Freeland, Whidbey Island, Washington
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My time in Canterbury has been quite remarkable. As I mentioned in my note to all of you after the services, on Sunday I was blessed to worship with two congregations, both of which can rightfully call themselves the Mother Churches of the Anglican Communion: St. Martin’s Parish Church Canterbury and the “Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ at Canterbury” – Canterbury Cathedral.
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St. Martin’s is the Church that St. Augustine first worshiped in upon his arrival in England in 593 A.D. It is the same building that existed in Augustine’s day, made from reused Roman bricks. I made a point of going out for my morning walk quite early – 6:00 a.m. – and set out to find exactly where St. Martin’s actually is. After one false start I got some rather sketchy directions from the only person out at that time on a Sunday – a road sweeper! Considering how significant St. Martin’s is to the history of English Christianity it was not an easy church to find – no signs anywhere except the notice board inside the wonderful gate. The good news was that this day was not a 1st Sunday (1662 Prayer Book liturgy – which makes me long for Rite I !) and the service – “Parish Communion” was very similar to our Rite II and at 9:00 a.m. This allowed me to be at two churches on Sunday. |
| As you would expect, St. Martin’s building looks old! No one knows for sure when the building was put up in its present form, but it was some time after the Romans departed in 410 A.D. and Augustine arrived in 593 A.D. (since the building used extensive amounts of Roman brick taken from abandoned Roman buildings). In all likelihood there was a Church on the site prior to the current building – possibly as early as the mid-300’s. |  |
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As you can see from the pictures, St. Martin’s is a beautiful building and the congregation, though small, was very friendly. I found myself thinking that if I just closed my eyes I could have been home with you. It was profoundly moving to know that as we shared in communion, standing and kneeling in the chancel, we were standing on the spot where St. Augustine had stood some 1,500 years ago. During the service the lector prayed for our parish by name, and we will continue to be remembered there in prayer for the duration of the sabbatical through our St. Augustine’s prayer, which I gave to the priest. |
| The Celtic influence is strong at St. Martin’s – especially in the graveyard, where extensive use of Celtic motifs has been made. |  |
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There was just enough time to stick my head into the St. Augustine’s Monastery (mostly just the foundations) as it is on the way to the Cathedral, and there I was in the nave of Canterbury, sharing in Eucharist with Anglican brothers and sisters. I’d say there were about 500 folk present for the service, where the vice-dean, Rev. Canon Clare Edwards, presided and preached. |
| It was everything I would expect of Eucharist at Canterbury Cathedral: impeccable liturgy, rousing music (though I only recognized one hymn!) great singing, skilled organ-playing, and a great sermon. |  |
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As I mentioned in my message to you for Sunday the 27th, after the service Clare asked me to send you her greetings on behalf of everyone at Canterbury Cathedral, and particularly she wanted me to send the encouragement of the Cathedral to the members of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship. I gave Clare one of our St. Augustine’s Prayers and she indicated that we will be remembered each weekday Eucharist at Canterbury during our common Sabbatical. |
As I hoped, this was a wonderful way to end my time in England – which was a pilgrimage in a circle – starting with one of the earliest sites of Christianity at Glastonbury, traveling to Lindisfarne, Iona, and York, and ending up with Canterbury Cathedral.
Blessings to all of you.
Nigel.
There are many more pictures of Canterbury, St. Martin's Church and the Cathedral here.
Our pilgrimage continues – we have visited three fascinating religious sites this week after leaving Iona: Rosslyn Chapel, Lincoln Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey. And on Sunday August 27 will visit another – Canterbury Cathedral.
Rosslyn
Rosslyn Chapel is, of course, a “Da Vinci Code” site. But for our purposes it filled a different role – it is the home of St. Matthew’s Scottish Episcopal Church, and we stayed with one of its members on our way south.
Episcopalians have worshiped at Rosslyn for a long time – it does not belong to the Scottish Episcopal Church but to the local Lord – Lord Sinclair. The Sinclairs invited the Scottish Episcopal Church to use the Chapel – and who could refuse such a generous offer to use such a beautiful building.
