The Parish of Canvey Island

Sunday 24th July – Monday 1st August 2016

62.5 mile long distance path Melrose to Lindisfarne

St Cuthbert’s Way Pilgrimage

As we journey along this long distance path towards the holy island of Lindisfarne we will reflect on St Cuthbert’s life within the Celtic tradition. Pilgrimage Prayer: Collect for St Cuthbert’s day

Almighty God, Who called your servant Cuthbert from following the flock To follow your son and to be a shepherd of your people; In your mercy, grant that we, following his example, May bring those who are lost home to your fold; Through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, Who is alive and reigns with you In the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever, Amen

Our walk with God is never a lonely walk; it is a family occasion if taken in the company of others. If we lag behind, there are those who will turn and offer words of encouragements, hold out a hand and offer assistance over stiles and other obstacles, to share refreshment and help us from our knees when we stumble. Our walk with God is never a lonely walk; it is a joyful experience along the path - others join us attracted by the company of God’s children, singing the same songs of praise that angels sing, following a path worn by tears and joy and sacrifice. Our walk with God is never a lonely walk for he walks with us on a track that leads to a glorious destination. (Terry Brown) St Cuthbert Cuthbert was born in 635, the same year that a monk Aiden came from Iona to Lindisfarne to spread the Christian faith. Several instances from Cuthbert’s childhood – miracles and healings – suggested that there was something special about him. In 651 he had a vision of St Aiden’s soul being taken up to heaven and he rushed to join the monastery at Melrose. He served in the Celtic tradition in the monastery at Melrose and at Ripon and Lindisfarne.

He became Prior at Melrose when his mentor, the previous prior Boisil died from the plague. He reached out to the local communities, travelling on foot to remote settlements to spread the gospel and share the Eucharist. He would spend much time meditating as well as working hard in his duties.

He became Prior at Lindisfarne shortly after the Synod of Whitby which had sought to resolve the differences in the Roman and Celtic traditions. The outcome had been that the Roman tradition was adopted throughout the country, which caused friction with the Celtic monks. Cuthbert worked to bring about reconciliation in these difficult times.

Examples from his life show his healing powers, with many visiting him for healing and advice. (After his death, his body and possessions were also attributed with miraculous healings). However, he yearned to spend more time in meditation and he moved to the seclusion of the Inner Farne islands to live on his own. He returned to community living when he was made Bishop of Lindisfarne in 685 at York. Again, he visited people across the diocese, reaching out and spreading the gospel. After 2 years he returned to Inner Farne to prepare for his death. He died on 20 March 687 – and this day is now kept as his Saint’s day.

He was buried in Lindisfarne and his grave drew visitors and pilgrims from all around. 11 years later they moved his coffin into a more accessible shrine and found that his body remained intact. When the Vikings invaded, a group of monks took Cuthbert’s body and fled for safety. They travelled around the north of England, with a long stay at Chester-le-Street in a bid to keep his body safe, before finally settling in Durham in 995. Durham Cathedral was built to house his shrine.

Saints like Cuthbert may have lived hundreds of years ago, but their actions and commitment to the faith have shaped the picture of Christianity for us all. Cuthbert is known as the ‘Fire of the North’ due to his influence in shaping Christianity in that part of the country. Not long after Cuthbert entered the monastery at Melrose, St Cedd set off from Lindisfarne to Essex to bring the gospel to these parts – and set up a monastery at Bradwell.

Stained glass window of St Cuthbert, Durham Cathedral The Celtic Tradition Celtic worship has a strong emphasis on the physical world around us, in particular the gifts of nature. In the monastic community, life would flow into prayer and prayer would be a natural part of life. The monks and nuns followed the rhythms and patterns of nature and the sun – the quiet of night, the dawn, the beginning of work, midday, the setting of the sun, the end of the day. At each point these are moments to pause and recognise God’s presence and provision. God was in all their work and their work was directed towards God.

The prayers that we use from the Celtic tradition have been passed down the generations, and the words draw on the natural world around us.

The Celtic cross would have been at the centre of each community, before they had church buildings. The Cross intersects the circle of our lives. Day 1: Sunday 24th July Canvey Island to Melrose

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart, be all else but naught to me, save that thou art; be thou my best thought in the day and the night, both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.

