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Sabbatical update : Wales and Ireland!

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We had quite the adventure in Wales and Ireland. First we took the train to Holyhead from Hull, going via Manchester. We arrived and wheeled our bags uphill half a mile (a lot harder than it sounds on narrow streets) to our BnB. Having thankfully eaten dinner already, we settled in the parlor with a free drink and chatted with guests from Northern Ireland and Germany. The next day I spotted this little one having milk near the BnB. We checked out St. Cybi's church, the site of a Roman fort that had been then taken over as a Christian church. There is a local pilgrimage between this church and another church associated with another local saint, St. Seiriol. St. Cybi would walk to meet St. Sieriol to visit, and since he walked towards the sun he would become tanned and got a nickname as such. By contrast. Sieriol was light skinned as the sun was always at his back. In Holyhead we also walked by the water and took the bus to another bustling oceanside area. I stuck my feet into the oc...
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Sabbatical Update - England! (rest of week 6 and start of vacation)

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  What a lovely week so far of connecting with family and friends! We landed in London, which was hot but beautiful, and got to our hotel in the downtown area off of the Strand and close to Covent Garden, which boasts views like the above. The next day was Six! and you can see the lovely Vaudeville theatre above. It is a play that fills in more details of the lives of Henry the Eighths' six wives with a feminist spin. But beforehand, we explored some London sites and churches, including a whimsical and moving exhibit on Pall Mall (Palace Mall) by a British-Chinese artist exploring the concepts of home, a walk around St. James' Park and a visit to a couple of churches. London was colorful and grand, and we even got to visit with two of my cousins. Sadly my godmother was not up for a visit but we had a marvelous email exchange, and perhaps my visit was the catalyst for a deeper sharing with her. It was great to see cousins I had not seen in 7 and 15 years respectively! Here is my...
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Sabbatical Update- weeks 5 and 6!

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  Last week, I was blessed by the opportunity to take part in an eight-day silent retreat given by Contemplative Outreach at Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino. For the first three days, Alene joined me, which was a blessing. On the last day, she picked me up, and we even got to see the Odyssey with my parents at a movie theatre on the way back!  Every day, we sat for meditation in the morning, ate in silence, and had a teaching session about contemplative practices and Centering Prayer by Fr. Bill Sheehan, an expert on CP who has been practicing since its start in the US in the early 1980's with Fr. Thomas Keating. The sessions were the only times when we could talk. After a daily Eucharist service (serving communion to all who believe in the real presence), we ate lunch in silence, did an optional two-part sit, then had downtime in the afternoon to do crafts/pray/read/walk, and then in the evening we would eat dinner in silence, do a sit and have quiet time to reflect. Thi...
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Sabbatical Update - Week 4!

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 Sabbatical - thoughts  on sabbathing This has been a more reflective week as I have taken time to do some things around the house that have not been tended to, gotten to try a new flow yoga class and a new juice bar, and visit online with some friends and work on my intercultural ministry class with another friend. I have also been able to step briefly out of sabbatical mode (and then back in!) in order to prepare for a service for Dave Matthews that was preplanned early in my sabbatical to take place right before my vacation time and after my retreat time. I have been thinking a lot about sabbatical time. Coming from the root word, "sabbath," while for academics it means rest and time to dig deep into a project; for clergy it often means to rest, recover and remember who we are during a time set aside from the responsibilities of ministry. We don't cease to be priests in this time, and I have even requested some prayer requests so I can pray for folks, especially as I e...
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Sabbatical Update - Okinawa!

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  (the Episcopal Church, All Souls', and Nippon Sei Ko Kai's seals, stylized) I just spent the last few days in Okinawa, Japan. We flew out of Narita airport in Tokyo, which I admit I would have loved to linger in longer. It was full of wonderful shops, often including a cultural theme, not just your typical airport tchotchkes and snacks. There was a whole store for the fabric that is traditionally used to wrap gifts in Japan. I was grabbing a quick catch-up with Alene (important to catch her midday due to the time difference) as we waited to be able to check in.  Landing in Okinawa, I was first struck by the beautiful orchids everywhere in the airport, and when we ventured out, the heat! As we hailed a taxi and rode the approximately one-hour drive (in traffic) from Naha to Chatan. We drove part of the way along the water, and it was wonderful to connect with a part of the ocean so far away from home. We arrived at All Souls’ Parish Rectory just as the sun was setting. I was ...
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