Our host, Shonaugh Tolouse, has been attending St. Matthews for over 30 years and is a very active current member – and a delegate to her diocesan convention. She also has a sister-in-law living in Bellevue! She wanted me to send her greetings to all of you.
Pilgrimages are like that – as Chaucer reminded us, pilgrimages are as much about the companions one meets on the journey as they are about the destination.
Rosslyn Chapel is beautiful – though it has been over-run with tourists since the Da Vinci code. We got there early in hopes of avoiding the rush. No such luck! The building was packed, and it was difficult to get a real sense of the beauty of the place.
I left one of the St. Augustine’s prayers on the intercessions book in the chapel.
Lincoln
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Lincoln itself is similar to York (though smaller) in age, and to Durham in setting (on a hill amid flat land). It, like all the other religious buildings, had scaffolding around part of it, though fortunately it was not obvious from the outside. |
The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary is as big – bigger, actually – as York Minster – and there were considerably fewer people there! This made for a quiet, reflective atmosphere which was delightful. We were fortunate to be in the cathedral in time for a 10:30 a.m. Eucharist in a side-chapel: four of us and the priest. For the service they used the 1662 BCP – it felt strange to hear the priest open the service with the Lord’s Prayer, to have the offertory after the creed but before the prayers, to have a Eucharistic Prayer that ended after the words of institution. I found myself longing for Rite I, which has everything in the right order! Both of us were particularly struck with the shrine of St. Hugh in one of the chapels behind the high altar – a place of true serenity in which God’s presence was palpable. Part of the Da Vinci Code was filmed in Lincoln Cathedral – though it was ‘mocked up’ to look like Westminster Abbey. The Chapter House retains some of the “flats” used to re-create the sequences for Newton’s funeral. They are painted on fabric, but are so realistic that the Cathedral worthies not only left them up but had to put up signs asking that they not be touched because they weren’t “real”! |
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More pictures of Lincoln and the Cathedral are here.
London
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Yesterday (Friday) we arrived in London. One of the places on our itinerary was, of course, Westminster Abbey. The Abbey, as some refer to it, is a majestic building. The difficulty is finding some place of quiet amid the bustle and bluster of the thousands of tourists that wander its precincts and fill the gardens around it. It is also more like a visit to a cemetery than a Church, with many of the famous (and, occasionally, infamous!) of Britain’s past buried there. St. Paul’s Cathedral (which we also visited) is much more a place of quiet prayer, despite its location in the midst of London’s business district – the City of London. Tomorrow (Sunday) we will be in Canterbury. We will, of course, be in the great Cathedral Church there for Eucharist. But we will also visit the first church that Augustine prayed in upon his arrival: St. Martin’s. |
Some more pictures of London are here.
Here are some pictures from some side trips:
 | We made it – finally! – to Iona! Not even the worst rainstorm of the year could stop us! It was more like a continual Mid-west thunderstorm than the sort of rain we’re used to in the Pacific Northwest. And - much like Whidbey Island when compared with Seattle - we found that it hadn't rained on Iona despite the drenching that the rest of Britain experienced. |
| The Ferry crossing took about 6 minutes – I’d guess only about a mile across, and then up the angled ramp and into the village – really no more than about 15 houses, a hotel, a tiny shed for a post-office, an equally small village store, and – of course – several tourist shops. And a restaurant – fortunately, since the only other place to eat on the island if you’re not staying at the Abbey is one of the two hotels. |  |
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Iona is a remarkable place – one, short, 2 mile road, and many tracks, on an island only about three miles long. And we walked all of it - walked the short, springy, Scottish turf, forded the not-unexpected Scottish bogs, and clambered over the many rocks that make up this small island. Iona is one of the oldest places on earth 6,400,000,000 years old – way too old for fossils, for instance – they only date back about 60,000,000 years – life is young on our planet. |