(This ancient Irish hymn dates from the 6th century and could feasibly have been known and sung by St Cuthbert)

10am Start - We start our pilgrimage with the Parish Eucharist at Canvey Island - St Nicholas’

Depart St Nicholas’ approx. 11.15am Flight from Stansted: Easyjet 233 14:30; Arrive Edinburgh 15:40

We will be met by John from Walking Support and travel to Melrose by minibus. We will stop off at the site of the old monastery at Melrose (where St Cuthbert would have been) for a guided tour before being taken to the B&B (Kings Arms Hotel – 2 nights)

If suitable, we may say Compline at our overnight accommodation in Melrose. Setting off

Eternal God, give us the courage to set off on pilgrimage. May we travel unhindered by worldly possessions, Simply trusting in you for all that we need. Sometimes our hears will be heavy as we plod along And our feet will ache and feel dirty. Other times we will rejoice as the sun shines On the path stretching out before us. May we ponder the truth, That the pilgrim’s journey is never finished Till they reach home Amen (Jenny Childs)

The Journey – a sculpture by Fenwick Lawson reflecting the flight of monks with Cuthbert’s body after his death to keep it safe from the Vikings. There is one in Durham and another in St Mary’s Church Lindisfarne, where we will finish our pilgrimage. Day 2: Monday 25th July Melrose – Maxton (10 miles)

Theme: Cuthbert’s calling; setting off; our calling

Psalm 139 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (v23-24)

(The monks would have focussed on a different psalm each day and would recite them as they went about their work and journeying)

9.30am Access to the Abbey grounds and museum before setting off on the walk. (We aim to have a service in the Abbey ruins)

Summary: a steep climb early on with plenty to stop and see through the day

Route notes: steep climb through the Eildon Hills (730ft - 3 x length & steepness of Essex Way!)

We will make a short diversion to church at the village of Bowden, (which is usually open) where Lady Grisell Baillie was the first deaconess in the Church of Scotland.

We pass through the town of Newtown – where there may be shops, pubs etc (perhaps toilets?)

At Dryburgh – we’ll just go along the chain bridge to half way to enjoy the view (including Dryburgh Abbey – a later monastery) At the village of St Boswells (named after St Boisil – Cuthbert’s prior and mentor), we’ll visit the 15th century church (which is usually open).

Maxton church – just before the village - is the end of our Day 1 walk – we’ll aim to have a short service in the church - this is the only church on the route dedicated to St Cuthbert.

The minibus will come and pick us up and take us back to our overnight stop at Melrose.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word, be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord; be thou my great Father, and I thy true son; be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Day 3: Tuesday 26th July Maxton – Cessford (13.5 miles)

Theme: God’s provision & protection

Psalm 91 ‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust” (v1-2)

Pack up bags and leave ready for transfer

Summary: Varied walking, in open countryside. Gentle slope up at start of day over first 2 miles (1/2 steepness of EW) then later 1xEW, followed by 1.5xEW but steep and another more gentle incline.

9.15am The minibus will take us back to the start of the day’s walk at Maxton Church

Route notes: Maxton is a small village with neither shop nor pub. We will walk along the Dere Street - the Roman road which linked Edinburgh to York. St Cuthbert would have used this as it was one of the few roads at that time.

We will do a short diversion to Harestanes Visitors Centre on the banks of the River Teviot and reflect on the story of the eagle providing Cuthbert with a salmon when he had nothing to eat. The centre has toilets – open until 5pm and is noted for excellent tea rooms! – (and we need to get a stamp in the guide book here!) After we cross the river, there’s an ‘Essex Way’ equivalent climb then downhill before a bigger, steeper climb (1.5 EW) and then a gentler climb. We’ll stop for a simple Evening Service before descending to the small hamlet of Cessford, where we finish the day’s walk.

The minibus will take us to our accommodation in Kirk Yetholm (The Farmhouse – 4 people) and Yetholm (The Plough Hotel – 6 people) - both for 2 nights.

Circle us, O Lord - keep protection near and danger afar. Circle us, O Lord – keep hope within, keep despair without Circle us, O Lord – keep light near and darkness afar Circle us, O Lord – keep peace within and anxiety without. The Eternal Father, Son & Holy Spirit shield us on every side Amen.

