Synod Pilgrimage - Tuesday

Tuesday started with a good hearty breakfast at 8.00 p.m. which everyone enjoyed. We then met for worship at 9.00 a.m. in the second floor lounge.

Rowena started our worship by posing the question, we are on a pilgrimage of peace, but can there be peace without justice. We then joined together in the Gathering Words, these were taken from the Iona worship book.

Rowena then led us in prayer, where we were asked to pray using our hands  to convey the meaning of the contents of the prayer.

Graeme then read from Isaiah 42 verses 5-7. Rowena then spoke about a book she had read by the author Alan Bozak and his experiences in South Africa. Alan seemed to say that he raged about injustice and while I think we can all rage at things we read and hear about where injustice occur s, as a Christian I have found very little in scriptures that shows us that rage is the way to seek justice and peace.

We had all received a candle at our worship at Selkirk URC on Monday and were to carry it with us during our pilgrimage, Rowena passed here candle around and asked that we pray for a matter that was of concern to us relating to justice, we were asked to share our prayer verbally or silently. We then joined in the Lords Prayer and then Rowena concluded worship.

Melrose and Rhymer's Stone

Our pilgrimage commenced at 9.30 p.m. our first destination being Melrose. We left the campus  and made our way through the lower part of the town and made our way down to the river Tweed and commenced along the riverside route to Melrose, at one point veering away from the riverside and taking the woodland track. On our way we passed Lowood bridge and the chain bridge. The river flows very peacefully and it is sometimes difficult to place the scenery and tranquillity in a world where there is so much strife and unrest. We arrived at Melrose and decide that we deserves a coffee and a cake at on e of the local tea shops.

Chain Bridge, Dryburgh

From Melrose our journey was to take us eventually to Dryburgh Abbey. On setting out we passed the ruins of Melrose Abbey and Mary and Henry gave us a short potted history of the origins and facts about the Abbey. We then continued our journey to meet with Norma our mini bus driver at Eildon who had our packed lunches with her. On the way we passed Rhymer’s Stone and Mary told us the legend of Thomas Rymer who was taken by the fairy queen for seven and when released had the gift of truth so ever after he could never tell a lie.
We met with Norma and had our lunch sheltering in the shade of a farmers field.  Following a leisurely lunch we set out for Dryburgh via St Boswell where ice creams where purchased and Mary told us of the works of Grisell Baillie.

We then progressed to Dryburgh Abbey our route taking us through some scenic woodland. We arrived at Dryburgh Abbey via the suspension bridge and the Temple of the Muses. The Abbey is now a ruin and according to the placards at the Abbey it was reportedly destroyed by the English forces of  Edward Seymour, 2^nd Earl of Hertford in 1544.  

The Abbey although once a magnificent buiding is now ruin and one must wonder if we can ever have a world where peace and justice prevail as history would not seem to show that we have made

much progress in either matter.

We then returned to the campus to rest and refresh ourselves for our evening meal in Galashiels.

Danny Pigeon