A-Z Challenge Day 18 - Rambling

On to day 18,  brought to you by the Letter R, which gives me a perfect excuse to go rambling on about nothing in particular. Our Greenpatch rambling has taken a back seat these last few years. My intention was to link back to accounts of some of the more epic journeys we've made in our time, however, my labeling system obviously isn't up to scratch; searches for 'rambling,' and 'backpacking,' didn't yield anything, and walking references seem largely to be dealing with walking of a more spiritual variety - labyrinths and the like. Worth a peep though. The photo is from those taken during our Durham-Oban/Iona walking pilgrimage in 2011.

Then again, today's letter gives me yet another reason, given yesterday's news, to point towards another great sketch from the late Victoria Wood - Val De Ree. Camping...rambling...they're both linked, aren't they and it never fails to make me smile.

Revisiting Pilgrimage - A Royal Wedding in the Pentland Hills

By popular request from Crafty Green Poet who's been out and about in the snowy Pentlands, here are some snaps of the Greenpatch wanderings in the same area, during our grand Durham to Iona pilgrimage in 2011. We chose an auspicious day for this section of the journey; we must have been the only living souls not glued to the TV watching the Royal Wedding.

Setting out from West Linton. Mr GP checks his blisters

Destination Newbiggin

If we make good time we'll be able to drink a toast to the royal couple  during the next coffee  break (in Lucozade!)

I come from haunts of coot and hern, 
I make a sudden sally 
And sparkle out among the fern, 
To bicker down a valley. 

Are we nearly there yet?

After an impromptu lesson in sheep droving, Mr GP turns his hand to fence maintenance

The Long and Winding Road - Greenpatch Pilgrimage

All ready to tackle Hadrian's Wall - GP Ted  on our Durham to Iona Pilgrimage, April 2011

If you've been reading Growing Greenpatches for any length of  time, you'll have  spotted references to pilgrimage scattered here and there, especially to our Durham to Iona trip in 2011.  Now you can learn  a little more about what we got up to  on Offline Greenpatches, (think of it as an old, rather dusty, ramshackle conservatory) - home to some of my more confused meanderings, originally  inflicted on readers of "OldChurch"  parish mag. 

Inner and Outer Landscapes

Southern Uplands Way: Durham-Iona pilgrimage April/May 2011

For this reason I kneel before the Father,  from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3 (NIV)

Epitaphs and Inscriptions - Who Was Bill Lobban?

Cairn, Loch Lomond, East side, Durham-Iona Pilgrimage 2011

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13 King James Version (KJV)

As I trawled though our pilgrimage photos yesterday in search of  something to use for a blog banner, I came across a couple  of pictures which I'm sure tell a story. This cairn and the accompanying inscription can be found not far from the Inversnaid Hotel on the Eastern shores of Loch Lomond. Not an easy stretch, with it's craggy twists and turns up and down from the shoreline; our experience of that section wasn't pleasant;  even experienced walkers appreciate the need to treat  this particular section of the West Highland Way (22Km, I think, if you take it in one hop) with great  respect.  We walked  it in several stages, our mileage that particular day being  one of the shortest in the entire trip - about 6 miles, but it was the hardest 6 miles we've ever done,  struggling through  rain and mist, only getting to the far end just in time to catch the last   ferry across to Ardlui. I say, 'ferry,' it's a small boat, which you hail by raising a buoy up a mast on the shore. By that stage, there is no road at all; if you miss the boat, your only options are either to retrace your steps right back to Inversnaid or  spend the night in a nearby bothy. (not 4 star accomodation, I can tell you, we checked!) 

Who was Bill Lobban then? What tale of heroism lies behind this inscription? I guess we'll never know. I'm not the first to ask; a quick web search shows that  many  walkers have discovered this memorial over the years,  wondered about the events of 23rd November 1975, and received no answer. His isn't the only tragedy to take place along the lochside; apparently the Inversnaid Hotel knew of two other walkers who died nearby more recently, but of Bill, nothing. Passing it, in the pouring rain and mist, just as we were about to begin the climb upwards was both a humbling and a sobering experience. Like     that of Henry West, the human story behind this simple memorial seems destined to remain unknown and untold, except, perhaps to those closest to those it commemorates. Rest in Peace, Bill Lobban, whoever you were. I guess that inscription says it all.

I Was Glad

Heading into the Pentland Hills, Royal Wedding Day 2011 - Durham-Iona Pilgrimage

 I was glad when they said unto me: We will go into the house of the Lord.

