More Specifics

On November 1 I will start a twelve month familiarization
placement at Old Cupar, a Church of Scotland congregation
in the town of Cupar, twelve miles south of St. Andrews. I
met with the minister, Rev. Ken Jeffreys, last week and we
had a delightful time. After meeting one another both of us
realized I would be a good fit for the church.

Ken is a Presbyterian from Northern Ireland who has com-
mited himself to renewal and revival of the Church in Scot-
land. Having served as a missionary in Africa he has a heart
for missions. I sense that over the six years he has been the
pastor of Old Cupar the congregation has grown both in num-
ber and community life. They have just finished a building
renovation plan that was tied in with financial support of a
mission in Peru. Ken and his wife are expecting their fourth
child in September and he will be off on paternity leave for
several weeks. Then he'll lead a mission team to Peru in Oc-
tober. That is the reason I won't be starting until November.

I asked the staff of The Open Gate Retreat Centre if I could
continue volunteering until the end of October. I had informed
them in June that I expected to be placed in a church by the
beginning of September. They are happy for me to remain
for the extra two months. Actually I was hoping I could re-
main here longer. There is something about this place that
is so refreshing for me. It has been such a joy and blessing
to be here! I am grateful to God for my unexpected oppor-
tunities on Holy Island/Lindisfarne and at Old Cupar. Truly
I have been blessed!

Blessings to you and yours, and all the best,

Attentiveness

I have now been here at The Open Gate Retreat Centre
on Holy Island, England, for ten weeks. I've washed loads
of dishes and pans, scrubbed a lot of toilets, prepared rooms
for countless guests, and led several dozen Mid-Day and
Evening Prayer chapels. I probably have two or three more
weeks before I head back up to Scotland to work with a min-
ister of the Church of Scotland for twelve months. I have not
received word yet about where I will be headed. I could be
anywhere in Scotland. I have been using a lot of my free
time to prepare to write more for my thesis. I have really
enjoyed having more time to develop my thesis. Soon I
hope to do more writing.

I sense that the Lord has been using my time of volunteer
service here at The Open Gate to form and shape me for
what is ahead of me in Scotland. I have been becoming more
attentive to other people that are our guests at The Open
Gate. It has been a learning experience for me to develop
sensitivity to other people. As a result I have become more
attentive to what is happening in me, especially in regards
to God at work in my life. It has been quite a rewarding ad-
venture for me. The longer I am here on the island, the more
I become attentive to nature: the birds, flowers. grasses, in-
sects, rocks, geological formations, cloud formations, tides,
wind, and rain. It has been an eye opening experience to be-
gin to notice the riches of nature all around me that is such
a treasure of the island. As a result, I have become more at-
tentive to who God is and how God is at work in my life. It
has been a truly blessed time for me here on Holy Island.

Blessings to you and yours,

The God in Nature Holiday Retreat

This Sunday has been a much needed day of rest after a
wonderful God in Nature Holiday Retreat here at the Open
Gate on Holy Island, England. Even though I am a volun-
teer here for the summer, I was involved with the team
that set up a substantial program for the week. I was avail-
able for pastoral care and spiritual direction for the eight
guests participating in the retreat. I served with Graham,
the warden of the Open Gate and co-leader of the retreat;
Carol, the hostess of the Open Gate who made sure every-
body and everything was taken care of; and Paul, who came
from a college in the midlands of England to co-lead the re-
treat with Graham. Paul combines a lively faith in Jesus
with a love and knowledge of nature and a skill in painting.
Our eight guests included people from all over England. It
was a fun group of people!

During the weekdays our pattern was this (everything was
optional): 8:00, Morning Prayer and Communion; 8:40,
Breakfast; 9:45, Morning activity; 12:00, Mid-day Prayer;
12:45, lunch; an afternoon activity; 5:30, Evening Prayer;
6:30, Supper; 7:45, an Evening group time; and 9:00 Night
Prayer. The table conversations at the meals were rich.
Even though I was assigned to do the washing up, my team
members often filled in for me when they saw me engaged
in conversation with one of the guests. I appreciated that!

The whole point of the retreat was to learn to be more at-
tentive to natue in order to become more attentive to God
and to one's self. We marveled at the beauty of nature, drew
closer to God, and enjoyed the presence of one another. God
was definitely present and at work in our lives! Some signifi-
cant healing took place among several of the people on the re-
treat.

There were planned activities that took us out into nature.
We examined the geology of the island; learned about the
flowers, grasses, and plants of the area; explored the coastal
shore of Holy Island; experimented with painting seascapes,
studied how sand dunes are formed; took a boat out to the
Inner Farne Islands to experience their bird paradise; walked
the Pilgrims' Way across the tidal flats (at low tide!); and mar-
velled at the spectacular beauty of St. Abb's Head in Scotland.
We tested one another in our ability to identify birds, flowers,
and geological features. I can only say that I became increas-
ingly attentive to nature, God, and myself as a result of the
retreat. It was wonderful!

Yesterday, Saturday, we said goodbye to new friends and
companions of a special time. But as soon as the last person
left, Graham, Carol, and I began preparing for guests who
would be arriving Saturday afternoon and Sunday. It is nev-
er ending. But we worked hard to make things ready so
that we could rest on Sunday and go to church. It truly has
been a blessed day of rest.

May you have a truly blessed day of rest as well.

Blessings to you and yours,