of Iona from the Ferry |
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| Convent Ruins, founded ca 1200 CE |
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| View out my hotel room window! |
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| Iona Abbey |
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| Saint Martin's Cross An original Celtic cross still standing! |
Inside the Abbey sanctuary… the ferns and wild things on the walls just grow out of the stone. The abbey gives life.. even from a rock!
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| Iona Abbey Altar |
Our pilgrimage to the north beach of the island...
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| Iona Sheep on our Pilgrimage to the North Beach |
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| North Beach, Iona |
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| North Beach, Iona |
The power of this place is beyond words, and I am now needing to renew my power through sleep. But, soon, I will write again and tell you about worship in the abbey this morning...and about our time on the north beach where many monks were slain by Norse invaders in the 800’s… and how we found healing and wholeness in this place of great struggle and great pain… and, yet also of great transformation and great peace!
MORE PRAYER, MORE POWER...
LITTLE PRAYER, LITTLE POWER...
NO PRAYER, NO POWER...
NO PRAYER, NO POWER...
LITTLE PRAYER, LITTLE POWER...
NO PRAYER, NO POWER...
NO PRAYER, NO POWER...
LITTLE PRAYER, LITTLE POWER...
MORE PRAYER, MORE POWER!