| All of this involved climbing – over the hills to the south to Columba’s beach, where St. Columba is said to have landed from Ireland, and up Duni Hill to the north, where it’s possible to gaze on Staffa Island - the inspiration for Mendelssohn's "Fingal's Cave" and a place that’s easy to visit from Iona
(see the pictures) – and, of course, look to the east and the much, much larger island of Mull, and the other Western Isles. And from the top of Duni Hill it’s a wonderful view down to the Abbey itself - heart of the island. |
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Like Glastonbury, this Abbey fell into disrepair as a result of Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries. It remained a ruin until the last century. In the 1930’s a Scottish Presbyterian minister – George MacLeod – came to the island with 11 other ministers and 12 craftsmen – 12 being an important Christian number! – and began the rebuilding process. MacLeod worked in the slums of Glasgow, and saw Iona as a place of retreat and preparation for the Presbyterian ordained ministry – the nascent community was thus exclusively male, and ordained. Over the years that changed. By the ‘50’s women were allowed to join. Then by the ‘70’s the leadership and members were predominantly lay, and ecumenical. MacLeod’s vision was of a place that promoted peace, and following the 2nd World War that vision specifically focused on nuclear disarmament. That, too, has changed, and now the Iona Community focuses primarily on peace through justice. The heart of the Community is the Abbey, with at least three services every day. This ancient place is permeated with God's presence - just as the island is permeated with God's presence. |
| This ecumenical community of peace through justice that is the Iona Community is strong and growing. And Ecumenism is clearly at its heart – at Sunday’s Eucharist, every person was welcomed without question to the altar of God, that amazing, large, welcoming altar made of Ionan granite. It is impossible to miss the reality of this place - the wonderful, flowing, creation-centered Celtic spirituality of Columba and Patrick still permeates rock and reed, stone and sand, turf and tree. It continues to draw pilgrims from around the world to share in its profound, transformative identity. What a witness to Christ! |
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There were two places where I left our St. Augustine’s prayer: in the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles in Oban, and at the foot of the prayer cross in St. Oren’s Chapel next to the Abbey on Iona – the chapel is the oldest building on the island.
More pictures are available of Iona, Staffa, and Oban.
Stonehenge
During my time in the South-West of England I was fortunate to get ‘special access’ to Stonehenge. “Special Access” is available to a limited number of people (my guess is 25) for an hour before and an hour after the regular open hours. The major attraction is that - rather than being kept at least 100 feet back from the stones, you can walk among them and touch them (gently!).
Stonehenge has been a worship site for over 5,000 years. No one knows for sure what its exact purpose was, though evidence of Druidic worship is strong. The stones were arranged in several concentric circles such that on Mid-Summer day the sun’s rays shone directly between and along a set series of stones onto the central stone of the site.
Stonehenge - and a smaller circle at Avebury - are believed to have attracted pilgrims from all over Europe. They still do today, as we discovered.
I arrived half an hour before the Special Access time was to begin - 6pm - and was fortunate to be allowed in at least 15 minutes before the official time of 6:30pm. This meant I had the Circle to myself for at least 15 minutes.
It is a remarkable place - the stones bearing mute testimony to the millennia of worship at this sacred site.
Stonehenge’s Pagan roots were made clear to me by the group that arrived at about 6:45pm. Mostly Germans, they were clearly neo-Pagans, some carrying divining sticks that are supposed to be able to identify so-called “Lay Lines” - supposed lines of force that are not detectable by regular scientific methods. It was a reminder of the Pagan history of Britain and of how recently, in the longer history of this place, that Christianity has been present.
I was very fortunate to be able to visit Stonehenge via the “Special Access” process - it clearly has very important place in the religious history of the British Isles, and elements of that history reappear in what is known as “Celtic Christianity” thousands of years after Stonehenge’s construction. For instance, the familiar “Celtic Cross” easily recognizable by its circular top was originally carved out of ancient Pagan standing stones by Patrick.
There are more pictures of Stonehenge and Southwest England here.
