Green Patches

We Shall Not Be Overcome

He did not say, 'You shall not be tempest-tossed, you shall not be work-weary, you shall not be discomforted.' But he said, 'You shall not be overcome.'

 - Julian of Norwich

"I saw that he is to us everything that is good"

St Julian's Church, Norwich

 

He is our clothing. In his love he wraps and holds us. He enfolds us for love, and he will never let us go. 

I saw that he is to us everything that is good.

 - Julian of Norwich

'Busy' Fauve and Contemplative Gannets - 2

 

"So beware of behaving wildly like some animal and learn to love God with quiet, eager joy, at rest in body as in soul. Remember your manners, and wait humbly upon our Lord's will. Do not snatch at it, like some greedy greyhound, however much you long for it."

 - The Cloud of Unknowing cp 46 

Cathedrals, cells and contemplation

Of, amongst other things this week, miles and miles of motorway as we took a few days away to visit our son, who's newly completed his second year at UEA Norwich. It was fun to rediscover the city after many many years away. The last time I was there was as a teenager over 35 years ago, and, to be honest, all I can remember was going to the assembly rooms to watch the film "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines!"  So, we had a great time pottering around admiring the sights, discovering just some of the dozens and dozens of market stalls and what I call "bitty-bitty shops" (i.e. those wonderful places that sell all kinds of pretty and tempting things that you never thought you needed until you set eyes on them!)   Then local 'characters,' (there was a great jazz combo performing in the street yesterday, plus what son calls the 'puppet man.' Don't ask what he's about, go and find out for yourself!)

I also took the opportunity to wander round the cathedral . Another well-known landmark, which had completely slipped my mind, was the shrine of Julian of Norwich, 14th century anchoress and mystic.  Given that I belong to a Julian contemplative prayer group at home it seemed a good idea to investigate. So, we made our way  up the hill to the Church of St Julian,  

 

As you can see from the links, the site of Lady Julian's cell, long gone, has been restored as a chapel and there's also a resource centre and library nearby. Leaving Mr GP happily installed in the garden, I spent a happy half hour or so looking round both. In the midst of such a busy city, it was wonderful to be able to step out of the hustle and bustle for a while.  Though as so often happens when you stop and slow down, various bits and pieces begin to surface, and, it was then, in the quietness that the full realisation of last weekend's events struck home. Not a bad place for this to happen, really. Happily, after a few moments, I recovered my equlibrium, and, after leaving a prayer request for the  community, wandered off to find Mr GP.

Eureka!

It's incredible where a spot of idle day-dreaming will land  you. Fascinating though my current wanderings through Exodus may be, come late afternoon, I'm fighting the urge to join the family cat for a quick snooze.  Don 't ask how an equally idle websearch led me to   this old blog entry on the Website of Unknowing. Let's just count it as one of those happy coincidences. How do we reach the comtemplatives?  goes a good way towards explaining just some aspects of the feelings of ambivalence I  struggle with in regard to my own faith journey and certain aspects of that part of the institutional  church to which I  belong. If 'natural comtemplatives,'  those of us of an INFP or similar bent make up such a tiny part of the population, then no wonder I've so often felt I'm banging my head against the proverbial brick wall in my attempts to fit in. As I was reflecting during a retreat last month, it's surprising that I've hung on for so long. One of my resolutions made during that time was to start putting out feelers to other churches; a daunting step after over ten years in one place. In a way, it's not unlike a mini 'Exodus' of my own. Not that it's fair to compare my 'home' church to Egypt, of course! Mismatches happen. Everybody's journey is different, we all change in the way we express our relationship with God as the years go by, and, often what nurtured somebody once, no longer holds true. And, if I'm honest, I could see the 'Exodus' beginning years ago. All that was needed was the courage to take that step into the unknown. Why have I waited until now? Who knows? God knows, maybe? (No, that's not a cop-out!).