Day 4: Wednesday 27th July Cessford – Kirk Yetholm (9 miles) Theme: Hills & Hilltop experiences; glory of Creation

Psalm 121 “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth” (v 1&2)

Summary: This is the steepest section – climb 800ft (3xlength & steepness of EW) Varied walking, no stopping points. Undulating terrain.

9.15am The minibus will take us back to Cessford.

Route notes: The first part of the day’s walk is along roads to the village of Morebattle – complete with shops, pub toilets – opposite the post office. The parish church dates from 1757 and is a Pilgrim coffee shop with space for devotions. We’ll have a morning service and gather our energy for the hilly section which follows.

The hill up from the river is 800ft - 3 x EW. Along the ridge at the top is Wide Open Hill – this is the highest point of SCW and is approximately half-way!

It’s all downhill after this climb, until we come into a small climb into the end of the day’s walk at Kirk Yetholm (shops & facilities in Yetholm – before reach Kirk Yetholm). We’ll aim to have a Eucharist service in the church at Kirk Yetholm (open during daylight hours)

It’s just a short walk back to overnight accommodation (split between Kirk Yetholm & Yetholm) Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight; be thou my whole armor, be thou my true might; be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower: O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.

Day 5: Thursday 28th July (Sam’s birthday!) Kirk Yetholm - Wooler (13 miles)

Theme: Refreshment; The Lord is my Shepherd

Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (v 1-3)

Summary: This might be the hardest day – quite hilly and long. Some steady climbs (with lovely views), no obvious stopping places. 3 climbs: 1xEW; 2xEW; 2.5xEW

Route Notes: We’ll start with a morning service back at the church before heading off across the hilly countryside. We are on road initially, uphill (about the height of EW but twice as steep). This section links up with the Pennine Way and then its across the open countryside with another hill (double the length and steepness of Essex Way), where we cross the border from Scotland – England.

We’ll pass Yeavering Bell – a large baptismal site from 627AD (before Cuthbert)

The small village of Hethpool (after 5 miles) has a B&B so we might find a toilet there?

After crossing the river at Hethpool, we’re onto more hilly & open terrain. There’s an 850ft climb over 2.5 miles (slightly steeper than EW but 2.5 times as long). After this it’s mainly downhill to the end of the day at the market town of Wooler. We’ll aim to have a short service at the church (St Mary’s?*) before walking a short distance (downhill) to our overnight accommodation

David will be arriving today and will walk to meet us (hopefully!)

(Tankerville Arms Hotel – 1 night)

We also need to get the guidebook stamped at the Tourist Centre

Day 6: Friday 29th July Wooler – St Cuthbert’s Cave (7.5 miles)

Theme: Preparation

Psalm 37 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath. Do not fret – it leads only to evil” (v5-8)

Make sure we got the guide book stamped!

Summary: Easy section – no steep hills - 1 climb 1xEW and good views

Route notes: We’ll start with a reflection back at the church and then head off uphill (1 xEW) across Weetwood Moor – also called Whitsun bank – which was the site of a great annual fair at Whitsun.

We’ll cross Weetwood bridge – where English armies marched with Cuthbert as their ‘patron saint’ – they carried in their banner a cloth from Cuthbert’s tomb which was the cloth he used when celebrating the Eucharist.

Then there’s a gently climb up from the river (less than EW) to Weetwood Hall, where we can look ahead to Doddington Moor where Cuthbert tended sheep as a child. There’s a long climb of 400ft over 2.5 miles but near the top we’ll come to St Cuthbert’s cave – where monks took his body for safety from the Vikings. This is the end of our day’s walk.

We’ll be joined at the cave by Gill, Carol, Michelle and Faye who arrive for the final weekend and share a service here.

The Knot Prayer

Dear God, Please untie the knots that are in my mind, my heart, and my life Remove the have nots, cannots and the do nots. Erase the will nots, may nots and might nots that may find a home in my heart Release me from the could nots, would nots and should nots that obstruct my life. And most of all, dear God, I ask that you remove from my mind, my heart, and my life all of the ‘am nots’ that I have allowed to hold me back. Especially the thought that I am not good enough. Amen Day 7: Saturday 30th July St Cuthbert’s Cave - Lindisfarne (9.5 miles)

Theme: Transition & companionship

Psalm 122 “I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.” (v1-2)

Summary: Downhill stretch before heading across the sands /mud on the Pilgrims Path to Lindisfarne

Route notes:

The minibus will take us back to St Cuthbert’s Cave.

