A Pilgrimage to Canterbury

This candle burns perpetually as a reminder of prisoners of conscience and all those who suffer unjustly for their beliefs and actions.  "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing."

My DH asked at dinner "what are you going to write tonight?". I told him I had no idea but I hoped inspiration would hit.  It is not for a lack of it.  Today we made our way to the bus station and hopped the local stagecoach to Canterbury.  The bus we hopped was not direct but it sure was fun to drive through all the little villages and see the countryside.  Since the bus had the top level we ascended so we could see the scenery better.

It was mostly green fields dotted with livestock.  Baby lambs were very much in evidence.  At the restaurant this evening lamb was on the menu...and I just could not even stomach the thought!  

The first thing I see is this little lamb statue

But I digress.  Canterbury is a bustling city and once we reached our destination we hopped off and began to wander around.  We knew we would have no problem locating the Cathedral since it towered over the city quite spectacularly.  

We arrived at the visitor centre to pay the entrance fee.  Today was a discount day because we could not go into the nave of the church since there were graduation ceremonies taking place in there.  We could visit the crypt and chapels and some of the garden.

As we wandered around the parts where we were allowed and read interesting bits of history about the Cathedral and some of the clergy my DH pondered that neither of us likely thought we would ever be here to walk through this building, see the majestic beauty of it and literally walk the stairs that so many did over such a long period of history.  I teased my DH about checking out our new house on the grounds and then I said to him this is far too grand I am a mere peasant from the colonies!  Never mind they have never had a female clergy.  Better start them gently--that won't be me!!

While we had a few good laughs as we wandered about there were times of reflection and prayer.  How could there not be in such a place?

 

A section of the cloister.  

The ceiling of the cloister halls contain bosses which represent an array of late medieval English heraldry

Some of the arches of the cloister have rich coloured glass.  From the arches you look out on the graves of some of the archbishops and the floors of the cloister halls are all stones engraved with the names of who was buried there.

One of the many chapels

As you stand to one side of the church and look up!  

The chapel of Saints and Martyrs of our own time.  

Notice the sculpture off to the side and see the picture below for a closer look

The inscription for this chapel says

"In this chapel we thank God for the sacrifice of martyrdom, whereby truth is upheld and God's providence enriched.  We pray we may be worthy of their sacrifice."

Looking back toward the Nave.  The candle burning here is where the shrine of Thomas Beckett was before it was forcibly removed.  He was killed by the King's guards because, despite their friendship,  he did not side with the king but rather the church.  

Trinity Chapel

Ruins of the infirmary that was destroyed after an earthquake

This seemed to be the lodgings...

Since this was the Dean's door!

Some of the passages and their various door ways

Just a random shot of the grounds

A garden area on the grounds

Another section of this massive structure.

People were bustling about everywhere.  Some rushing others strolling and pausing.  Some kneeling in prayer.  Whatever brought each person to this building today there is no doubt we were all seekers and pilgrims.  

Notice how worn the step are in places from

 so many years of use.

“Faith is a belief in things that your senses have not experienced and your mind does not understand, but you have touched them in other ways and have accepted them. It is easy for one to speak of faith; it is another thing to live it.”
— Peace Pilgrim

Dover-a stroll through history

 

The Gatehouse, where soldiers kept watch 

and stopped anyone not a soldier from getting closer to the castle, how you ask...well an arrow to the shoulder apparently did the trick

A slow start on a foggy day and I have decided that visiting castles is just not happening for me.  A few years ago we were in Scotland and I hiked the five kilometres to the old castle ruins only to arrive and discover it was closed.  Today my DH and I decided on a later start to the day.  We hopped a bus to Dover, and began the walk up the hill to Dover Castle.  We are nearly there when we are stopped at a gate and told "the castle is closed today and tomorrow, come back on Wednesday.  That is all fine and good but we will be on the move again and going back won't be an option.  So we did not get to explore the castle and caves.  Down the hill we go again.  On the trek down we met a local who was happy to chat and suggest what we should see.  

The outside walls that we could see from our walk

Churches are not open today either ( only Sunday and Wednesday) so we only saw St. Mary from the outside. And no luck with graveyards or ancestoral information either.  I will need to head towards Devon.  My DH suggested I plan it after all when might I have the chance again.  Well it is a four hour train ride and it will have to keep for my next trip!

The church of St. Mary the Virgin. One of Dover's important churches for over 400 years.

So we went to the museum for a look around.  The bronze aged boat was fascinating, it was excavated in Dover.  The information about smuggling along the coastline was quite entertaining.

