A Pilgrimage to Iona, Scotland

If you’ve ever dreamed of going on pilgrimage (and if you’re reading The Holy Rover, you almost certainly have), I have a suggestion for you: sign up for Iona: A Celtic Pilgrimage of Renewal, to be held July 12-19, 2014.

Iona, a small island in the western Hebrides of Scotland, is the spiritual birthplace of Celtic Christianity. During the early Middle Ages, it was one of the most important and influential centers in Christianity. Remote and windswept, it is a “thin place” where the veil between heaven and earth is most permeable. Within the past century Iona has once again become a major pilgrimage destination, drawing seekers from throughout the world.

I won’t be able to join the pilgrimage, alas, but two friends of mine are leading it and you will be in very good hands with them. Ben Webb is an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Iowa and the executive director of the Center for Regenerative Society; his wife Sarah Webb is an environmental educator and leader. They are warm, wise and delightful people.

Here’s how the Webbs describe the upcoming pilgrimage:

In our morning and evening sessions, we will circle around our daily themes using a combination of reflective reading, poetry, journaling, and small and large group discussions as we explore:

• the rich natural and cultural heritage of Iona, its history and its people
• the extraordinary sixth-century mission of Columba and the Irish monastic schools that contributed to a social tipping point in civilization
• the “contrary way” of Celtic Christianity and its ongoing contribution to personal and congregational life today
• the story of the contemporary Iona Community and other innovative models of emerging religious life
• the recovery of contemplative, prophetic and sacramental practices so vital to personal and community renewal
• resources for worship and daily spiritual practice, including poetry, prayers and blessings from the Celtic tradition

Afternoons are free for solitude and personal reflection as you explore your own growing edge within, including walks and hikes to places of great natural beauty or historic interest, and ample opportunity to enjoy the companionship of fellow retreatants and new soul friends. There will also be daily opportunities to experience Celtic models of worship in our Anglican Retreat House, in the Abbey with the Iona Community, the Catholic House of Prayer and the Parish Church of Scotland, or amidst the many ancient “altars of unhewn stone” that the Creator has provided on Iona since time immemorial…

While together on Iona, we’ll explore alternative resources within “the contrary way” of Celtic Christianity and the modern Iona Community that can help us reverse and revive three neglected dimensions in Christianity today that are vital for transformation:

• contemplative practices that help us live and lead from within
• prophetic practices that help us confront false religion and unjust society, offer alternatives, and demonstrate how we can live together in contrary ways
• sacramental practices that instill a worldview of reverence for the earth

Come and see for yourself how the Celtic spiritual and monastic tradition can inform our task of renewing faith communities grounded in a reverence for all creation, the contemplative life, and the prophetic renewal of church and society.

I heartily recommend this trip. If you’re interested, you can find out more at Iona: A Celtic Pilgrimage of Renewal. And when you get back, I hope you’ll tell us about it!