The Emerald Isle

What a time I've had in Ireland! It was a wonderful week, though I must admit parting with my family was difficult. I know I am doing this later that many people, but it's all new to me.

We flew into Dublin in a slight drizzle, and the rain barely stopped from that point onward. We spent the next day touring Dublin. This included a visit to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. I absolutely love tis illuminated manuscript. We saw bog bodies at the museum and P45 and P46 in the Chester Beatty Library. Papyrus 46 is one of the oldest New Testament manuscripts known to exist and contains Paul's letters.

We spent the next day driving to our cottage in Ballyvaughan. We stopped at Glendalough, a monastic complex, and saw its round tower, which is unique to Irish monasteries. Unfortunately the rain slowed us down, even forcing us to turn around at one point because the road was flooded. Upon our arrival at the cottage we discovered that the caretaker had lit a lovely peat fire for us. This was a welcome warmth and we proceeded to light fires every night of our stay.

Sunlight on the Burren

Our cottage was in the heart of the Burren, a barren rocky landscape in the west of Ireland. Monday was spent driving around the Burren - visiting megalithic tombs, old stone circle forts and high crosses. The day was rainy, but the historical monuments we viewed were well worth it. In Kilfenora, a village with several high cross, I had the best chowder I have ever tasted. The seafood all around was delicious, and I even had mussels once!

Sky Road, Co. Galway

We spent another day up in Connemara. This drive included some of the most beautiful scenery of our entire stay. Thankfully the rain let up enough for us to hike in Connemara National Park. I was joyful to see some Connemara Ponies inside the park. Later in the day we went horseback riding along some beaches. It was amazing! The beaches were gorgeous, and I had so much fun with my horse Monty.

Wednesday we went out and watched the enormous waves crash into Doolin Point. That evening we went to Monks, had amazing desserts and listened to live Irish music. 

On Thursday, we ventured out to Cork and Blarney Castle. The day began without a cloud in the sky. Heavy mist in the valleys gave the country a surreal, sort of magical feel. I kissed the Blarney Stone, which is supposed to give me the "gift of gab". It was an interesting experience, anyway. We ended our day with a visit to the Cliffs of Moher. These majestic cliffs plummet drastically into the ocean. Unfortunately we didn't see any puffins at the Cliffs of Insanity.

The Cliffs of Moher

Ireland was so beautiful, like a place straight out of a fairy tale. The rain was a bit annoying. We knew Ireland would be rainy - hence it's green expanses. But leave it the Childers to be there during one of the rainiest times in history (it was reported. that the floods in Dublin were the second worst ever recorded).

The Oldest College

I cannot believe that this month has gone by so fast! Tomorrow is our last day of class. Thursday we leave Oxford at 7:00 am and head to London to board various planes. My family will be off to Ireland for a week, along with the Rankins. Most of the group, however, will be flying back to Dallas. I won't see any of them again until December. I've had a lot of fun these past few weeks, and I'm thankful for the friendships that have been forged. I, for one, am not ready for this to end.

I'm thinking Treebeard

On to more fun things, today my family toured the Merton library. It was fantastic! The library dates back to the 14th century. It is the oldest continuously functioning library in the UK. Dad and I decided that Yankee should make a "musty library" scented candle. The grounds are beautiful and the chapel is lovely. Perhaps of interest is the fact that Merton is J.R.R. Tokien's college (I'm sure that's why Dad chose to study there).

Merton Tower

Yesterday, we ventured into the Botanic Gardens. This is an interesting conglomeration of native and exotic plants. Interestingly, the exotic plants include cacti! I've been doing a lot of reading and writing for my classes, and now I'm looking forward to a few weeks of break. I presented my final project for the Symposium today, and I think it went nicely.

Botanic Gardens

It's Been Awhile

Wow! It's been a long time since I've written anything here. That's because I've been furiously writing for my classes. And yesterday morning my computer broke down. I turned it on and most of the keys don't work. I'm not sure what the problem is, but it's looking like a trip to the Apple Store in London is in my future. Yuck!

Last week our entire group played frisbee and went punting. I still stink at frisbee, so that was interesting. However, punting was a ton of fun. I actually didn't do to bad, either. In our punt we played make believe... Sometimes I like to go back to my childhood.

