1 July 2011

Imagine a place located deep in the heart of the North Devon countryside with a private shingle beach on its doorstep, where on a fine summer’s day you can sit outside, gaze out to sea while watching swallows and swifts swooping and somersaulting in the air surrounding you . . .

Such a place is Lee Abbey, hidden between Lynton and Woody Bay, at the entrance to the legendary Valley of the Rocks with its colony of wild goats; the Christian community is set in 280 acres of farm and woodland, overlooking the dramatic Exmoor coast. Lee Abbey though is no ancient monastery – rather, it’s a living international, Christian community that tries to model something of what a Jesus-centred life can be like today. Opened in June 1946 and dedicated to God by the Bishop of Exeter, the community received its first guests soon after. Since then it has become known the world over as a Christian community that hosts conferences, retreats and provides holiday breaks, whose vision is that all who stay there may experience a new or renewed encounter with the living Christ. The community is an interdenominational Christian team of more than 90 individuals and families who have been brought together from across the globe who have answered the call to live for God and serve God.

1 June 2011

That St Eustachius’ is a part of the ‘whole church’ throughout the world, throughout time and eternity is something that awes me. To sit quietly in St Eustachius’ church and to be surrounded by stones which have borne silent witness to so many prayers over 700 years is a great privilege. R. S. Thomas, one of my favourite Welsh poets who was also a priest, spent a lifetime grappling with God, often expressing his frustration with God’s apparent absence in his life and the apparent uselessness of prayer, before he found himself writing the following words one day:

“Prayers like gravel flung at the sky’s window,

hoping to attract the loved one’s attention.

But without visible plaits to let down for the believer to climb up,

to what purpose open that far casement?

I would have refrained long since

but that peering once through my locked fingers

I thought that I detected the movement of a curtain.” 

I don’t know about you, but ‘the movement of a curtain’ for me tends to take place not simply when I am in church, but also when I am outdoors – more often than not when I am in a garden. For me, there is something really special about gardening, perhaps because plant life is created by God and, when we work with plants, we experience a closeness to God.

1 April 2011 

Today, just across the River Tamar, the sun is shining; everything outside looks colourful and beautiful.  And we (Skye - my beautiful dog and I) suddenly jumped with excitement and could not resist going outside to see the garden.  We have just had a nice stroll and inspected every corner of the garden.  We saw flowers that we did not know were there.  Now, nothing can stop this amazing explosion of colour, shape and variety.

 1 March 2011

Just before Christmas, I was invited to a party.  I trudged through the snow to get to the house, and on arrival did the ‘man’ thing with the husband and saw where the house had been ‘done up’.  Then I was shown into the kitchen and offered a drink.  I was nervous that I didn’t know the 1 or 2 others who’d also arrived.  But my nervousness disappeared as the husband and wife manifested themselves as dream hosts, introducing me to people, and circulating relentlessly with top-ups for my glass, and trays of things to nibble on.  It turned out to be the best party that I’d been to for ages, and I almost skipped with delight down the hill back home to the vicarage.