We’re currently down south for a couple of weeks – escape from the island and a chance to catch up with lots of people we haven’t seen for ages.
A couple of folk have mentioned that they looked at this blog (to my surprise) which reminded me that I was going to post something about last weekend.
Our guests left as normal on Friday morning, but overnight we were hit by gales approaching force 9 or 10. The wind lasted most of Saturday which meant that there were no ferries for our new set of guests to arrive on the island. In fact, there weren’t even any ferries from Oban (‘The big ferry’). Annoyingly the ferry company wouldn’t commit to canceling their ferries for the whole day so we just had to wait around all day until they decided each possible crossing. In the end, all were canceled – just as I’d predicted.
So I ended up leading a’gathering space’ i.e welcome service, with only one guest (someone who’d stayed over from the previous week)! Our Sunday morning service was also deserted, and we didn’t really have guests until 7pm on Sunday – a full 24hours after they should be all safely allowed. Incidentally – Sunday was a gorgeous, almost entirely still, day.
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So it’s been a while since I’ve updated here. What’s been going on in my world?
- Greenbelt.
- An exciting trip back to Iona from Greenbelt including missing a vital train link.
- I’ve led several sessions, including one which started about 10 minutes after getting back home from Greenbelt.
- A few staff crises – one resident staff member asked to leave, one resident signed off sick for a month, one resident sent out of the country to get a new visa and another resident hanging in here by the skin of her teeth to get a new visa.
- H was in charge of the whole place as sole remaining management team person.
- Bedbugs – but they’ve gone now.
- Some awful weather.
- Some glorious weather.
- Lots of weeding – particularly getting grass out of one particular flower bed.
- Two weeks of mainly German guests in the Mac.
- Both H & I had stinking colds for a while.
- Folk from Wesley Memorial (our old church) came to stay in the Abbey.
Generally things are good. It’s helped to have a less than full centre up at the Mac – certainly taken the pressure off us. The rest of the staff have really stepped up to fill in gaps caused by those away for whatever reason. Hopefully we’ll last the rest of the season (end of Oct) without falling apart!
In a couple of weeks time we’ll gbe getting away from the place for a couple of weeks. It should be great to have a break – although a little tiring perhaps. We’re traveling all over the place and seeing lots of people. Look out London, Oxford, Isle of Wight and Milton Keynes!
Normally, our Thursday night communion services are led by one of our two ordained members of staff. For some reason this week they asked me to help out.
Planning was a bit last minute, and I ended up writing and delivering the ‘reflection’ which come in the service just before the magic happens. Here’s what I said:
In a world church today with a rich and broad variety of worship, why do we still do communion – the Eucharist – the lord’s supper? When we have the freedom to sing, to preach, to dance, to have multimedia presentations, conversation, dramatic reading or this and that symbolic action as parts of our churches’ worship – why to we still re-enact just one meal of Jesus’ life?
Of course it’s one of those things where many reasons come together to justify the whole.
One reason: We were told to by Jesus himself: “Do this in remembrance of me”. Christians can be an obedient lot – so we do as we’re told.
Another reason: We can literally grasp the elements of communion. It isa symbolic action that really works – as it’s appeal is beyond the cerebral – beyond words. It is a reminder of God in the broader creastion, not just withing scripture.
And one reason which appeals to me most – it is an action which we can do together – as community – seated around a table. Eating a meal with others is stil part of our culture – just as it was for Jesus.
So this is something we have in common with Jesus, his disciples, and now his followers around the world. That’s why we celebrate communion.
To put this into context, this service happened at the end of a week where the WGRG were with us, leading sessions and worship with the theme “Voices from the Edge”.
Community week successfully, over, so we disappeared for a couple of days over to Mull to recover. We went ‘wild’ camping in Calgary bay. It’s wild because it’s not a proper campsite, we were however sharing it with a bunch of other tents, and there was a public loo just across the road.