2. Our feet shall stand in thy gates: O Jerusalem.

3. Jerusalem is builded as a city: that is at unity in itself.

6. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

7. Peace be within thy walls: and plenteousness within thy palaces.

Shades of pilgrimage today when I revisited these verses from Psalm 122;  link here to my favourite setting: Sir Hubert Parry's Coronation Anthem "I Was Glad" re-popularised of course, by last year's Royal Wedding.  No TV coverage for us, though we caught up later. As the bride entered, we were heading up into the Pentland Hills, and whilst  the happy couple were exchanging vows, Mr GP and myself were taking a hard-earned break. We toasted William and Kate with a swig of Lucozade!

  I'll always associate  this psalm with those happy memories of one  never to be forgotten journey.

I Will Lift up Mine Eyes

Southern Uplands Way: Durham-Iona Pilgrimage April-May 2011

I lift up my eyes to the hills—

   from where will my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

   who made heaven and earth. 

He will not let your foot be moved;

   he who keeps you will not slumber.

He who keeps Israel

   will neither slumber nor sleep. 

The Lord is your keeper;

   the Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

   nor the moon by night. 

The Lord will keep you from all evil;

   he will keep your life.

The Lord will keep

   your going out and your coming in

   from this time on and for evermore.

Psalm 121 NRSV 

My favourite musical version here with thanks to John Rutter

Glllppp! My calendar for this autumn is crammed with new challenges, beginning next week. All things I've chosen - or which have come about via choices I've made. All potentially life-giving, yet daunting at the same time; it's going to involve not a few 'firsts' which are likely to streeeeetcchhh this introvert  out towards the edges of my comfort zones. I Will Lift My Eyes to The Hills - well, what other response can I possibly make?!

Recycled Blogroll: The Passionate Transitory

Approaching Hadrian's Wall Walk: Durham-Iona Pilgrimage April 2011

For the poets amongst you - thanks to Pilgrimpace for highlighting a new site: The Passionate Transitory, new online poems about life, landscape, travel and pilgrimage.

God of Our Pilgrimage

 Mr GP on the Southern Uplands Way, Durham-Iona  pilgrimage 2011

God of our pilgrimage, you have willed that the gate of mercy should stand open for those who trust in you: look upon us with your favour that we who follow the path of your will may never wander from the way of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

         post communion prayer, Tenth Sunday after Trinity 

To Be A Pilgrim - He'll with a giant fight

Mr GP calls the ferryman, Loch Lomond, Durham-Iona Pilgrimage May 2011

In the tradition of pilgrimage, hardships are seen not as accidental but as integral to the journey itself. Treacherous terrain, bad weather, taking a fall, getting lost--challenges of that sort, largely beyond our control, can strip the ego of the illusion that it is in charge and make space for true self to emerge. If that happens, the pilgrim has a better chance to find the sacred center he or she seeks. Disabused of our illusions by much travel and travail, we awaken one day to find that the sacred center is here and now--in every moment of the journey, everywhere in the world around us, and deep within our own hearts.

 - Parker Palmer from Let Your Life Speak

What has come into being in him was life

4 May 2011 - Balmaha to Rowardennan, Durham-Iona pilgrimage

1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

John 1:1-14 NRSV

Called

It's that time of year again. I spent yet another  Sunday away; this time at Winchester Cathedral for a friend's ordination. It was a wonderful experience for everybody;  of all the ordinations I've attended, yesterday's was the first  where I've known one of the ordinands personally and been privileged to share just a small part of their journey over the whole long process leading to this moment.

Daydreamer's reflections on the price paid not only by the clergy themselves but also by their families in order to follow their calling largely echoes mine. It was wonderful to be there yesterday  and to witness the joy and excitement of the ordinands as they set out on the next stage of their pilgrimage. Such an emotional occasion; we were seated only a few rows from the front with a grandstand view and, as the service wore on,  to see the expression on their faces change from tense to (in some cases) tearful to smiling and joyous was wonderful to behold.

If the supporting, more seasoned clergy seated behind them felt the same way, I guess they weren't gving much away upfront; those that I could see looked suitable serious As Befits The Solemnity of The Occasion.  This is the C of E, after all! Maybe the emotions were  bubbling away inside, but my fleeting thought (and prayer ) at the contrast between the two groups was 'Please God, don't let those starting out today become ground down, jaded and cynical by the (inevitable) demands and expectations of the job. May they somewhere always retain the spontaneity and joy of that first calling.'

Going round in circles

We shall not cease from exploration 

And the end of all our exploring 
Will be to arrive where we started 
And know the place for the first time. 
     T.S. Eliot -- "Little Gidding" ( Four Quartets)

Following  my profound "thunks" on the labyrinth earlier, here are some images that have and continue to have a profound effect on 'Growing Greenpatches' . Much processing going on offline; maybe some of it will find its way onto this blog. Wandering round in circles isn't as counterproductive as it might appear at first, I'm finding. I've had plenty of practice after all; whether it involves pulling on my spiritual or actual walking shoes, when I take the time to stop and reflect on Who I am, despite my gumblings about blisters, bumps, and all kinds of other woes, I realise that underneath it all, I'm enjoying the journey. "All will be well..."

