14 September - November 2014 ISSUE 002 our spiritual ancestry lies in the Church of England. And so we went. our spiritualancestry liesintheChurchof England.Andsowe AsAnglicans, values. and their experiences their them, reflect surely and makeuswho Wearenotour grandparents,butourlives we are. helps toshape Ourfamilytreeus family tree. discovering ourspiritual as much so nothing like is which roots, spiritual our exploring mind: in a specialpurposeholy places,butwith to visit intended we certainly Our pilgrimageanddifferent; wasbothsimilar in Canterbury. Becket Thomas à of shrine great the to Southwark way from pilgrims ontheir Tales aboutagroupCanterbury wrote theof Chaucer Geoffrey 1300s, late the In faith. people of outstanding with associated shrines to beganMiddle Ages, theygoingthe walked. In Jesus to walkwhere have madeway Holy Landinorder theirtothe Christians centuries, Downthroughthe Passover.) celebrate to Jerusalem way to their family making and his boy Jesus the of (Think events. holy peopleor are specialbecause theyareholy,orbecauseassociated with places that pilgrimages to drawn to have alwaysbeen faith People of was myprivilegetoguideourreflectionsonpilgrimage. of England.Church a weekonpilgrimagerootsinthe It to ourspiritual and current formermembers In May,thirtyofStJohn’sCathedral spent St John’sCathedralPilgrimsoutsideKing’sCollegeCambridge A PilgrimagetoourAnglicanRoots Exploring ourSpiritualFamilyTree by JohnKater one of the greatest gifts our ancestors gave us, we found gave us, ancestors our gifts greatest one ofthe Evensong, surely at music church English perhaps the or journey, own spiritual about our private conversations of intimacy the or sky the into soaring Cathedrals great moved splendorof by the whether pilgrims; century 21st our places” for “thin were placeswe visited the of Many realise. we usually than be narrower to found is distance betweenGodandus the places” where “thin of pilgrimage, that our concept on helpful especially who family theCelts gaveouttobe us whatturnedan spiritual our members of earliest those is Perhaps it well. hybrid as inevitably is history people whosereligious was ahybrid 1066. Theresult conquered Englandin the Frenchinvaderswho from Scandinavia,andfinally by later Vikingmarauders and SaxonsfromGermany, by Angles and then ago byRomaninvaders, years joined twothousand were tribes Celtic England’s original complex. remarkably roots are those We discoveredthat seminaries with a stunning new chapel, anexampleofhowour a stunning with seminaries and who welcomed oldest ofEngland’s John’s us toexplorethe Percy, iswellknownatSt Cuddesdon, whose Principal,Martyn Oxfordto Ripon Our stopinalsoincluded avisitCollege eliminated. hadReformers the that of medievalChristianity elements many restored John Keblebegan“Oxford Movement”that the hundred yearslater, three Fromsamepulpit nearly Mary.” the by “Bloody stake the at being burned before 1556 in testimony Anglicanismweknowtoday,gave last created the his that the Book of Common Prayer and engineered theReformation who gaveus Thomas Archbishop ofCanterbury, Cranmer, VIII’s ago. where Henry InOxford,weChurch, explored theUniversity a thousand years nearly Archbishop ofCanterbury the Becket, Thomas à of murder the led to that and State between Church conflict on the wereflected AtCanterbury, troubled history! had acomplicatedand sometimes ancestors spiritual Our that Godwasnostrangerbutourconstantcompanion. especially closetous. God hadseemedtocomeplaces” where about ourown“thin we thought course And of us. with presence their feel almost when wecould away settings had seemedfarandalsothe ancestors our and placeswhere times the tree, family spiritual as weexploredour we hadencountered surprises about the pilgrimage, wethought of the night last onthe our reflections In only tousbutthewholeworld-widechurchineverytime. not ancestors spiritual of our contributions the which isoneof music of worshipthrough heritage preserved the which has Cambridge,in stop onourpilgrimagewasKing’sCollege The last us intheEucharist. meet God comesto where altar, forward tothe time same the Godbeyond yet at towards thewhoisalwaysinsomesenseus, drawnupward and beyond is itself eye Doors,your West great the through Cathedral the asyouenter churches: of their architecture very the in itself expressed faith ancestors’ our how understand to opportunity the gave us Cathedral Lincoln created inGod’simage. beings human of worthy life a to access and have respected people are all which in society a for and work speak England to of Church and calledthe through devastatingstrikes them supportedpoorEngland’s north, of thein suffering saw the Temple of Canterbury. and later Temple, ArchbishopofYork such asWilliam past --andalsoofmodern Christians centuries from memories ofleaders hold the and whoseCathedrals of Viking raids them inthefaceofterror sustained faith whose ancestors we rememberedour and Durham, York In best ofcontemporaryarchitecture. with the faith their today toexpress cousins” continue “spiritual King’s College Chapel Interior oftheHarryBellTower,CanterburyCathedral 15 16 September - November 2014 ISSUE 002 but I am confident that just as God was with those spiritual spiritual those God waswith as just that am