One of the enjoyable features of a time at St Deiniol’s is you meet a number of people even more interesting than yourself! Sean’s well meant advice about the resident scholar pursuing the identity of the young man in Mark came far too late of course. I did indeed meet this tireless scholar and one of my first questions was, ‘What are you researching?’ And yes, some time later I was still sat there receiving a deep education on exegetical options I’d never have imagined possible or plausible. I threw in a little twist of my own and asked if the young man in Mark was the first gospel’s equivalent of the Beloved Disciple in John – that took us to Bauckham and back some time later.
Then there was the afternoon conversation over earl grey tea and chocolate cake with an elderly Philadelphian doing research into the family history and theological ancestry of Hannah Whittall Smith, Keswick, perfectionism and much else. She gave us a sharply observed run down on US politics, particularly scathing on the patronising President who’s giving up golf to avoid offending parents whose sons won’t be home from Iraq to play golf. Her views on Hillary and Obama were clear, informed, slightly prejudiced (which she acknowledged), and hoped to see the first black President of the US before she died, and so she would die happy. After a tour of Wesleyan perfection, Dubya Bush’s imperfection, and Obama’s near perfection, she took her leave from the table, raising her hand outward in the sign of peace, pronouncing the rarely used benediction, ‘Keep the faith, baby!’ An utter delight.
Then there was (and is) the chaplain for the month, The Rev Arderne Gillies from Chorleywood Free Church (Baptist). First spoke with Arderne on Monday night, when she suggested we take a walk in the grounds of Hawarden castle (see later this post for the consequences of this pastoral advice!) As chaplain, Arderne celebrated the pre-breakfast Eucharist with the guests during our stay. Now you read it right – Arderne is a Baptist minister, chaplain for a month at St Deiniol’s, and she celebrated according to the liturgy of the Church of Wales – which allowed me the rare privilege of being ministered to in a worship service thoroughly ecumenical, overtly egalitarian, and movingly personal as we received the bread and wine with the affirmations and blessings which express the mystery and gift that is the Body and Blood of Christ. And the service was conducted with such care as requires personal preparation, the intercessory prayers earthed into the hurts and hopes of a broken world, and the solemnity of the service tempered by the engaged presence of one spiritually at one with both congregation and her own role as minister. Thanks Arderne.
The version of the Lord’s Prayer used is the traditional form with the petition, ‘Forgive us our tresspasses…..’ which we prayed with sincere fervour, having fallen foul of the factor in Sir William Gladstone’s estate, because we were so busy blethering we didn’t notice the wee private signs, and inadvertently trod on one of the recently declared non public parts of England’s green and pleasant land! Comes from being Scottish where such laws of tresspass aren’t so easily enforced. One of those occasions when pastoral advice about walking the walk can mean offending the world!
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