York
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On the next part of our pilgrimage we journeyed to York. This city also has ancient roots, though the most recent and obvious evidence of that history dates back to the Medieval period with the city wall with its battlements and parapets still mostly in place. The city’s narrow, winding streets are now filled with tourists, but it isn’t difficult to imagine Chaucer’s pilgrims wandering down them toward the ancient Minster that is this beautiful town’s heart and soul. I felt much as they must have done as I approached this magnificent building - it is amazing to think that such a large edifice was built more than 500 years ago. |
| There is a sense of quiet calm in York Minster - mirroring the atmosphere of many of the English cathedrals. But no sooner were we inside than a booming voice came over the excellent cathedral speaker system: “THIS IS SENTAMU” it said. “Sentamu” is John Sentamu, Archbishop of York. Formerly from Uganda, Archbishop Sentamu is the first non-native Archbishop of York in nearly a thousand years. I was fortunate to meet him during General Convention in Columbus OH last June and so immediately recognized his voice. The Archbishop of York is currently engaged in a week-long fast and vigil for peace in the Middle East. He has a small tent set up in front of the altar in one of the Cathedral’s many side-chapels, and ever hour he prays with those present for peace. Many of you will have seen his greeting to you in the Sunday Bulletin and elsewhere on this web-site. I gave Archbishop Sentamu a copy of the St. Augustine’s prayer, and left another in the Chapel of the Reserved Sacrament. |
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| I spend several hours in the Minster over two days - it invites prayer and silence. It was also a wonderful preparation for the next stop: Lindisfarne. |
There are many more pictures of York and York Minster here.
Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne, the “Holy Isle” is the site of the reintroduction of Christianity to England toward the end of the “Dark Ages”. Christianity came to Britain with the Romans - St. Alban being its first martyr, possibly under persecutions of Emperor Septimius Severus in the early 2nd Century.
When the Empire fell Roman Christianity virtually disappeared. It fell to Patrick, in the early 5th Century to Christianize Ireland, then to Columba to take that “Celtic” Christianity to Iona (our next stop), and finally to Aidan to return it to England - and Lindisfarne - in the 7th Century.
Lindisfarne, also called “Holy Island” is a small, tidal island off the coast of Northumberland, England. Only about 2 square miles, the island is connected with the mainland at low tide by a causeway. A monastery was established here in 635 A. D. by Aidan and a group of Celtic monks from Iona, who, among other things, produced the elaborately decorated Lindisfarne Gospels. The island became the religious center of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria. Aidan was responsible for the re-Christianizing of the north of England, and his work - still based at Lindisfarne - was continued by Cuthbert.
There was a brief break in the life of the monastery during the period of Viking raids, when the monks fled to Durham, taking the body of Saint Cuthbert with them. In 1093 the monastery was reestablished by Benedictine monks from Durham.
The monastery on Lindisfarne lasted for nearly nine hundred years until Henry VIII dissolved the lesser religious orders. It’s fate was the same as Glastonbury, and all that is left today is a few walls and some magnificent views.
| Right next to the monastery ruins is a beautiful medieval church - St. Mary’s - which continues to this day as the local parish church for the island. It’s beautiful stained glass windows and quiet presence are evocative of that ancient Celtic Christianity established by Aidan more than 1300 years ago. |  |
There are more pictures of Lindisfarne here.
Today, as part of a family outing, we visited the Slimbridge Reserve. The Reserve is part of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, a wildfowl and wetland conservation charity in the United Kingdom and the largest international wetland conservation charity. Its patron is Queen Elizabeth II. A couple of pictures are below. For the complete set, visit the photo gallery.
