We've just finished spending a week on the island of Iona as guests of the Iona Community. And it's a bit hard to know how to begin describing it. The island itself is small and remote (we took a 3 hour train journey followed by an hour long ferry ride followed by an hour and half bus ride followed by another brief ferry ride to get there) and incredibly peaceful and beautiful. There are more sheep there than people, by quite a lot. We woke to sounds of sheep and slept to the sounds of sheep - they can be rather loud!
There's a small village on the island and several bed and breakfasts, and a Benedictine Abbey that was restored throughout the 20th century, mostly through the vision of Rev George Macleod. His idea was to employ unemployed tradesmen and train ministers at the same time, through the experience of community and the rebuilding of the abbey. Out of that vision the Iona Community evolved. It's an ecumenical community committed to justice and renewal, with about 300 members worldwide. Google them to learn more - it's a remarkable story. The Community has various ministries, including the publication of worship resources, many of which we use, and hosting folks on Iona for a week.
It was a good and challenging week for us - living in intentional community, even for a week, is hard. I quickly came to the conclusion I would not have made a good monk! We rose to the sound of a bell, ate all our meals together, had various chores assigned to us, began and closed each day with worship. In between meals, chores, and worship services there were various workshops to attend or outings to take advantage of - it was a full week. The girls loved the routine of each day and listening for the bells. Emma was assistant window cleaner for the week, while Brianna rode around on Jay's back emptying the trash bins each morning. They sang heartily at the worship services, and Brianna's new word this week was 'aleyuda' (alleluia), which she would shout out periodically. I was really challenged this week to reconsider how I think about work and vocation, the links between manual labor and prayer, and to be more mindful of God's presence and glory in routine tasks and in the people I encounter each day.
Challenging as life with others can be, the week was tremendously nourishing for us - lots of time outdoors in a beautiful setting, lots of opportunities to talk with folks who love Jesus deeply, and lots of space to sing and pray. It was a wonderful conclusion to our trip.
One of the days we participated in a pilgrimage walk around parts of the island. Emma was full of her usual questions, and as I tried to explain to her what a pilgrimage was, it struck me again that pilgrimage has been the rhythm of this whole trip. "We walk for a while and then we stop and learn and listen and pray, and then we walk some more." We travel and then stop for a bit and learn and listen and pray and then travel some more. And it has been rich for us in encounters with new folks and places and in encounters with God. And now we're glad that the time for travel is almost done and we'll be heading back to Michigan in a few days.
peace,
Elizabeth
misadventures of the week - Jay getting sprayed in the face with toilet bowl cleaner by an overeager young fellow guest during morning chores; Elizabeth realizing too late that a week with the Iona Community was going to be a lot like a week of summer camp - yes, there were bunk beds and we were given animal names and there were crafts - sadly, no capture the flag or archery.
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