With Sad (but oh-so-full) Hearts

After an Agape Feast and a late night game of Flip (a card game I taught to my new international group of friends), we woke earlier than usual for our last meal together, packed up, and headed to the Abbey for a Service of Leavetaking. It was a collection of heart-full and heart-sad pilgrims who gathered there, quietly trying to soak in the signifigance and holiness of this place one more time. As it has been all week, the liturgy was simmple, poetic, and steeped in the images of creation. We sang a beautiful Psalm (just one of several new songs I am hoping to bring back to BUMC) and pronounced a mutual blessing upon one another: those who were staying (staff & volunteers) and those who were leaving. In between we reminded ourselves that as sacred a place as Iona is, there is no ground that is not holy, no space where God's presence does not dwell. En masse, we walked down the hill, waved and hugged our goodbyes, and then boarded the ferry to Mull, the start of very long but peaceful and scenic day of travel.

A couple of years ago at a Men's Group meeting, Jeff Diamond talked about his desire to perhaps one day go on pilgrimage together. I am hoping to return to Iona at some point and over the course of the week, it has crossed my mind more than once that there may be others from BUMC who would want to join in. Are there?