Pilgrims' Home

I celebrate that I was able to sleep the whole night despite the time zone change. I awoke at 6am eager to begin my plan of 100 miles in 10 cities throughout June and July. I laced my shoes and ran the only path I knew (namely the path we walked last night to and from The Pavillion). The morning was beautiful and I enjoyed the exercise after two full days of traveling. Today we travel briefly from Birmingham to Evensham on the northside of the Cotswolds. I love this part of England and continually reminisce about my trip here with Lindsay and her parents several years ago. We made a brief stop in Broadway and walked through Lygnon Arms , a famous hotel and pub. In the center of town was a memorial from WWI that listed the names of many men. Supposedly, 1/3 of the young male generation was eliminated from this town during the First WW.  We left Broadway and travelled to our meeting destination, The House of the Open Door . This is a Charismatic Catholic Community's retreat h

I arrived to Birmingham last night unsure of what to expect. Mary Publicover from Springdale College greeted me at the small airport and drove me just outside Birmingham near Selly Oak College (where Lesslie Newbigin taught following his retirement). I was received by Martin and Linda Robinson for the evening, and from the moment I entered their home I felt a new and much needed peace. Martin was once a pastor at the local church (The Pavillion) and is now the principal at Springdale College. He is no longer a pastor, but a wise disciple, who teaches and inquires, while also serving as an elder in his beloved chuch community. We spent the evening discussing not church, but gospel and culture. Oddly, during our conversation, we went for a walk around the town with a stop into the church and college building, where he was once pastor. We did not discuss programs or facilities of the church, but continued our discussion on gospel and culture, especially as it pertained to The Pavillion