It was truly glorious to get away and not feel guilty about not doing anything. Also cooked some yummy grub for ourselves on the new Triangia. Saw some friends from Oxford days who were up here on honeymoon – shame we couldn’t have spent more time with them but we had to race back.
Now we’re back on the little island we’re into Youth Festival. 70 something 15-18 year olds are here. So far there has only been a limited amount of choas – but everyone is a bit apprehensive!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: coffee, hallowing, Iona Community, pavlova
This week is community week on Iona. It’s the one week of the year when members of the dispersed Iona Community come and meet together here on the island. We fill both of our centres, and then there’s other people staying all over the island in hotels, B&Bs and cottages.
This morning’s service was a special one to ‘hallow’ the new members of the community. This year was a special hallowing service, as not only the new members got hallowed, but also our new leader who is taking over as the previous leader’s 7 year term has come to an end.
Following the service, there was a rather extravagant hallowing meal. All the members who are here attend, their families, all the staff and half the islanders are all invited. Surprisingly enough we haven’t got enough space or chairs for them all so it was a posh buffet. Main course was served in the Abbey refectory, then puddings and coffee in the Macleod Centre. All the staff had some role or other, H & I were making and serving teas and coffees. I suspect I made over 20 litres of fresh coffee this afternoon.
This week has been a source of anxiety for a while, as the members of the community have a bit of a reputation for being a demanding lot. There’s a lot of older folk who’ve been coming to the island for longer that I’ve been alive – which can be a source of tension when we’ve changed the way things work! What I didn’t expect was just how LOUD they’d be. At the service of welcome yesterday it was quite difficult to get them to shut up. They obviously know each other very well, but have a lot of catching up to do. It was strange to be in the same room as them who know each other, without really knowing who any of them are. To be honest I was expecting them to a bit more interested in us as staff, but maybe that will come later in the week.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Alternative Worship, creative space, worship, worship without words
Last Wednesday’s ‘Creative Space’ service:
Church services, including the ones here in the abbey, can often be very wordy. Except for the word of God from Matthew’s gospel, this will be worship without any words at all. For our first two hymns this evening you’re invited to hum instead of singing. Some clues to the order of our service can be found on your service sheet.
First rain today in weeks, but I’ve still managed to do some garden related ‘work’. Whilst researching about globe artichokes I have discovered something called Folia. It’s social networking for gardeners!
I have previously teased Hilary for being addicted to Ravelry, but may have to retract that as there are are a whole lot of similarities.
My profile: http://myfolia.com/gardener/ionagardener
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Soo, the last post has a rather tired and jaded feel to it. Sorry about that.
Since then, we’ve been on holiday courtesy of my parents. We had a few days in a gorgeous cottage in Brampton, Cumbria. We had a wonderfully lazy time (well, it was very hot and humid) and came back to Iona re-invigorated.
Since then, the season has continued to roll by. Last week was Youth Clubs week, which was pretty much run by the youth team who are based in Glasgow. Thankfully that meant that I didn’t need to do anything in the way of programme work. I concentrated on being out and about in the garden, which was great.
Before I went away I was so tired that there were various jobs that I simply couldn’t face. They included large scale weeding of flowerbeds, and re-edging of lawns. Since I’ve been back I’ve started on both, and they now feel manageable. At our mid-season reflection there was various talk of elephants. I’m eating mine one bite at a time.
This week is ‘Holiday week’ so we’ve got a few families amongst the guests. Tomorrow’s programme session: competitive sand-castles.
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No updates here for a while – but thought it might be worth posting to prove that I’m still alive – just.
We’ve pretty much got into a routine for the season now. Every week it soo different it’s untrue, but somehow there is still an underlying routine and pattern. Saturdays we meet the ferry and our new guests. We tell them about our Centre, the Mac. We have dinner, then we tell them about what to expect for the rest of the week. We get them to colour in geese pictures. We go to worship in the evening.
