A decade!

Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee,
Gave thee life, and bade thee feed
By the stream and o’er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, wooly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?

Little lamb, I’ll tell thee;
Little lamb, I’ll tell thee:
He is called by thy name,
For He calls Himself a lamb,
He is meek, and He is mild,
He became a little child;
I a child, and thee a Lamb,
We are called by His Name.
Little lamb, God bless thee!
Little lamb, God bless thee!

It's probably no surprise that this William Blake poem came to mind when we were on retreat at the Snowdonia Mountain Lodge ... just across the road (and on the hill behind us) were hundreds of sheep with their lambs.  They seemed to eat all day ... and the pasture was certainly fresh and green!  The amount of rain that falls in the Nant Ffrancon Valley makes sure of that.

The constantly burning flame at the entrance is a reminder of the commitment to peace that is the focus here and inside a little sheltered conservatory/prayer room the word is carved into slate in many languages and in different styles.

All around is a sense of peace - from the solid mountains to the soft flowers, the quiet of the rooms to the friendliness of the staff ... God is in this place.

Ordination was ten years ago today ... sometimes you wonder where the years have gone!  And other times it feels like just a few days ago!  At the final Eucharist on Anglesea there was a time to reflect on ordination and to renew vows.  Over and over we are reminded of the grace of God who takes weak and fallen human beings and gives us a share in the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.  We fail, we so often fail, and yet the divine mercy draws us back and recommissions.  Peter, the one who denied his Lord, is called back to continue to serve.  Whatever our failures and shortcomings God chooses us and calls us "friends".

 Over and over the landscape and the skyscape drew us into a fresh appreciation of the Creator ... God who designed and brought all this into existence is the same God who reminds me that I am loved and precious!  "What are humans that you are mindful of them...?" asks the Psalmist ... and then goes on to answer his own question .... he places us right there at the top of all creation ... just a little lower than the angels!

 The living flame here shows up best as evening draws in ... maybe the light of Christ in the people of God shows up best when we're in the midst of the darkness around us ...

 May we be filled with the Holy Spirit so that our lives bring the light of Christ to a broken world.