I'm shocked that people are spitting off the bridge

Our fieldtrip last week was to Coventry and Stratford-upon-Avon. In 1940 Coventry Cathedral was bombed by German forces. A new cathedral has been built up beside the burned out ruins of the old one and the site is dedicated to peace and reconciliation. The attraction in Stratford is Shakespear's birthplace and the house of his wife, Anne Hathaway.

On the weekend, T'auna and I went to visit her psuedo-aunt (it's really complicated) in Lincoln. It was really nice to get away for a little while, even though it made for a hectic weekend. We had a great time and on Saturday we toured the Lincoln Castle and the Lincoln Cathedral. We met up with the youth minister and his intern who happens to be a Bible major at ACU. How odd is that? The youth minister had two young girls (three and six) who were adorable. The castle also house the fourth copy of the Magna Carta. Now I've seen all four surving copies. The cathedral is amazing and huge. It was also a filming site for the Da Vinci Code.

For the most part, this week has been spent reading for my classes and writing papers. However, on Tuesday we took a tour of Christ Church. It was nice, but very long. Our group was just a little too big and our guide had a lot to say. We had tea in the priory room and that was also quite lovely. Yesterday we all trekked through Port Meadow to The Trout. We had a good meal with fantastic desserts. I love Port Meadow and I'm looking forward to going back a few times.

I'm very excited about eating at The Trout

It's hard to believe that in a week everyone else will be heading back home. Right now I have to get back to all of my papers. I have a lot to do for next week and I think this weekend will be very busy.

Megalithic Monuments

Our latest field trip on Wednesday was wonderful. We began the day with a stop at Avebury, a large stone monument. The stones are massive and it is possible to go right up to the stones and touch them. Sheep graze around the circle and you must step carefully in order to avoid little messages. The most unfortunate thing is the fact that the surrounding village has been built up from torn down stones. The stop ended with an amazing race between Amara, Dad and Joel. Dad lost, but only because Joel threw Dad to the slippery ground. 

Our next stop was the long barrow at West Kennet. The barrow is a short walk from the road through the English countryside. From the top of the barrow, I could see fields of wheat glowing golden under the morning sun and grasses blowing gently in the breeze. The barrow is still a center of worship for pagans and offerings had been laid upon the stones. Of course, the dark rooms of the barrow evoke images of the barrow-wight in the Lord of the Rings. 

Another quick drive took us to Stonehenge, one of the most famous sites in Britain. Other worldly stone giants call up images of druids and Old Sarum. While at Stonehenge we enjoyed a snack of Megalithic Rock Cakes.

Joel and me at Stonehenge

From Stonehenge we headed off to Salisbury. This drive was wonderful as the trees on either side of the road formed a leafy green canopy that shadowed the road. After a quick bite to eat from the chip shop we began our tour of Salisbury Cathedral. It is a wonderful old cathedral that is celebrating its 750th anniversary this year. Our guide shared with us many amusing stories and our 45 minute tour ended up lasting an one and a half hours. We even saw the most well-preserved copy of the Magna Carta. Two down, two to go!

Just a few minutes away from the mighty cathedral is the small parish church of St. Andrews in Bemerton. George Herbert, one of the authors we are reading, was rector at the church in the 1630's. Unfortunately the current rector who was going to show us the church did not show up. We found out later that he had been at the hospital with his wife who was having a baby. I think he's forgiven!

We finally headed home after a long day in the country. The most exciting part of this was seeing people playing polo along the side of the road. I think that I want to play polo. Anyway, the day was beautiful and delightful and the barrow is always one of my favourite field trips. This time was no different.

Holy Ground

I have been to my fair share of religious worship houses. My favourites, for lack of a better word, are always the more elaborate and, I don't know, refined almost. I like the interior of a High Church building. I love cathedrals and even quiet little village churches. Ornate and lavish furnishings. Something about these places moves me.

God becomes less of a buddy and more of an Omnipotent Lord. I think it's important for us to ensure that God is not just seen as some overshadowing power who smites and blesses. He is a friend, a comforter. The word "paraclete" is used in John's gospel to denote the Holy Spirit. In my limited knowledge of Greek, I am assuming that this comes from the Greek word παρακελεω meaning to comfort or urge. God is a comforter and He loves us very much. This is a necessary and Biblical view of God, but this is not all that He is. He is also the God of the Old Testament. God is almighty and powerful, capable of leveling mountains and valleys.

