Cuthbert's Holy Island

A couple years ago when Palmer and I were traveling and retreating on the north coast of England, we stayed for a couple nights at Northumbria Christian Community. We hitched a ride on one of the days to Holy Island where St. Aidan and St. Cuthbert spent a lot of time monking and where the ruins of an anciet monastery was. Off of Holy Island is another very small island called "Cuthbert Island" that is only accessible at low tide. It was here that St. Cuthbert got away from his daily tasks and ministry to commune with his heavenly Father. Palmer and I both have very fond memories of that island, it seemed holy.
In my mind today, I'm sailing away there. To walk over its earth. To sit under the cleft of the rocks and stare at the expanse of the North Sea. To let the wind blow over me and ponder my existence. I'm a pretty extreme extrovert, but over the past few years, God has been pruning me to find times of quiet and solitude. To meet Him in this kind of encounter and find my being. Not to escape my world, but to monk in the real world. Train my mind and heart to slow down and be centered in my belonging to Christ. I am speaking in chapel today on this topic, I pray that my words would be His words.

‘The renewal of the church will come from a new type of monasticism which only has in common with the old an uncompromising allegiance to the Sermon on the Mount.' Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Find peace to monk in the real world today,