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We’ve arrived in England! The trip over went very smoothly - riding to the airport, arriving a comfortable two hours before departure, leaving on time, arriving on time, and then a 2 hour drive to my brother’s house outside of Bristol - it was one of the best starts to any international trip I’ve taken. As you all know, the next day international travel was completely disrupted and many British airports shut down. We knew none of this until the evening, and feel fortunate to have missed it. Hopefully everything will have settled down before we head for Greece. |
Glastonbury Abbey
| That next day we went to Glastonbury - only 30 minutes away. It is, of course, a very old town, and contains perhaps the most famous abbey in English Christendom. The size of the Abbey is the first thing that strikes you - about 175 yards from one end to the other - bigger than any church or Abbey in Britain. |
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The next most obvious thing is how little is left - it would have looked much like Westminister Abbey or Canterbury Cathedral, though bigger. But when Henry VIII dissolved the monastic orders many abbeys were left vacant. And there was all that building material going to waste....! This explains why the house in the background behind the high altar looks like it was built from the same stone as in the abbey walls - because it was built from them! |
| Little now remains above ground of this once great religious site - a few walls, most of the monk’s kitchen, and the Lady Chapel, which is still used on occasion. |  |
| In the late Middle Ages a grave was discovered under the Church, containing the remains of two people - it was immediately deemed to be that of Arthur and Guinevere. There is know way of knowing if the remains are theirs - though the site was a sacred one, and reserved, therefore, for very few, very significant people. But what a great legend. Glastonbury was certainly an area where Arthur spent a lot of time. |
The legend of Glastonbury Abbey itself is that it was placed over the site of an ancient wattle and mud church originally built by Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph is supposed to have visited England in the late first century with the holy grail (the chalice from the Last Supper - unless you believe the Da Vinci Code!), and a thorn from Jesus’ crown of thorns. The Grail has never been found. Joseph is supposed to have planted the thorn in the ground, resulting in the famous Glastonbury Thorn Tree.
The original Glastonbury Thorn is not immediately evident on the grounds of the Abbey, though there is a thorn tree said to have grown from a planted cutting from the original that sits right behind St. Patrick’s Chapel - a beautiful little church on the Abbey grounds that is still in regular use.
My first thought, as I reflected on the ruins, was: “this is what happens when you give power over the Church to kings and emperors.” They can be - at the least - overly directive.
The church survived. And my abiding reflection about Glastonbury Abbey is that it stands as a mute testimony to the fact that you can destroy buildings but not the Body of Christ.
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I left three of our prayer slips in the abbey:
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Glastonbury town
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The town of Glastonbury has found favor in present times as a spiritual center - but not for Christianity. It is a hub for neo-Paganism in Britain. This connects it to its ancient pagan roots - ones that were overlaid for centuries by the coming of Christianity to Britain. There are two sites in particular that have both Pagan and Christian links in addition to the Abbey itself: the Chalice Well, and Ted’s Tor. |
The Chalice Well
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The Chalice Well is now surrounded by a beautiful garden - great for meditation. A spring comes out below the well, and is channeled down through the verdant landscape. Heavy in iron deposits, it has produced a rich, iron red luster on its channel. The well is claimed as the place where Joseph originally hid the Holy Grail when he arrived in this beautiful spot. Whatever is folklore and whatever truth doesn’t really matter now - the Chalice Well and Garden is a beautiful place to spend time in reflection and prayer and forms a nexus of profound spirituality in the area, along with the Abbey and Ted’s Tor. |
Glastonbury Tor
| A “Tor” is a high hill that sticks up several hundred feet from an otherwise flat plain - called the “Somerset Levels”. In the Dark Ages - the time of Arthur - the Levels were marshy, and the Tor could only have been reached by boat . Along with the adjacent hill fort it would have been easy to defend, a great look-out, and a dry place to live. Archaeologists think this is one possible location for Arthur’s base, from which he fought (and eventually defeated) the invading Norsemen. |  |
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Naturally, as a high place, it was also a religious site. Think of Matthew’s gospel - all the important events in Jesus’ ministry prior to Jerusalem happened in a “high place”. There is evidence of Pagan sacrifice on the Tor, and fairly soon after the founding of the Abbey a church was built at the top - the tower remains. The view from the top is spectacular - though it requires stamina to get up there! |
The three sites together make Glastonbury a very special place, speaking profoundly of the birth of Christianity in Britain.
Wells
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From Glastonbury it is only a very short drive to the town of Wells, and Wells Cathedral. Wells is named for, well, “Wells”! The whole town is build over an aquifer and was a source of water for the region - one well bubbles up in the center of town, and the water runs through a channel system at the curbside. |
The cathedral is a wonderful example of medieval architecture, and has a famous 14th Century clock (which is turned off for Church services!). It is, again, a place where Christians have worshiped for many centuries, and a strong feeling of quiet prayer permeates the very walls.
There are many more pictures here.