The long and winding road - praying the labyrinth

St Columba's Bay, Iona, labyrinth, May 2011

The labyrinth at St Beunos, retreat October 2011

Made one of those happy discoveries this evening when I stumbled across a labyrinth blog for the first time: agracingmaze, which  title I reckon deserves an award for both aptness and the most apalling pun ever! Looks to be some wonderful resources and a chance to share reflections on this means of prayerful walking.

As I've written before in my old Greenpatches blog, the labyrinth has played a significant part in my own walk; sometimes affirming, always challenging. Yet, do you know, it's only as I was pondering earlier on the struggles of somebody else that the realisation is  dawning a) of the tremendous distance I've travelled (spiritually as well as physically!) since those first, hesitant steps, and b) an emerging pattern: each time the labyrinth symbolising a time of transition,  liminal space, a turning point, a call to go deeper with God.  And yet I'd not always appreciated this at the time. I guess when you're in the thick of a situation it's easy to feel that you're going nowhere, trudging  round in an endless circle. Only time, space and perspective reveal  that this circle, is, in fact, a spiral. Quietly breathtaking.  Cue imitation of a (happily) stranded guppy...

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

Dreaming of sunny days - Greenbelt 2012

Who'd believe we're officially in Spring? I've  the heating on, a freshly-brewed mug of coffee beside me, a bowl of porridge whirling round in the microwave ( Mr GP's shirts are probably standing to attention on the line  by now) and I'm still freezing. Time to dream of sunnier times and the annual opportunity to chill out - often in the original sense of the word (brrr!) at Greenbelt 2012; theme  Paradise Lost & Found. That's my trusty little tent pictured.

For those of you of a Franciscan persuasion, I've noticed that Ian Cron, author of, amongst others,  Chasing Francis - A Pilgrim's Tale, is down to talk this year. It's not clear what his topic will be, but I'd like to go along and listen anyway. Cron's novel about Chase, the megachurch pastor who loses his faith then rediscovers it after a pilgrimage to Italy is a good and accessible  introduction to the saint, supplementing the 'meatier' writings about Francis rather well IMO. 

Weather

Spotted during  our Durham-Iona pilgrimage 2011, Tibbieshiels, St Mary's Loch

Weather

Whether the weather be fine,
Or whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold,
Or whether the weather be hot,
We'll weather the weather
Whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not!

  - author unknown

When in Rome...

...do remember to take an umbrella with you.  A soaking wet and bronchitic Greenpatch's view of the queue for the Vatican museums earlier in the week.  How does I went to the Vatican and all I got was a wodge of  loo roll sound as a T shirt slogan? Whilst I wouldn't say my time spent  hacking into the papally provided toilet tissue and downing  my Bronchenolo Sedativo e Fluidificante rated up there with visiting the Sistine Chapel, it came pretty close! Both of us went down with the lurgy although happily it didn't spoil our stay in Rome; we managed to pack a fair amount into the four days we were there, thanks in part to some handy hints and tips from a fellow TSSF tertiary, (you know who you are!) A million thanks.

More later perhaps. We got in at 1 am this morning  after a fourteen hour journey and are still trying to come down to earth.

To celebrate or not to celebrate - St Patrick's Day

They're back! The three little  pilgrims whose angst-filled peregrinations had a honourable mention over on my old Greenpatches blog, courtesy of Roberta on Spiritually Directed.  Now, over on the bathroom shelf, they're experiencing a spot of bother with a certain Green Gentleman of a Celtic Persuasion.

Pilgrims to Sacred Places

                                             - St Beunos, North Wales

Connect with generations past

Visit sites which have been associated with the sacred for centuries.

With St Beunos Ignatian Spirituality Centre  this September. Details here.

Now that's my kind of retreat! 

Not that I'll be going; we're hanging up our walking boots for the time being. 

Puffin' along

 - credit: digitalart at freedigitalphotos.net

There're times you  have to smile. And today that smile just  got bigger and bigger when I opened my reader to find Robin C's contribution to today's Picturing God - Puffins - real puffins on the Island of Staffa!

Those of you who've read my old Greenpatches blog will know all about my childhood ambition to meet the puffins and my infamous trip to Staffa last year.  I've always  had a soft spot for those cheery chappies and was pretty cheesed off to have missed them then. So near but yet so far...

But they simply don't give up it seems; they even managed to play a starring role in my retreat at St Beunos.

As I said, my smile just grew and grew...  A million thanks to Picturing God, Robin C, and, as one of the original children's Puffin Club members 45 years ago, can I just say...There's Nuffin' like a Puffin!