Legacy

We stood in the Holywell Churchyard, at the grave of Charles Williams, one of the Inklings, and prayed that some of his spirit of creativity and imagination would live on in us. It was a moving moment, one of many here. We visited the house where Tolkein lived during his last year, and the house where Lewis lived during his first year. These men all left a lasting legacy of influence and fruitfullness for the kingdom, but perhaps of more interest for me at this moment in my life, a legacy of joy and imagination for which the world is thirsty.

Those Crazy Americans
We were stunned to see the Mitre being closed, one of the pubs frequented by the Inklings. As I popped my head in and talked with a worker, he agreed to sell four chairs from the pub for a total of £8 ($16). Who knows if Inkling bottoms ever pressed those actual cushions or not, but we prefer to think they did. It is our hope that a little of that tradition will grace our home in Fresno. (I dread finding out what the cost of shipping will be.) Our host just shook her head and laughed when we asked her to help us haul the chairs back to the village. "You crazy Americans!"

Significant Contacts.
I met with Chris Sugden, former Director of the Oxford Centre for Mission Study, now Director of the Anglican Mainstream, who gave me good counsel about the future, as well as connection to some key contacts.

Village and City Life and Spirit
We made the transition from the cottage where we were staying on Abbey Street to Llandaff House, in the heart of the village off the square. (See photo from previous entry. That is the view out our window.) We are staying with Deborah Lake and her wonderful family in their 300 year-old home, complete with 1000 year old, chiseled abbey stones in their back garden and rough beam and stone, tudor-style interior. Everything we need, from sausage rolls, to newspapers, to the village coop., to a deli, to fair trade coffee is literally steps out our door. The village is quiet, except for Monday nights which includes a cacaphany of bells from bell-ringers practice. Life in Eynsham is a nice contrast to the pace and intensity of Oxford. But Oxford holds its own contributions to thge life of the spirit as well. We attended a sung Evensong at Christ Church Cathedral this week, a beautiful experience with the antiphonal boys and mens choir. One of the hymns we sang included this poetic stanza that captured my heart and represented my prayer while here.

"Drop thy still dews of quietness,

Till all our strivings cease;

Take from our souls the strain and stress,

And let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of thy peace."

- John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)