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| Image by Linton Snapper |
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The Lindisfarne Gospels
A GREETING
Send forth your light and your truth—
let them guide me,
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling place.
(Psalm 43:3)
A READING
Who has the right to enter your tent, O God,
or to live on your holy mountain?
Those who conduct themselves with integrity
and work for justice,
who speak the truth from their heart
and do not use their tongues for slander,
who do not wrong their neighbors
and cast no discredit on their friends,
who look with contempt on the corrupt
but honor those who revere God,
who always keep their promises
even when it hurts,
who don’t demand interest on loans
and cannot be bribed to exploit the innocent.
If people do these things,
nothing can ever shake them.
(Psalm 15)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
I, because of your great love,
will enter your House;
I will worship in your holy Temple
in awe and reverence.
(Psalm 5:7)
A POEM
In winter's house there's a room
that's pale and still as mist in a field
while outside in the street every gate's shut firm,
every face as cold as steel.
In winter's house there's a bed
that is spread with frost and feathers, that gleams
in the half-light like rain in a disused yard
or a pearl in a choked-up stream.
In winter's house there's a child
asleep in a dream of light that grows out
of the dark, a flame you can hold in your hand
like a flower or a torch on the street.
In winter's house there's a tale
that's told of a great chandelier in a garden,
of fire that catches and travels for miles,
of all gates and windows wide open.
In winter's house there's a flame
being dreamt by a child in the night,
in the small quiet house at the turn in the lane
where the darkness gives way to light.
"In Winter's House," by Jane Draycott
first published by commission in The Guardian, Dec. 18, 2010.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Door of the Sheepfold,
Water of the Well of life,
True Bread that satisfies all hunger,
True Word that nourishes the heart,
May we follow the mystery
of Cuthbert's faith and passion,
as they placed their footsteps
in the way of the Good Shepherd.
- found on the website of the Scotland Churches Trust
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| The Chi Rho Iota page of the Lindisfarne Gospels, which opens the Gospel of Matthew. (Click to enlarge.) The letters include entwined creatures and plants inextricably woven into the Greek name for Christ, and coming at the start of the Matthew geneology of Jesus, linking Jesus, his ancestors, and all of Creation. |
Psalm 15, offered here in its entirety, imagines a holy hill or temple where the people considered most righteous could gather. The psalm suggests that only those most showing the named virtues would be deserving of such a place. The early Benedictine communities who formed monasteries all over northern Europe and in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, recited this psalm as part of their daily office. In our own reading of it today, we might see it as a theological guide for how we all might best lead our lives, while also believing that Christ becomes one of us -- for all people. The verse from Psalm 5 helps us think this way.
The Holy Island of Lindisfarne lies off the Northumberland coast in northeast England, not far from the border with Scotland. It was here that the monk Aidan arrived in 634 CE with a small band of monks and set up a monastery on a 'perilous' precipice near a sheer drop to the sea. Although it was believed to exist somewhere on the island, this original site was only discovered in 2017, along with a signalling tower, most likely used to send flares across to the mainland when something significant had happened. Aidan was eventually succeeded by Cuthbert later in the same century. Aidan had been formed by Columba and the monks of Iona, and had made his way across the land to establish this brand new community on the eastern part of the country. By contrast, Cuthbert had lived out his monastic life largely on the road in Northern England and Scotland, never staying anywhere long, and finally taking up residence on another local island, building a dwelling that faced out to sea, so no one would bother him. It didn't work: the king himself rowed out in person to ask him to become Bishop of Lindisfarne. He reluctantly agreed.
While Cuthbert was still alive, work began on what has since become known as the Lindisfarne Gospels, an illuminated manuscript in Latin that is complexly illustrated with designs of spirals and creatures that have since been interpreted as representing the Celtic understanding of the Cosmic Christ. The letters 'Chi,'(pronounced 'chee', with the 'ch' like the end of 'Bach,') 'Rho,' (as is in rowing a boat) and 'Iota' (ee-o-ta) formed the Greek shorthand for 'Christ.' Since the volume is written in Latin, with some Old English thrown in, these Greek letters stand out -- as often in manuscripts of the Middle Ages, the divine name does.
In 793 Vikings raided the island, killed most of the monks, destroyed the structures and despoiled most of the treasures. Somehow the gospels, along with the remains of St. Cuthbert -- survived. We can imagine that the survivors, still bloodied and injured, walked them across the seabed to safety.
Perhaps there are cherished objects of faith that you or your family have lovingly preserved. How can we see ourselves as the cherished objects of God, who transmit the faith in our hearts to future generations? How can we help to uphold those in the world for whom being Christian marks them for danger?
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This walking tour of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne is mostly visual, and shows the entire scope of the island and its structures. At minute 3:31, the camera passes by the 2017 discovered ruin site of what is believed to be the original monastery built by Aidan, but the youtuber either didn't know, or didn't feel a need to stop and comment on it. From time to time, we also see the overturned fishing boats that have been converted into maritime storage spaces.
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Scripture passages are taken from The Inclusive Bible.
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LC† Vigil in Hope is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!
