Beginning in Wales | pastornormansjourney

My Sabbatical Starts

On the trees the green shadows of new growth show. The fields beyond resplendent with the vibrant shades of bright new green growth. Spring is launching its renewal of life. I observed this beginning on the Palouse and many thousands of miles away the same rites of Spring manifest themselves. As I launch into a time of rest, renewal, and regrowth, the season seems to be moving just ahead of me. Traveling from home and landing in new place, culture and landscape, I feel strange to be away. And, as strange as it seems, the same play of renewal and regrowth is occurring in England and Wales as in Northern Idaho. Different yet connected in the rhythms of creation. As I attended a Tazie service at All Hallow by the Tower Anglican church on Wednesday night, I thought of our service later that same day. Again across time and space, I noticed the connection. Those attending attended to the presence of God that spans all time and space. Amazing to think of God present to both places, London and Moscow, and able to hear the prayers and know our lives, even the hairs of our heads, where ever we are. That alone astounds me. And it is comforting. To know that God attends to us both in Moscow and on some sabbatical wandering. My prayers and thoughts are with you even as I attend to spring and our God in a land nearly the other side of the earth.

Grace and peace,

Norman

Wandering Through Wales

Sitting in a café having lunch, I watched the drizzle once more apply a sheen to the old wall in the city of Tenby. The flower in the window reminded me of the new life of spring even as the wall reminded me of that this land awash in history.

Just off the coast near town of Tenby lies Caldey Island. This island has had a monastery on it nearly continuously since the 6th century. Today a Cistercian (Trappist) Monastery continues to be home to approximately 40 monks.

Visting a Castle

With so many castles in Wales, we decided we too must visit at least one. We went to the Castle at Conwy in North Wales. In the late 13th Century, Edward I built this castle and associated walled city as a way of annexing Wales. While the castle stood and continues to stand today, from what I heard, there still seems to be some question about who rules Wales. Though an impressive edifice and amazing that it is still standing, the tour once again convinced me that castle life would not have been easy and probably damp and cold as well. It seems this was an expensive way to try and conquer Wales, as this strategy of building castles to conquer Wales depleted the royal treasury and limited further Edward’s further exploits

St David's Cathedral

We did not have time for a visit to Caldey Island. With a couple of days between arriving and my first extended stay, Micah and I were wandering up the coast of Wales. After our stop for lunch in Tenby, we headed to St. Davids. Named after an early Christian Saint named David that started a monastery in 598 at the present site of his namesake Cathedral.

St David’s Cathedral bears the history of the ups and downs of worship and attention to this site. Destroyed by Norman invaders in 1089 the cathedral was not rebuilt until the mid 1500’s. Since, portions of it have been destroyed and rebuilt, so that today it is again usable and a site of interest for travelers today. Micah and I went to the evensong, a 6 p.m. This is aservice in which the liturgy is sung. The night we attended a visiting college choir lifted their voices in the songs that comprise the service. Though sparsely attended, the service was beautiful all the same.

Gladstone's Library

After visiting this monument to empire building, we went to a different kind of place. We went to Gladstone’s Library. This institution pays tribute to 19th Century Prime Minister William Gladstone. It is Britain's finest residential library, and its only Prime Ministerial library. It was founded by the great Victorian statesman himself and, following his death in 1898, became the national memorial to his life and work. The library is filled with theology books and has been keep up well.

After Gladstone's Library, Micah and I parted ways and she returned to London at the end of their Spring/Easter break to return to teaching English to middle school children in east London.

I was off to St Beunos Monastery. Near St Asaph just southwest of Rhyl, the Jesuit Monastery at one time was a seminary. Today it promotes prayer, silence and prayer filled silence. I had signed up for a individually guided silent retreat. Intially I planned to be there for eight days but due to construction issues as the monestary, I only had a 3 day retreat available. I'll write more about it on the next St Beunos page.