confident but I an easyanswer; with a question not is It home again. am at I myself nowthat ask I is aquestion of England,andit Church about asImade That iswhatIthoughtmy way around the setting asourancestorslearnedtodointheirs? our to Godin and doubtspains, and hopes,ourfears own concerns we bringour Howcan 2014? in like Kong look in HongChurch thousand yearsago;butwhatdoesafaithful a Canterbury in looked like church We knowwhatafaithful context? our in Christians as identity our How doweaffirm and valuesdrawnfrommanycultures. USA, wearehybrid Kong orthepeople, or Britainwithcustoms we whetherarefromHong them, did Like ancestors intheirs. as our spiritual -can andinourcontext express liveourfaith Hong Kong2014 like in settings in how we-wholive ourselves leads ustoask it Rather, from it! make usmoreEnglish;far England doesn’t of Church in the roots spiritual Exploring our theirs. did in ancestors as our just own placeandtime our in live to us God wants lives live the discover howto to is task our Simplytocopywouldbewrong;who weare. tryingthem us helped make they though even grandparents, our not We are us. for meant all it about what together thought we also But differences ofopinionorpracticethatdivideus. we the faithshareincommon that isfargreaterthanthe understand came to they opinion because of hold differences was bigenoughto that build achurch to learned ancestors our by time, Andwewerestruckhow,through identity. Protestant and thosewho heritage embraced emphasised Catholica their and betweenAnglicans who and Reformers, between Catholics Pope the toimposeaRomanconflicts way church; of beingthe bysent Roman and themissionaries Christians Celtic original the between conflicts and State; Church power, between of conflicts centuries: down the through English Christians had troubled that conflicts many about the thought also We Christian community. and ofthe life witness how tothe important ishospitality again by Wewerestruck celebrations. meals andtheir their countryside, their and also and worship, prayer their shared of peoplebut fullwhosewarmwelcomeseasedourway as we we are usedto than istoday:smaller as it congregationsfar of EnglandChurch And werememberedourglimpsesofthe Lincoln Minster King’s College Cambridge:NigelGibson Lincoln, Yorkand Canterbury:LouisaSo Group Photo:Tessa Walker Photos in thespring. and atMing HuaTheologicalHongKongterm, College, autumn the Deacons in School for he teachesatCDSPandthe 2007, in retirement ‘official’ Since California. Berkeley, Pacific in the Divinity Schoolof ofChurch faculty hejoinedthe 1990 In San FranciscodeAsísinPanamaCity. Episcopal of Iglesia Diocese ofPanamaandpriest-in-charge forthe John served aseducationofficer to 1990, From 1984 taught for10yearsasavisitingprofessoratVassarCollege. New and also EpiscopalPoughkeepsie,York, at Christ Church, rector as served he Virginia, of Hong Kong.Anative to visitor a much-loved is frequent Revd DrJohnKater the Note: Editor’s in ourownplaceandtime. faith to bepeople of as weseek us with to walk God continues pilgrimage,our of step every and waswithus ours, of ancestors Tessa Walker to inspiring see.just soaringglass,the were columns tous in? worship beautifulThe for today that stand they still to monuments such build faith, the defined theyPilgrimage for me. did How what are marvels andarchitecturalA visual feast Ruth Phillipson Ruth singing. sublime their with place all of to thinnest me the transported choir College where the Chapel, Cambridge and attending Choral Evensong inKing’s Cathedral,Durham unadorned and majestic entering lingering dusk, inthe solid, trees the Canterbury Cathedralglimpsing through tous. many I experienced “thin”moments: incrediblyfeels inexplicably and God near always. me with place wherethin A one is John Kater’s phrase, place”,“a thin remain will Ron LyeRon pilgrims. the shared with generously andinsightsperspectives he has the both heartthrough mind and I haveI feel spiritually gained in to what istoday. it the that Anglican shaped Church has complicated crosscurrents history of the forunderstand helping us toProf goes Kater credit Much Pilgrim’s Reflections David Chong upon. had rain they grazed tothe brought pasture the that goodness for the gratitude well their as as peace inner their manifested perhaps postures ill weather;the about calm their expressions and complaining rain,in the norneither fretting or lying standing either sheep of flocks with dotted fields green open and vast - windows the outside by scenes the mesmerised I was the of landscapes Yorkshirerugged and Dales, along coach the While on steered winding the Mary Szeto life! with throbbing is Minster the and Uganda, the woman, formerly from Archbishop vibrantworking church. DeanThe a is a as proudly stands still and times, changes, about toadjusting modern brought and offabsorbed enemies, days, fought glory its seen It has whatwe are, progress. in work a For me, York encapsulates Minster Louisa So Louisa toreturn Lincoln. atI close work, eyes my will and detailsendlessand tasks tedious Iam small faced when know with imagination.in my and memory I toam return sure inmy I will it physically there again, go but I be called place; athin not Imay To CathedralLincoln me, would Canterbury Cathedral 17 17