We’ll detour 50m to get view of Lindisfarne – our first sight of our destination. Then it’s generally downhill to the coast, crossing the East Coast mainline railway on the way.

(Meanwhile, Gill and Carol will take the more direct 2 mile route from the B&B to the causeway, perhaps stopping off at the tea rooms in Beal! )

Safe times to cross the causeway to Lindisfarne via Pilgrim’s path across the sands / mudflats: 17:20-21:05 (path is covered for 1 hour longer than road.) But we may be able to start earlier on the outgoing tide, depending on local conditions. It’s 2.5 miles across the sands and can take up to 2 hours.

We will move swiftly to the Retreat House and then dinner at the Manor Hotel. We will probably have a service of some kind later that evening. Overnight: Lindisfarne (Open Gate Retreat House – 10 people; Manor House Hotel – weekenders – 2 nights) – all bags will be delivered to Open Gate.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise: be thou mine inheritance now and always; be thou and thou only the first in my heart; O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.

The Pilgrim’s Path to Lindisfarne

Day 8: Sunday 30st July Lindisfarne

Theme: Being rooted in God

Psalm 19 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (v1) We will join the main parish service at 10.45am at St Mary’s church, next to the ruins of Lindisfarne priory.

Afterwards we will visit the Priory ruins.

Then there is Free Time in Lindisfarne to explore or to rest. There is a Castle to visit, or a nature trail (3 miles) or sit and rest a while!

We’ll share an evening service on St Cuthbert Island – a little island just off Lindisfarne accessible at low tide - which is where Cuthbert first retreated to solitary meditation. Day 9: Monday 1st August Lindisfarne - Canvey Island

Theme: Returning

David, Michelle and Faye will set off early.

The Minibus will pick up from Open Gate at 10.45

We’ll drop Carol and Gill off at Berwick station on our way to Edinburgh airport.

Depart Edinburgh Easyjet flight 238 14:25

Arrive Stansted 15:45. Ray Haste, John Udall and Ken Roberts will meet us and bring us back to Canvey.

High King of heaven, thou heaven's bright sun, O grant me its joys after victory is won; great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all. In gratitude, in deep gratitude for this moment, this experience, these people we give ourselves to you.

Lead us out to live as a changed people because we have shared the Living Bread and cannot remain the same.

Ask much of us, expect much from us, enable much by us, encourage many through us.

So, Lord, may we live to your glory, both as citizens of earth and citizens of the commonwealth of heaven Where our pilgrimage will be complete. (Pocket Prayers for Pilgrims compiled by John Pritchard) 62.5 Mile Pilgrims: Sandra Tudor Sam Tudor Marilyn Smith Rev Marion Jan Rust Margaret Haste Rev Terry Kay Brown Faye Banks

Final weekend: Rev David Carol Toplis Rev Faye Gill Darby Michelle Tackie

Devotions – who’s doing what & when

Date / Co-ordinator Reader Prayers Sun 24th (Rev Marion) - - Mon 25th (Rev Marion) Jan Kay Margaret Tue 26th (Rev Terry) Marilyn - Faye Banks Wed 27th (Sam) Kay Sam Sam Thur 28th (Rev Marion) Jan Sandra Marilyn Fri 29th (Rev Terry) Margaret - Faye Banks th Sat 30 (Rev Marion) Gill Faye Bailey (reflection) Sam Terry Sun 31st (Sandra) Carol Michelle

Mon 1st (Rev Marion) - - Route Summary: Monday 25th July Melrose – Maxton (10 miles) Tuesdy 26th July Maxton – Cessford (13.5 miles) Wednesday 27th July Cessford – Kirk Yetholm (9 miles) Thursday 28th July Kirk Yetholm – Wooler (13 miles) Friday 29th July Wooler – St Cuthbert’s Cave (7.5 miles) Saturday 30th July St Cuthbert’s Cave to Lindisfarne (9.5 miles)