The boat dates back to before the time of Moses and King Tut

There was a special exhibition that was just set up, a tribute to Dunkirk.

A Bomb.  

The sign says to not climb on it!  I didn't need to be told twice

Knitted and crocheted poppies.  

These poppies were the result of an appeal to local crafters in 2017 so that this rug of poppies could be made as a tribute

And then we hired a taxi to take us to the White Cliffs so we could at least walk some of the trail.  

Not the panoramic shot but breathtaking none the less

Did I tell you it is foggy today??  The photo opportunities were not so good and as I write the blog I am listening to the fog horn.  A sound I quite like listening to, except it means poor visibility for those on the water.

A bus ride back to Folkestone and a walk along The Leas was a lovely ending to our excursion today.  

 

Folkestone Beach just below our hotel.  

I saw someone coming out of the cold water!!!

Hallowed be thy name

As my DH and I wandered through the ruins of Coventry Cathedral we noticed a number of plaques survived and it would seem a few were added at various places throughout the ruins.  I went to find what I figured would be the beginning of the Lord's Prayer.  I thought that it would be a prayer walk of some sort using the familiar words.  Much to my surprise it was a focus for prayer but using only one line from the prayer.  Six stones in total on the walls, relatively high up and were not necessarily seen at first glance.  But each one a unique call to prayer.

The Lord's Prayer was offered in the gospels by Jesus when he received the request to "teach us to pray."  The prayer began with a line of intimacy followed by an acknowledgment of the sacred reverence of calling upon God.  I sometimes get asked why I use different forms of the prayer.  The answer is simple I don't like it to be done by rote so that we do not have to stop and think about the words or what they mean.  The prayer holds powerful meaning.  It begins with intimacy, has reverence for the creator and hope for the coming of the kingdom, a call to provide for our needs, forgiveness given and received, a call to help us avoid the things that draw us from God's presence.

Here, however, we are going to hallow God's name as we take a short walk around the ruins and call to the fore where we will praise God.

Our focus at the first stop is the home.

The second focus is the Arts and creating

 The third focus is on education and a growing mind

The fourth is a focus to pray for government members and leaders

Fifth is the suffering, personal or corporate

At the Sixth spot the focus was on commerce

In what seems like the strangest of places to revere God's Holy name, a bombed out church, is the reminder that this too is a sacred space.  It reminds us of what was lost but more importantly that the building, as important as it was, did not end our relationship with the holy.  Here we are reminded that God can be praised, prayers can be raised in all places.

A stone that survived in the tower wall.  Hallowed is the one that reminds us of the importance of finding a place of peace.

Reconcilation

And finally we finish at the sculpture of reconcilation.  Placed here near the walk to Hallow God's name as a reminder that in the face of destruction human dignity and love will triumph over disaster and bring nations together in respect and peace.

May we Hallow God's holy name and presence.

 

Forgive them -- Coventry

 

Holy Trinity Church

We arrived at Coventry in the evening yesterday after traveling through the countryside on trains. The country side is beautiful.  It already has a lush green colour and the lambs were in the fields with Mama.  They look so very cute.

Today we took it easy and only visited the sites that I had on my list.  It is also the reason why we are only here for one day, I had a short list.  Coventry Cathedral.  The sight is nothing short of magnificent as you wander through a very busy shopping and eating area and there towering over it all are a number of towers.  The churches host signs of welcome for all to come in.

The first place we saw Holy Trinity Church asked people to "come inside to visit, to pray or just sit for a while."

Quite the impressive setting as you stepped in to the baptismal font.  I stepped up approximately three steps.  The font is the old style concrete and firmly planted.  It is still in use.  The clergy must be much taller than I am because a wiggly baby, a font that high and then as deep as that was I think I would have nightmares!

Stained glass is always impressive.  The window over the High Altar was blown out during WWII and as I understood from the greeter it was the only damage it sustained during the war.  The Cathedral just behind was not so fortunate.  The window was replaced and is called the Brides Window.  All marriages that took place after the destruction were asked to make a donation.  The window is unique as Jesus is depicted shaven.  

This place is most famous for its "Doom Painting", it is one of sixty such paintings in England.  It was re-discovered by accident in 1831, painstakingly uncovered from the whitewash and now preserved and carefully protected.  It is not a happy demonstration by any stretch of the imagination.