Sundays we have a little lie in before worship (don’t tell anyone – I think I’m supposed to be working). I like our Sunday services – they still feel special. After service I skip the weak tea we give to the guests and go and make real coffee. Then I go and prepare to garden in the afternoon with guests. Once everything is ready it’s lunchtime so I go and eat a scrummy lunch. Sometimes in the mac, sometimes in the abbey. In the afternoon I garden with the new guests. By late afternoon I’m tired but relaxed so I drink tea whilst the guests go and sing. Soup for dinner because we had a big lunch, then quiet service in the evening. Sometimes I miss out on the quiet space and watch TV.
Monday we really get going. 9am service is the first in the regular pattern for the guests. The staff who are off at the weekend come back. We do a session with the guests. If it’s not me leading then I go and have a round-up of what needs doing in the gardens. Often end up in Shuna’s gardens getting overwhelmed by how many weeds there are. Have a tea break to make it seem manageable. Get distracted by other things that need doing, then lunch. Monday lunch (soup) is early as we send the guests off to Staffa in the afternoon. Any remaining, I might garden with if they’re interested, along with abbey guests who won’t go to Staffa until Wednesday. Dinner then probably leading a ‘what is healing’ session which explains what Tuesday’s healing service is all about. Service at 9pm with a ‘world’ theme followed immediately by Ceilidh. Only go to Ceilidh if on the team leading. I try to be the one to press buttons on the CD player otherwise I make a fool of myself. Bed immediately after.
Tuesday. Pilgrimage day. If leading pilgrimage (every two or three weeks) need to be up and raring to go. Pack a bag and make emergency tea. 9am service, then meeting then more pilgrimage prep. Leave at 10:15, return at 4pm. 7miles of rough, muddy and difficult terrain in the middle. If not on pilgrimage then probably a day off. Relax and eat leftovers at lunchtime. Meat for dinner because it’s pilgrimage day. Relaxed evening with healing service at 9pm. Might be chairing the evening meal – it varies which day I would do it.
Wednesday. Everything should be running smoothly by now. Probably a day off if been on pilgrimage the day before. Otherwise might be running morning session – or more gardening. Garden in afternoon – possibly with Mac guests. Abbey guests are mostly on Staffa. Once in a blue moon have to attend guest concert – dreaded it last time but wasn’t too bad. Evening service is ‘Creative’ often with guest involvement. Either very good or very bad – doesn’t seem to be much middle ground.
Thursday. Last day for guests. Session in morning with a hint of ‘going home’ as the theme. Normal soup lunch then an easy afternoon. Offer gardening option to guests but often little take up – I just get on with it on my own. Evening service is ‘table space’ – informal communion. Still a highlight when it’s done well. One of our ordained folk is perhaps a little better than the other at leading this.
Friday. Early start. 8:15am leaving service for guests. Wave them off from 9am ferry. Straight into meetings. Talk about how the week was. Talk about the week to come. Doze through a supposedly theological bit forced on us. Maybe another meeting, maybe a time to tidy the garden up if we’ve had kids about. Resident group meeting a little later on. Only time we all get in one room all week. Nice to see everyone even if the business is occasionally pointless. Leftover lunch – all staff together. Afternoon chasing loose ends. Leftover dinner. 9pm is ‘Inner Space’ – reflective service with none of our guests – often folk staying elsewhere though. Perhaps pub tonight if energy allows.
Saturday. 9am service and prepare for new guests. Perhaps get a job done that wouldn’t happen with distractions. Last leftover lunch then straight down to the ferry…
Our staffing crisis has been abated slightly, but it looks like it might be tough for the rest of the year. Part of the problem has been overseas folk getting visas (new tighter rules), but we’ve also had some bad luck with illnesses and bereavements.
Our volunteers are a really mixed bunch, ranging from 18 to too-old-to-ask-politely. They work extremely hard, sometimes physically, but always seem to do it with good humour. The minimum period for a first stay is six weeks normally.
If you’re interested in applying to be a volunteer, you can find out more at http://www.iona.org.uk/volunteer1.php You are also free to ask questions in the comments or by email.
