St. Ebbe And Seder Soup
It was a delight to meet with my friend Chris Lane who was staying on Holy Island. Chris has a PhD but has chosen to plant a church in a poor housing estate. SCM Press are to re-publish that classic book on indigenous mission by Vincent Donovan, and have asked Chris to write an introduction. His introduction includes a description of how Aidan listened from the heart to the locals.
It was also a delight to kick off Holy Week with Sunday and Monday visits to Beadnell, thirty miles south along the coast. The Beadnell Church is one of only four churches dedicated to St. Ebbe. The others are at Oxford, Ebbchester and Coldingham. Archeologists discovered remains which make me surmise that after Ebbe founded a short-lived monastery at the Roman fort they re-named Ebbchesterr, and before she founded her monastery at Coldingham/St. Abb's Head where Cuthbert prayed all night and had his feet warmed in the morning by otters, she stopped off here on her sea journey norrth and started a faith community that flourishes to this day. The church is beside a hotel and cafe which church members frequent. On Easter Eve they will have a BBQ Easter fire in the square in front of these places.
On Thursday I joined Holy Week retreatants at The Open Gate for a talk by Robert and lunch. This included a delicious seven herbs Seder soup made by Jutta.
On Good Friday I joined Churches Together for a Walk of Witness in Berwick Town Centre.
Happy Easter!
