Pastor’s Pilgrimage

Dear Friends in Christ,

As most of you know, Wanda and I made a trip to England and Scotland this summer. While we both took vacation time from our vocations to make the trip, the experience was much more than that. One of the tenants of Islam is that all member who have the financial means must make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lives. For Muslims, Mecca is the beginning point of their faith.

For Anglicans, we have a select group of places that would classify as beginning points: Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Rome, and, for us as descendents of the Church of the British Isles, Iona. Pilgrimage can be defined as, “a journey to a sacred place or shrine” or “a long journey or search, especially one of exalted purpose or moral significance.” Iona is one of those places.Iona is a small island (1 by 3 miles) off the coast of Scotland. It lies in the waters between Ireland and Scotland has part of a group of islands named the Inner Hebrides.

In the mid sixth century, a monk and priest from the area of Donegal, Ireland, fled religious violence which resulted from his refusal to turn over a copy of the Psalter which he had translated. Although victorious in the battle, his participation in the violence led him to exile himself from his own homeland vowing to win as many souls to God as he had taken in the battle. The name of this monk and priest was Columba.

On the eve of Pentecost, 563 C.E., Columba and eleven other monks landed on the first island the found sailing east from Ireland. This was a small island, later named Iona, which is Gaelic for “island”. There he founded a monastery from which he and his friends would evangelize northern Scotland and Northumbria. He is considered to be the founding missionary of Scotland. In fact, he preceded Augustine’s arrival in Canterbury. Later, a nunnery was established, and Iona would continue to grow the spiritual center of Anglicanism. This island also became the burial ground for many of Scotland’s royalty. Even Shakespeare’s Macbeth would lie in rest at Iona.

As a descendant of these religious giants, I found my experience on Iona to be a reclamation of my faith and hope as an Anglican. Despite the turmoil of today (maybe even because of it), I felt and knew that what has begun in us will not be forgotten or lost. Our Faith with a big “F” that God has reclaimed the Creation and all of its inhabitants through the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of our Lord can not be wiped out by anything or anyone. As long as there is a shattered cross or stone left to testify to faith that was in them and is in us, there is hope and call toward justice.

Although it was much too short, Wanda sent me into a small room just of the narthex of the chapel. She had been there before. It was a prayer, meditation, and watch room just up a small set of stairs. The stairs had been so worn away by those who climbed them that a set of wooded steps had to be built over the stones. In that room was a very small window, a prayer desk, and a single candle. If I could receive just a portion of the courage and grace of the souls who have knelt there before, I would know my call. That call may simply be this: remember, tell, and carry on.

Randall+

Just what is jet?

Well, let's see. Get on a plane at 6:00 p.m Eastern Standard Time. FLy for eight hours, but it's actually 14 hours later when you land in London. Couldn't sleep on the plane. It's 8 a.m. when we go through Customs. An hour trip on a train to Victoria Station. (I can't write whole sentences.) A very poor decision to walk to the hotel. After all, it's only about two inches on the map. First, find the Arch bar (a bar is a gate; a gate is a street) entrance to Hyde Park. By the way, did you know that Hyde Park is as big as Morocco. Try to get a cab with dollars instead of pounds. Keep walking. Remember, Wanda packed for the rest of the calendar year. I'm carrying a forty pound back pack, pulling the seventy five pound suitcase. Wanda is pulling my 30 pound suitcase. You've needed to find a bath room since final approach, but couldn't. About an hour and a half later, you find your hotel. Sweating, whining, gasping for air because Wanda won't let me stop for a smoke, feet hurt, dying to find a loo. Now, the guy comes flying out of the hotel and carries our bags up to the room. Pass out on the bed for an hour. Do a bus tour, take another nap, tour the Tower of London, take showers where an eighth of an inch on the cold water knob is the difference between ice and fire, go eat Fish and Chips.

So, what is it? It's a complete detachment of the mind from the body in time and space. You know that your body is walking, eating, talking, lying down, or standing in line, but you mind is not there. It's rebooting but keeps hitting "runtime error" messages. You ask the same question four times, you know someone expects you to say something smart or inquisitive, but.....


Oh, yea. Its not "jet", it's "jet lag". I write again later.

St. Barnabas' Future Weddings

Getting Started

Dear Friends,

Just in time! We are heading to England and Scotland. Really, it wasn't planned this way. Just following General Convention, our vacation begins. Wanda (my bride and buddy) and I are flying out on Friday to London. Two days there, one day in York, four days in Oban (Iona, Isle of Mull, Isle of Sky), two day in the Highlands residing in Fort William, three days in Edinburgh, and an overnight layover in Amsterdam.

While we are there, I hope to blog ideas, thoughts, and photos. Thanks to Rickford who set up this whole thing. By the way, Rickford will be posting on occasion (more often if he disagrees). Also, we'll be inviting others to post on varying subjects.

In the meantime, feel free to write and chat. Rickford will be the obudsman (I have no idea if that is spelled correctly). Keep Wanda and me in your prayers. Sacrifice a chicken if you must. Pilots and Copilots are a priority.

We'll chat soon.

Randall+

P.S. My name is Randall J. Keeney. I am an Episcopal priest at a small church in Greensboro. I have no particular area of expertise or knowlege. I begin writing this only to remain in contact with parishioners, friends, and family. We would; however, like to develop this blog further. So, feel free, and in fact invited, to comment as we go on.

Our mantra, which is on the stationary even, is this: "Beyond tolerance, toward honor."

Still In TESTING PHASE

Hello early viewers. . . If you have just stumbled upon this, be aware that it is a mess right now. Just getting things up to snuff. Should be all set by the time Randall is ready to journey off to Tartanville.

One More Post from RG

OK, now taht I am at it, I thought I might as well add something else for the fun of it. How about a video from Father Mattew (also a Georgia boy, if I recall)? Well, here you go:



Yes this is very versatile.

External Post Experiment

OK, now I am posting by loggin in via my own email address and password (i think they have to be gmail addresses, but that is free and easy).

Seemt to work well. Graphic at the top of Pilot Mtn is mine, though the text is weird, but easily fixed. . . just a sample.