Ascension Thursday

Today is the feast of the Ascension of Christ. The Christian church celebrates the return of Christ to heaven  after having risen from the dead and hanging out with the disciples for 40 days.

I started by getting together with my uncle and his friend. We walked about 2.5 miles through the hills with vineyards and fruit trees all around us. We arrived at the wine cellar and manufacturer for the region. There the local Catholic Priest and Lutheran Priest teamed up for an ecumenical service in the building where the grapes for wine are pressed at harvest.

About 300 people gathered between the bins that harvested grapes are delivered in and the altar.

Yes the altar is set on top of wine barrels and in the distance is a 20 piece youth orchestra providing music.

The preaching was shared. My favorite bit was the part where one of the preachers told us to stop looking toward heaven to receive what we want and to focus on what our work is right in front of us.

After the service we went just outside where a fest was set up. A wurst and glass of wine and a long conversation with new friends was a wonderful way to celebrate this feast.

The Fest

 

 

Then we walked back through the fields  - stopping to pose occasionally.

My uncle, Sigfried, and his friend, Ingrid.  We are posing by an interesting modern take on the figure of Bacchus.

On many corners of fields are various memorials, artworks, and benches. This altar and cross are just out in a field with two long benches nearby. It serves as both memorial and holy space for worship.

A blooming apple tree speaks to the abundance we are blessed with.

Then I met with a former student who is my entrance to the University Archaeology department. Keith is currently studying there.

Dinner at Ingrid's house is always wonderful, but check out her stained glass window:

Elizabeth of Hungary

So very cool.

Well, the first day did not go as planned. The flight from Chicago did not leave on time, and I ended up having to re-book the last leg of the trip  to Frankfurt. I'm now waiting at Dublin Airport to check in. I had some surprise time to spend in Dublin, so I went to the Museum of Archaeology only to find it closed on Mondays. So I went to see the Book of Kells. A truly spectacular sight. One is not allowed to take pictures there, so here is one from the Library upstairs from the BoK.

 Following the visit to the Book of Kells I had an interesting breakfast.

I am on the plane headed to Dublin. It was more than 1.5 hours late for takeoff. I paid for the onboard data plan and contacted Mary. She contacted my airline and got me re-booked. Now, as it turns out, I have a half day to spend in Dublin. I hope to visit the Museum of Archaeology. I had hoped to visit it again, and now, I have the chance. God is so good and every problem is full of possibility.

Pre-Departure

Pre-Departure Party

The Party

St. Michael's Parish did an amazing thing that blessed me immensely before leaving on sabbatical. They held a luau/roast. I have a strong identity in the parish as someone who wears casual Hawaiian style shirts. So the planners (Fr. Peter Floyd, Kristy Callihan and Suzi Rowe) styled the party as a Hawaiian themed roast. The food was excellent thanks to the BBQ ministry and Carl Nesbitt and Allison Mitchell.

About 150 people showed up, mostly wearing Hawaiian style shirts. Several people stepped up and talked about how they know me. Some people read jokes from a list of jokes that have been posted to my facebook account over the last few months. Some people who could not make it to the event sent in videos. I felt deeply honored and humbled by all that went on.

I did get an opportunity to share both a brief outline of the plan and the reasoning behind the sabbatical. I will share it again right here.

The Plan

The plan is to start with few days with family who are currently stationed in Ramstein. Then I will move to my uncles house just south of Heidelberg for a few weeks. Part of being on sabbatical is spending time with family. While staying with my uncle I will travel to several interesting museums and archeological sites. I will also have access to the archeology department at the university. I will learn as much as I can about the pre-Christian Celts. The Celts are a civilization that arose in southern Germany about 1200 years before Christ and spread throughout what today is Western Europe. They made it as far east as Turkey and as far south as the Po River Valley in what is now Italy. They even invaded and controlled Rome for a time. It was later that some of them moved from what is now Spain and Portugal and headed north to what is now Ireland. So the people we think of today as Celts have a deeper richer story than most of us know. I hope to spend a couple days at a current dig site in central France during this time as well.

After Heidelberg, I will head to Paris. Paris will be a sort of mental and spiritual break. I have lead a number of groups there and have never found the time to just soak up the art, the culture and the sacred spaces of Paris. I will have the time I want to enjoy the impressionist paintings in the Musée d'Orsay and can sit in the Basilica St. Denis as long as I like to enjoy the first Gothic architecture structure in the world.

After Paris I will shift gears and head north to northern England and southern Scotland. This will begin the phase of understanding Celtic Spirituality. This will be an exceptional opportunity to soak up the current heart of Celtic Spirituality. I will have a  chance to visit Durham Cathedral before Mary, my wife joins me. Once Mary arrives we head to Iona. I so look forward to a couple days of  unstructured time in the special thin place. A thin place is where the veil between this world and heaven is particularly thin. After Iona, we also have a couple days on the Holy Island of Lindesfarne - another thin place. During this time we will be engaging in prayer and meditation and working to move our souls into the rhythms of the sacred pace of Celtic Spirituality.

When we leave Scotland, the final destination is Ireland. In Ireland, I'll have a chance to explore still more thin places such as Croagh Patrick - the holy mountain from which St. Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland. I'll also have a chance to climb Skellig Michael which has been a hope of mine since I learned of it's history. A monastic community was founded in the 6th century on this tiny island and persisted despite hardship and many challenges for about 700 years.

The Hope

Why all the travel? Why all the prayer? Here is my hope. I learned a few years ago that Ireland is the only place where when Christianity showed up, there was no bloodshed. Christians didn't kill to force conversions and neither did those learning about Christianity find a need to violently reject it. In fact, it seems likely that the druids - the pre-Christian priestly class - actually were early adopters of this new faith and spread it among their people. What I hope to learn is what made the pre-Christian Celts so ready for this new faith. Whatever I learn along those lines I hope it informs my understanding of Celtic Spirituality today. Celtic spirituality is a special expression of Christian faith that is rooted in a deep affinity for nature and sees all of creation as an expression of the sacred, an expression of God.

After I return, I pray I will be refreshed, renewed, and have a new vision for the next few years of ministry. In the coming year I hope to lead more than a couple adult forums to share from what I have learned and experienced.

Please Pray

Please pray for me. For safety, for openness, for heath and most importantly, that the Holy Spirit fills me and leads me to a deeper understanding of who I am in God and who God is in me.

Preparation

I am about a month out from departure and feeling very appreciative for all the support. Tickets are bought, reservations made and the first practice packing has already happened. Looks like everything will fit.

For anyone who is interested there is going to be a going away "roast" of Joe on April 16, 4-7pm at St. Michael's. If you'd like to come and either gently poke fun at Joe or just enjoy a good meal in the company of good friends please sign up on the St. Michael's e-kiosk.

My plan is to occasionally update this blog while I am traveling and to write more extensively upon return.