Thinking Faith 2011
The
seventh Thinking
Faith week took place at Boarbank Hall from
23rd
to 29th July 2011. As usual, the days were structured
around Mass, led
by Fr
Simon Gaine OP (standing in for Fr Martin, our usual
chaplain), and the
Divine
Office, joining the Augustinian
Sisters of the Boarbank Community most evenings for
Evening and
sometimes Night
Prayer, and sharing Morning Prayer with the group (though
on one
morning
several of the more energetic members of the group joined
the Community
at 7 am
for Mass and Morning Prayer). Very many thanks to Fr Dixie
and Fr Simon
for
their sermons and to Gavin for leading the music.
On
the Sunday morning we had an early
Mass, before getting the train to Arnside to begin walking
across
Morecambe Bay
with a group of over four hundred others, led by the
Queen’s Guide,
Cedric
Robinson. The walk was to raise money for the Bay Search
and Rescue.
The
weather was perfect, which was just as well, as the water
we had to
cross was
both wide and quite deep! It was an excellent way to get
to know each
other at
the beginning of the week.
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We
had another day out on the Wednesday, when about
half the group climbed Fairfield, going via Great Rigg and
returning
past
Grizedale Tarn, Evening Prayer on the fell, and The
Traveller’s Rest,
and most
of the others joined Fr Dixie’s literary tour of Grasmere
- lakes,
Wordsworth,
Newman and the odd pub! Other outdoor activities included
regular
tennis for
some, and local walks, including a visit to Cartmel (the
twelfth
century
Augustinian priory competed with sticky toffee pudding for
the
affections of
the medieval historians in the group!).
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On
the Sunday evening we watched two
contrasting episodes of the classic Granada series of Brideshead
Revisited - the period as Oxford students, and the
climax with the death of Lord Marchmain. Martina began the
presentations the
next morning by exploring the themes of faith and doubt
through the
characters
in the novel. This was followed by a session led by Chris
on ‘taking
one’s
faith to work’, which included a fascinating glimpse of
all the
faith-related
issues that arise in a GP’s ordinary working week. After
an afternoon
relaxing,
and Mass, we ended the day with a buffet supper in which
we were joined
by some
of the Sisters.
Tuesday morning was devoted to theological themes, with Fr Dixie looking at faith in the Old and New Testaments, and Sr Margaret at Augustine’s extended journey of faith and doubt through the several stages of his conversion and beyond. In the evening, the local poet Neil Curry treated us to a dramatic presentation of his own translation of the medieval poem ‘The Dream of the Rood’, in which the Cross is personified and describes the experience of the crucifixion and its consequences for the world. The reading was greatly appreciated both by those who already loved the poem and those to whom it was completely new. Some money was raised for the local hospice.
The
day in the Lakes on Wednesday ended
with a splendid pub meal at the Royal Oak in Cartmel.
On
Thursday we we
switched to the theme of science, with Br Robert
explaining to us
Stephen
Hawking’s ideas about reality and their relation to
religious faith and
doubt,
and Gavin exploring the ways in which scientists use
statistics and the
reliability of what they show. The first talk included
impressive
reconstructions
of possible ways of understanding the solar system, while
the latter
made
dramatic use of the Roman loos at Ostia! Life is never
dull on Thinking
Faith. On Thursday evening we joined the
Community for Evening Prayer and Exposition, before ending
the day with
a
farewell drink together.
For
our final session on Friday we broke
up into groups and discussed faith and doubt in the modern
world,
taking our
cues from philosophical questions raised especially by
Augustine and by
Descartes and his successors. The chance for a focused and
extended
discussion
was greatly appreciated by all the participants.
Next year’s Thinking Faith will take place from 21st-27th July 2012, on the theme of ‘Faith and Hope’. Book early to avoid disappointment!