Ah, my dear Lord, the church is locked, but let my heart be open to your presence. I recently came across these words on the gate of a local church which, like most others at this time, is closed due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The words form the first two lines of a poem entitled… [Continue Reading]
Reflections from a Welsh Valley
‘I passed the hour of retirement in my garden and was melted into tears by the divine goodness.’ Charles Wesley, writing in his diary in 1749.
Several times on my pilgrimages I have come across gardens affiliated to the Quiet Garden Movement, notably at St John’s Church at Ulverston in Cumbria and also at the small parish church in Holcombe near Dawlish in Devon. Both these places were an absolute delight to discover, with their restful planting schemes and somewhere peaceful… [Continue Reading]
A new monasticism?
Walking on my pilgrimages, I have seen many examples of monasticism in one form or another. Perhaps most obviously, my walks have taken me to the picturesque ruins of great medieval religious houses such as at Furness Abbey in Cumbria in the north of England or the historic Abbaye de Beauport on the coast of… [Continue Reading]