When on pilgrimage in Scotland, we were able to spend time touring the massive Durham Cathedral and pray at the tomb of St. Cuthbert and then at the opposite end of the nave we prayed at the tomb of the historian St. Bede. It was not about death and dying. Rather, we were surrounded by a remarkable witness of faith through history.
Quick example. I’m walking away from the tomb of St. Cuthbert and go down the steps to exit. On the side wall is a list of Durham bishops. The list goes back to 635 AD with St Aidan and Lindisfarne priory. I looked down the heady roll call list and found Michael Ramsey who became the archbishop of Canterbury in my formative years and was known for holding the unity of the church through turbulent times.
Then I noticed one of my favorite authors, N.T. Wright. He has written well-over seventy (70!) books from biblical scholarship and theology to books of the everyday Christian. His appointment as Bishop of Durham took him away from writing but allowed him to provide thoughtful leadership for the church.
So, I continued down the list of the Durham bishops and wouldn’t you know the name of Justin Welby popped up who is the current Archbishop of Canterbury. As I walked away, there was the feeling of being on hallowed ground and a sense of the past and present holding and bearing witness to a living faith in Jesus Christ. God comes alive in certain places and at certain times and while on pilgrimage this reality is not simply a memory but a hope for tomorrow. On Sunday, we left Durham and stopped at the Melrose Abbey.
Before walking the grounds, we reflected on the abbey being the first place where St. Cuthbert began his ministry and was welcomed to Melrose by the prior Basil. It was here, he was greatly respected for his patience, spirituality and respect for all in the community. As a leader grows, so too does the community.
There with the abbey in the background, we worshipped and broke bread together. The presence of Christ, the reality of Jesus in our lives, was not abstract but tangible as the bread. To think, we went from the living cathedral of Durham where St. Cuthbert was buried, now to the Melrose Abbey, where St. Cuthbert began his formation in Christ was a link that held together Celtic Christianity before our eyes, our spirits and yes, our souls.
Our Eucharist was led by the Rev. Libby Wade who offered prayers from a Celtic liturgy and we feasted together on the Word made flesh. You see, something about the Spirit seemed to touch us as we worshipped and held the bread. Yes, the sense of purpose and the coherence of our faith, down through the ages, was now in our hands. And the ground we stood on was holy. God was still acting in a specific time and a definite place on the day of worship in our hearts.
1 thought on “Melrose Abbey and Breaking Bread”
That was beautiful, wish I had been there. The Durham cathedral looks awe inspiring, like it’s in a world of its own. Think how many nooks, crannies, odd shaped rooms and unseen staircases it must have the way old bldgs do only moreso.