Have you heard about St Columba who founded a monastery on Iona and wondered what the island is like? Have you sung John Bell hymns for years and thought about worshipping in Iona Abbey? Have you been to Iona in the past, as a guest at the Abbey or Retreat House, or even as a day visitor, and wanted to return? Perhaps 2027 is your year to join a group from Wales to make a pilgrimage there.
The isle of Iona is described by many as a ‘thin place’–a place where the boundary between heaven and earth is thin so that humans feel particularly close to God. In Wales Caldey is a thin place for many. Lindisfarne is another such place. Are these places described as ‘thin’ because Christians have prayed on the island for centuries? Is it because they are isolated, and we can hear God better when we aren’t distracted by our worldly worries? Is it because they are so beautiful that the Creator seems so much closer to us than in our towns and cities?
Perhaps it is all of those things. Iona has been an important place of pilgrimage and prayer for many through the centuries–and for me through several decades. The Iona Abbey was one of those places I heard about soon after we came to the UK in 1993. The first time our family travelled from Oban across Mull to Iona on a day trip. Later, I went up with a colleague for a couple of days. Finally, in 2004 our family went for a week with church members for the first time.
The Abbey community welcomes guests and invites them to share in community life and worship. There are basic rooms that are shared. There are daily tasks to which we contribute. There is worship which shapes the pattern of the days. There is space to mix with new people, to walk the island, to reflect, and to pray.
David Dean and I hope to lead a group to Iona during 2027–probably May half-term week (Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). If you would be interested in going please let me know, and I can put you on the list of possible attendees. We can also answer any questions about the week. We look forward to hearing from you.
Martha McInnes | ministers@beulahurc.org.uk