At its centre Christ is raising wounded hands in judgement and just off from the hands are scrolls.  One says "Come you blessed of my Father" and the other "Depart from me you who are cursed, into the eternal fire."  Also depicted are John the Evangelist, Peter next to Jesus and at the gates to heaven, Paul, a variety of Apostles, a pope leading the redeemed to heaven, an angel blowing the last trumpet, the stairs to heaven, Mary, the book of evidence presented at the last Judgement, figures of the dead rising from their graves, an orb representing the earth, figures at the feet of Jesus representing the redeemed and the damned, John the Baptist, high status women with ale and water vessels, a group of chained figures being led into the mouth of hell, and the mouth of hell with figures being licked by flames.  A real comforting piece!

The painting was common in medieval England and while called Doom it referred to Judgement.  The techniques and pigments used makes it one of the most significant pieces of medieval art.  

While that all had some extreme levity to it there were also moments of humour.  The tall chair showed just how creative clergy could be in getting around rules.  I found a kindred spirit!!  

The bishop's tall chair came about as a solution to a problem.  The Vicar at the time, Rev'd Walter Hook, wanted to invite his friend to church.  That should not have presented a problem but his friend was the Bishop of Ross, Moray and Aryll and there was a little law that the Church of England had at the time and it forbid Scottish clergy from "stepping foot" in its churches.  Hence the chair so that when his friend, a bishop turned up he sat in the chair and was carried into the church--a fabulous loop hole because the law was obeyed not a foot touched the hallowed floors!!

"Lord God, this little story makes some of us smile at our rules, regulations and how inventive we can be at getting around them.  Right now, our minds go to our church rule makers, be they officials, Bishop or other clergy.  We ask You that our church officials, Bishops and clergy will increasingly give direction and make decisions, that lead us closer and closer to our Lord nd Saviour Jesus Christ.  We pray that they will never become carried away by their positions of power and influence, but rather be ever humbled by their awesome responsibility to You and to us...."

Bishops may shake their heads at my humour and my kindred spirit of 1833 but I am happy to know that I have company from the ages!  

There was also a small Peace chapel, lovingly adorned with regimental colours, wreaths and poppies for those who had died in conflicts from this city.

After we left here we turned the corner and what we saw was heartbreaking because just behind this beautiful building was the rubble of the Cathedral.  The tower still stood but the church itself was reduced to nothing,  Little pieces of stained glass remain in the window frames. Pillars that soared were reduced to a mere few feet.  The destruction was total.  The altar is a charred ruin and right behind are the words, boldly proclaimed Forgive Them.  In a totally different context from Good Friday but an poignant reminder that nothing good comes from destruction and war.  This is also why the destroyed cathedral remains right next door to the newly built and much more modern building as a reminder that nothing good comes from war.

The tower was all that was unaffected

Look closely and see bits of stained glass

the entrance 

This was all that remained.  What looks like benches here is actually all that remains of the pillars.  In various places along what remains of the walls there are plaques "Hallowed be thy name..." and a general modern day concern is listed (that will require its own post)

Charred cross replica as two beams were found in the rubble forming a cross and the words right behind the altar "Father Forgive"

And rising from the ashes just down the steps is a beautiful new modern Cathedral.  

No less impressive in its new style.  The welcome sign was worth the read - but too long to include here!  One line said "we don't care if you are more Christian than the Archbishop of Canterbury or haven't been to church since Christmas Eve ten years ago" and finishes " We welcome pilgrims, tourists, seekers, doubters -- and especially you...PLEASE COME IN"

Well, that sets the tone!!  The first thing I do is catch a glimpse of a door to my left so I went up the few steps and wandered into the Unity chapel.  Symbolism from around the world made up this chapel.  There was a unique, what I assume, stations of the cross and an all round sense of peace in this small space.

Just a glimpse of the Unity Chapel for you.  The floor is full of symbolism from around the world

Now if one were to go right up to the glass top altar and point the camera directly down...

Let's move into the Cathedral next and as you walk out of this Chapel you are greeted with this wall

Underneath the stained glass is the font, never fear I have a close up.  It is much more user friendly than the last one! The rock was shipped from Bethlehem.

This font is quite unique!

The purple behind is the choir not a gaggle of bishops!

The High Altar

The kneelers at the altar all had embroidered blessings.

This is NOT the pulpit this is the lectern for the readers!  

The Chapel of Christ in Gethsemane, you are looking at the wall mural, the kneeling Angel of Agony, through a crown of thorns.

Chapel of Christ the servant.  As you enter you are greeted with the words from the Maundy Thursday foot washing.  Noticable in this chapel are the children's toys and activities.

The preserved Charred cross from the bombed out Cathedral.

Some of the new panels

From awe to heartbreak to resilience in such a very short distance.  Beauty rose from the destruction and here with the rubble right on the doorstep is the constant reminder that there are no winners in war.  The message that the Cathedral wanted to convey could not be more loudly proclaimed.