To the End of the World (and Back)

Thanks to the generosity and support of my congregation (Bethesda UMC) and a grant from the Louisville Institute, I begin my 3-month Sabbath Leave this coming Thursday, August 5th. Buoyed by the wonderful chaos and energy of 300 kids at Vacation Bible School, I’ll fly to Glasgow, Scotland, take a train to Oban, board a ferry to the Island of Mull, ride a transport bus to the other side of the island and then board yet another ferry to the Island of Iona. (Finally) there, I’ll spend a week as a pilgrim at the Iona Community, an intentional, ecumenical Christian community, where I will immerse myself in the rhythms of prayer, work, the arts, dialog, and self-reflection. It's sort of like spiritual whiplash, I know, but I can't wait.

My travels will then take me eastward to and around Edinburgh, including a photographic tour of the Border Abbeys. From there, I fly to Dublin where I will meet up with Holly and some good friends for some biking and photography along the southwest coast of Ireland. We'll soak in the sights around the Ring of Kerry, Cork, the Dingle Peninsula, and Killarney National Park. After returning to Maryland, I then head up to Rockport, Maine to be part of a workshop at the Maine Media Institute (Zen & the Art of Photography).

What I hope to do with my time away over these next three months (most of the last two of which will be spent in and around Rockville) is to explore with greater depth and intention photography as a way of prayer. For some time now, I have found that I pray best when I have a camera in my hand. Not only does the practice of photography inform my understanding of what prayer is through its inherent disciplines of waiting, stillness, attention, and fresh vision, but at an even more fundamental level, photography has become a way for me to pray. So here begins my journey of Framing Holiness.