Report from Iona

I'm here in Iona! I know it's been a few days since I've been able to check in, but there is a hotel on the island that has some terminals for rent with Internet access.

The journey here was a delight. It was fun to spend some time in Edinburgh and Glasgow before the long journey -- eating cullen skink, riding a double-decker bus, listening to a bagpiper, and watching the Andy Murray-Andy Roddick tennis match in a pub in Glasgow. It was a great time.

The journey was long -- it took almost 8 hours to get from my hotel in Glasgow to the isle of Iona, including two bus rides (one on a one-lane road across the isle of Mull, which was quite exciting!) and two ferry rides. But the travel was uneventful.

The isle of Iona has a harsh beauty. Rocky outcroppings with green pasture land, and full of old ruins of various types. I'm staying in a room in the Abbot's House, adjoining the Abbey, with six other men, all clergy, four from the US, one from Canada, and one from England. There are about 50 residents staying here this week, I think, and they are from a variety of nations. It's a wonderful thing to live in community with such a diverse group. We don't all agree on a lot of things, but we all live together in community, in harmony. What the church is supposed to be, right?

The worship here has been very simple. Services are at 9am and 9pm each day, with themes for the evening times of worship. Last night was a time of quiet worship, tonight will be a service focusing on justice and peace.

The island is a beautiful place to explore, and I hope to go on an "off-road" pilgrimage tomorrow to see and learn about some of the sights.

There is also a lot of time to rest, to pray, to read, to walk, to nap, and to wonder at the determination of St. Columba and the other monks who established this place.

I don't have the ability to download my photos to the computer in the hotel, so pictures will have to wait. But know that I am here safely, and that all is well.