Having just had a beautiful week away with the family in northern Argyll, which incorporated a visit to the beautiful Isle of Iona, I’m home and beginning to notice the internal movements of the heart in this season of transition.
Moving to full time ministry at Arran Baptist Church after two years of part time along with part time at Sannox Christian Centre, the predominant feeling right now is a sort of ‘relief.’ Certainly not any kind of relief to do with stepping away from Sannox, as I’ll still be involved there, but maybe just a psychological relief of releasing the pressure of trying to split myself and my time in two in such a structured way to ensure everyone gets their fair bit of the cherry. I was the main applicator of stress in that in terms of expectations of myself – the most challenging expectations to try and get over!
I had just one small moment on Iona which was a key in my thinking and processing. It was a still, silent, solitary and fleeting moment of peace. That, and just the long memory contained on that small island reminded me that history will run its course and there is nothing we can do to rush it on. We can simply be present to what is before us, then love and serve God within it.
I picked up a simple postcard in the Iona Community shop, a quote attributed to St Columba, that I knew was a word in season! It simply read,
Iona of my heart
Iona of my love
Instead of monk’s voices
shall be the lowing of cattle
but ere the world come to an end,
Iona shall be as it was.
Whatever that meant to Columba, and however you read it, the thought that provoked in me is that everything shifts and changes, even in spite of us and the worthiness of our contribution to the cause of Christ. Even if our part here and now fritters away, it all happens in the context of the economy of the Kingdom of God where nothing done for Him is wasted, even if it changes beyond recognition.
That is kind of freeing. It doesn’t depend on me. In 50, 100, 500 years time I’m not likely to be remembered by anyone or anything…and that is very ok!
In the new landscape before me now, the time adjustment isn’t to be filled with frantic activity, but with the space and time to live more deeply out of my relationship with Jesus, from which place any authentic, worthwhile ministry comes. That’s the theory…
Andrew S M Clark 