It's off to Scotland, then

Be a bright flame before me, O God a guiding star above me. Be a smooth path below me, 

a kindly shepherd behind me.  —The Prayer of St. Columba

And, it's almost packed and ready for me as I leave on the morrow for Scotland. I'll fly into Glasgow by way of Heathrow from Philly, starting in Wicomico Airport in Salisbury, MD.

Then I'll do "touristy" things to places sacred and profane in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

On the 24th I meet my group and travel from Glasgow to Oban where we'll spend the evening. On the morning of the 25th, we travel to the Isle of Iona by private coach and ferry to and then walk to the St. Columba Hotel.

The rhythm of my days will begin and end with prayer with the ecumenical Iona Community in the historic abbey church.

The leader of our group has her doctorate in storytelling. She will share a sacred story or two about Iona and some of its sacred spots. Then, we are free to walk - alone or together, or weaving 'round each other - to enter into walking meditation and sacred exploration.

This is just my cuppa tea: Start the day with prayer and breakfast. Tell me a story. Let me walk and think and pray, with a choice to be alone or with others.

I'll come back from my walk and get a wee bit of rest and refreshment. Off I go again to walk and pray and explore until supper.

Maybe there'll be some story sharing of the day and, if all is well, some raucous laughter. A little prayer in ecumenical community to end the day and then alone to my room to reflect and read and write and sleep, perchance to dream.

The pilgrimage ends on June 2nd but I've padded the end of my trip with a few more touristy things in the Highlands to see the Loc Ness Monster which has got to be far less scary than the present state of affairs in America.

Besides, there are some distilleries there which are known to serve the finest spirits to ease the weary soul.

Being a bit of a tourist will be a way of re-entry from the sacred time of pilgrimage. And then it will be home-again-home-again-jiggidy-jig for me on June 4th.

I'm not looking for anything in particular. I don't have a Great Spiritual Quest or a Goal or a Plan. I'm not going there to lose weight or get healthy/ier - although that would be lovely and might happen anyway.

I am simply longing for the time and the space to look inward and outward, upward and downward, forward and backward, in a place where millions of others have made the same journey.

Pray for me and I'll pray for you and, by God's grace, we'll get to Scotland together in spirit.

I will carry your heart in my heart.

(Yes, watch this space for reports of my journey.)