Thoughts today have been invariably drawn to death and dying, as, even on pilgrimage, I cannot escape the news regarding the death of Queen Elizabeth & and especially today's proclamation that Charles has become King.
In my quiet time this morning I have been reading the story of Joseph, his brothers and his father. Here we've come to the end of the story, where Joseph has invited his family to live in Goshen, Egypt to escape the famine.
And father Jacob is presented to Pharaoh:
Gen 47:9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.”
Jacob describes his live as a pilgrimage. Being on pilgrimage as I am now, becomes an illustration of life. But what I find that, although I have planned all the overnight stays, I can only think of today : where will I sleep tonight? (St Mary's Alpuldram). Do I need to call them? What are the arrangements for food etc? It's actually quite freeing not to have to think further than today.
I also listened this morning to Lectio 365, and they included the following reflection:
"At the burning bush God reveals himself to Moses as ‘I Am’ - the eternal God of the present tense. Many people today try to find God in the past - in dead religious traditions, or in the history of revivals, or in their own previous experiences - but He is no longer there. Others try to find God in the future - continually on the brink of a breakthrough, perpetually praying and prophesying about something so much better than the moment they are in. But God can only ever be encountered here and now, in the present moment. It never gets more real than now. "
I think that the feeling I have for this pilgrimage is that : to find God today. And then my bible app showed the following verse: "even to your old age I am he, even when you turn gray I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save." Isa 46:4
I am carrying a heavy back pack, but it gets easier with practice and improved condition, but I could not carry myself. Fortunately I do not have to, as God does. And with that knowledge let us then try to focus in today, not tomorrow or yesterday, but today, as that is where we are and God is.
One church today that I spent quite a lot of time with is St Mary's in Chidham, which is one of the Peninsulas in Chichester Harbour.
This is the birthplace of St Cuthman, whose story is that he was called by God to start a new church. He then took his dependent mother in a cart-like wheelbarrow and carried her al the way to Steyning, where he started a new church! Another form of pilgrimage and he may well have followed the Old Way as later in the week I will also hope to stay in to Steyning
The following is a detail of a recent stained glass window and icon of St Cuthman:
This is the full window:
They also had Teasel Men made for and by the children for the church's jubilee depicting the history of England. Here are a few:
And of course one for Elizabeth, with the sign quickly amended.
For those who like textiles, this is Chidham's version of the parish in textile:
Churches were busy today, signing of the condolence registers, ride and stride and also a wedding in Bosham. This meant that not only were churches open but there were people to make everyone welcome. That was a nice change!
Bosham has a road that floods with high tide - you have to be careful with parking there! Here's a photo of near-high-tide and after wards;
Just a few hours different.
Tonight I am sleeping in a Sanctuary church at Alpuldrum, just south of Chichester.
Tomorrow is Sunday and I will have a rest day. Go to church here at 8am and then probably walk to Chichester without a heavy bag pack! But as I will have a rest I will also not do a blog. I may just post one picture...
Talking about pictures, here are a few of today's walk and sunset afterwards... Enjoy.
And the usual stats:
