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All of a sudden, it is that time of year when the seas and skies are gray and the waves are mountainous and the rain is a constant drizzle. Or mizzle. Or mist. Or cat-and-dog downpour. Let's just say, "Everything turns to rain in Cornwall."
(And we do say that. Frequently. With a shrug and a head-tilt, it makes a friendly greeting, though I prefer the standard "Alright, my 'ansome?")
It is also that time of year when habit--perhaps more than faith or conviction--encourages me to contemplate hope, peace, joy, and love. And presents, truffles, and sausage balls. I'm contemplating those very seriously. With just one month before I leave the Penlee Cluster and Cornwall and head back to Nebraska and family, I have much to contemplate.
Action and Contemplation
This summer, the Center for Action and Contemplation held a conference in which the Penlee Cluster took part over Skype. In September and again in December, a few of us from the Cluster and surrounding community met to watch, discuss, and reflect on the talks given at this conference, which was entitled: The Path of Descent is the Path of Transformation. I would encourage you to look these talks up yourself, on YouTube or on the CONSPIRE webpage. As you can guess from the title, a recurring thought from this conference was that times of struggle, confusion, darkness, and pain can also be transformative times, and indeed, true change cannot take place without hardship and uncertainty. We do not believe in a God who causes pain, but we do believe in a God who is with us through our times of pain, who guides us through the process, and uses the pain to help us grow.
All of a sudden, it is that time of year when the days are shortest and the nights are longest and the streets are full of my favorite contrary image: tiny lights in a great darkness. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot put it out" (That is my all-time favorite translation of John 1:5, and I cannot find out what translation it comes from. From what translation it comes.) But as Barbara Brown Taylor--a self-proclaimed writer, speaker, and spiritual contrarian--pointed out at the conference, there are a lot of symbols for light in darkness, but we don't spend a lot of time examining darkness itself. I came to Cornwall hoping to be transformed, and hoping to leave something of myself behind. I also hoped that this transformation would be fun and comfortable and painless. It has been fun. It has not been comfortable or painless.
Christmas, of all times, is when I want to do things exactly as I have always done them, so that I can return to the joy of my childhood. Maybe instead, I should be trying to "return to the land of my soul" (a chant sung by Mirabai Starr in a different portion of the conference). The land of the soul: a place of simplicity and peace, a place where rebirth takes place. And rebirth is long, painful process, which begins in darkness.
What's Happening
Five weeks of Holiday Club this summer--a good and exhausting time was had by the kids, the adults, the youth helpers, and all.
Concerts--summer lunchtime concerts at St Mary's, other concerts at St Pol, including the Gilbert and Sullivan Singers
Songs of Praise: In September, a number of us went to St Pol de Leon to do a Christmas recording for Songs of Praise. The program, A Cornish Christmas, aired on December 16.
Thanksgiving in Paul--dinner, a quiz, and 'Murican songs (with British tunes, so there wasn't too much of a culture shock).
Tom Bawcock's Eve: As the story goes, for weeks and weeks the sea was to rough and dangerous for any of the Mousehole fishermen to go out in their boats. The stormy weather continued, and the town ran out of their stored-up supplies. So Tom Bawcock, an old, unmarried, childless fisherman, with nothing to lose but his own life, set out to catch fish for the starving village. He returned with a boat full of fish, and saw the whole town of Mousehole lit up--candles in every window, and men with lanterns along the harbour wall--so that he would be able to find his way safely back into the harbour. And there was much rejoicing and the eating of fish and stargazy pie. And so there is much rejoicing and the eating of stargazy pie in Mousehole on every Tom Bawcock's Eve, December 23.
Christmas: As an Advent project, members of the Penlee Cluster have been decorating gift boxes, and putting something inside that represents what they believe to be at the heart of Christmas. By the way, there are 12 days of Christmas, people. I know most of us go back to work before January 5, but y'all keep rejoicing for all 12 days, ya hear?
It's the Little Things
Little red holly berries. I'm seeing real ones for the first time.
Little Christmas ornaments for my Lidl live Christmas tree.
Little mince meat pies. Do not ask me how many I've eaten, that would be impertinent.