We departed Bishops House at 8:30 this morning for a short walk to the ferry. So hard for us to say goodbye to the gracious staff, the gorgeous island, the settling peace, and the most beautiful place I have ever…

“Connection and compassion” Today we had a small group of pilgrims explore our theme by spending time exploring the Abbey.

“From Darkness into Light” Today has been our day of “Living Water: Outer and Inner Landscapes” as we steeped ourselves in the natural world created and inhabited by God. Before sunrise this morning, an intrepid group of pilgrims made a…

pilgrimage (noun): a journey of intentional encounter with God that renders the pilgrim transformed. Today we’re focused on healing and transformation, the core of our shared experience as pilgrims. For hundreds of years, people have traveled to Iona seeking spiritual…

After the day of rest yesterday, today was divided between times of contemplation and discussion at Bishop’s House and a tour of the island of Iona—originally scheduled for Saturday but postponed because of the weather. The tour was led by…

As we crawled into bed last night, we were comforted by the unceasing howl of the wind and the crashing waves; for they had been our constant companions since we arrived on Iona. Sunday morning fulfilled its promise and we…

The Divine Flow and the Tears of Iona St. Columba, the head of the original monastic community and founder of the abbey on Iona, had a rule for his monks’ prayer practice. He told them to “pray until the tears…

Last evening ended with a wonderful dinner in Oban, population 8,000, the seafood capital of Scotland. The seafood is so fresh that when the restaurant ran out of sea bass, they asked if we could wait 40 minutes for a…