Wednesday, June 12, 2013

CUDDIE DUCKS. . .

On Tuesday night, we were given more information on St. Cuthbert, who eventually followed Aidan as leader of the Lindisfarne Monastery.  Cuthbert was a young boy, out shepherding sheep, when he had a vision of a soul being carried to heaven by angels.  It was the night that Aidan had died.  He resolved to leave the flock behind and  traveled to the monastery at Melrose, where he began his education and life as a monk.

Cuthbert was drawn to solitude.  Even while on Lindisfarne he had a small island off the main island that could be reached at low tide.  This is where he built a hermitage, where he could be alone with God.  Finding this island not secluded enough, he asked permission of his Bishop to move his hermitage to Inner Farne Island, a desolate island with little vegetation in the North Sea.

He spent a number of years there, but his reputation as a wise man of deep spirituality and holiness caused numerous people to voyage out to the island to seek his company and advice.  When the Bishop died, Cuthbert was sought to be the next Bishop. . . if he would consent.

Yesterday (Wednesday), we walked to a hill on the dunes overlooking Alnmouth, the site of Cross Hill.  This was the place where, reportedly, Cuthbert was urged in counsel with the king and his monastic brothers, to accept the new role as bishop.

As we walked to Cross Hill, we were asked to consider and discuss the issues that Cuthbert faced as we have faced them and do face them in our own ministry.  How do we deal with being confronted with two equally good roads to travel?  How do we decided which to take?  Does God always give us our heart's desire the way we wish it (for Cuthbert, that would be a life of solitude and prayer) or does God sometimes call us, for the sake of the community, to sacrifice our heart's desire for the greater good?  How do we decide?

This was a particularly poignant time, since one of my fellow pilgrims is facing a change in ministry within a year.  His church sees his gifting in a certain area and wants him to continue doing what he is doing, but that area of ministry is not life-giving to him and causing him much pain.

Oh, as to the Cuddie Ducks. . .   The Eider Ducks in and around this area are known as Cuddie Ducks.  They are beautiful birds, the females brown and the males white with a jet black head.  From them we get eider down for insulating sleeping bags and clothing.  They were a particular favorite with St. Cuthbert, and have since been known as Cuthbert Ducks or, for short, Cuddie Ducks.

What I learned from Cuthbert today is that sometimes the call to serve and do and be doesn't always fit our pre-conceived understanding of what God would have us do.  Cuthbert wanted to be a monk given totally to prayer and contemplation, living a simple life.  The King and his brothers needed his guidance as bishop.

The good news is that when the call came, Cuddie didn't duck!