I think that today's church buildings sometimes subtract from this view of God. God as a friend is the much more important view of God. While I concede that the High Church basically eliminates the buddy-buddy view of God, I feel that in many Protestant churches, and the Churches of Christ to be sure, have completely ignored this view of god. Ideally, we would have a perfect mesh of the two. But that's just it, isn't it? We can't be perfect.

Within the Protestant tradition, I often see church buildings themselves as homey, very welcoming places. However, when I walk into the York Minster or stand in the shadow of Salisbury Cathedral's spire I picture God sitting on a throne, surrounded by angels. I have a sense of awe in the presence of God. The need to remove my shoes and kneel on holy ground is intense. When at Highland, I picture God with His arm around me. The images are completely different, yet our God encompasses both. I get much more of the comforting God and perhaps that is why I am so transfixed with awe by the dominion of God evoked in these ornate houses of worship.

Salisbury Cathedral

Artifacts & Texts

It's certainly been a long weekend! London was lovely, but we left Oxford at 7:00 and didn't make it back until 1:30 the next morning. I think there were tired eyes and sore feet all around.

We began the day with a visit to Shakespeare's Globe. Our guide was hilarious and made the tour very amusing. Fun fact from that stop? Fermented urine can be used as a stain remover. I don't think I'll try that one out.

We then took the tube over to the British Library and lunch. I had a tasty Cornish Pasty. Yummm! After a short rain shower, we walked over to the British Library. Entering the Treasure Room of the British Library, I cannot help but be amazed at the immense collection of treasures. Everything from the Lindisfarne Gospels to handwritten Beatles' lyrics are displayed in this room. My eyes were soon drawn to the significant Codex Sinaiticus, which dates to the 4th century. Here before me lay one of the two earliest surviving copies of the complete New Testament. Other Christian manuscripts include the Gutenberg Bible and a papyrus copy of Hebrews, and Tyndale's New Testament (the first Bible printed in English). Also fascinating was a letter from Jane Austen on her writing desk, Handel's Messiah and the only surviving manuscript of Beowulf.

If you've ever been down in a subway, you know those places are crazy. The London Underground is no different. Several of us got on heading to Tottenham Court Road. For some reason, all but ten of us got off and came a little later. But I am proud to say that I led my group valiantly and we had absolutely no problems. We even minded the gap!

We eventually moved on to the British Museum. This place just blows my mind as it is so large and chalk-full of history. One of the most important items on display here is the Rosetta Stone, which made the translation of Egyptian hieroglyphics possible. One room is set up to the exact dimensions of the Parthenon and contains the Elgin Marbles, brought from the Parthenon in Greece. Walking through this vast hall enthused me even more about my potential trip to Athens.

After this our group split up and I went off with my family for the evening. The restaurant we wanted to go to had been closed, so we ended up at a Pizza Hut (limited time, limited budget). It was some of the best pizza that I have ever had. Next up for the night was Wicked. I have to admit, I was a bit unsure of this show (it's not established, it's American, etc...). However, I was pleasantly surprised and I even woke up the next morning singing songs from the show. I'm glad I went, even if I was too short to see over the bars.

This morning I went to church at the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin. It was a fascinating service. The church is Anglican, but have a fairly relaxed style. They actually had a baptism this morning and the entire service was centered on this. I had never witnessed an infant baptism before and it was very interesting. In fact, the lesson was on the merit of infant baptism and I don't think that I've ever heard a lesson on that before!

The rest of today has been spent writing papers, reading for my classes and feeding the ducks in University Parks. The day was long, but beautiful as the sun shone the whole day through. Tomorrow it's back to the daily grind of classes and I now I'm off to read Gregory of Nyssa.

Picnic in the Park

What a glorious day! The sun was out and shining brightly today. A few of us took a picnic lunch over to University Parks this afternoon. I had a lovely Branston Pickle sandwich, salt and vinegar crisps and an apple. It was a beautiful afternoon.

Right now we're enjoying an episode of Inspector Morse, a British show set in Oxford. In fact, we've seen several episodes of Inspector Lewis (the sequel series to Morse) being filmed around town. Anyhow, it's certainly a very interesting show.

Tomorrow we take a day-trip to London. The Globe, the British Library and the British Museum are all on the agenda for tomorrow. Heavy rains are forecasted, but I think it will be a great trip nonetheless.