sarum college, and the pilgrimage begins....

after leaving my b&b and the city of london, and traveling through beautiful countryside by train to this historic community of salisbury, the journey begins.

i now have figured out, although i didn't figure it out until after i set the pictures...that if i post from last to first, the pictures will come in order...something new to try tomorrow...

to enter this college, you go under a 'gate' (pictured here), which is locked to the general public at 11:30 pm -- once again historic -- we were given a healthy lunch, and received two lectures on wesley.

john wesley was not the first to have his heart strangely warmed...his brother charles had his conversion first. music is far more effective than sermons (hum...). the catholic spirit was intended to address the issue that god was available to all (hence the phrase "the world is my parish"); the emphasis is on health and healing, both the phyusical and spiritual concept of "saving souls". therefore methodism truly believed that we could receive a full 'healing balm'. ones path to perfection is both personal and social; very practical. we are to strive toward holiness.

methodism grew from small societies -- holy clubs (we'd call them small groups) to 300,000 out of a population in this english anglican country of 5 million in the 18th century; creating a denomination of its own. we were a people on the move...reflecting the social, cuiltural and economic changes of those times; revolutionary!

now, a sidebar; did you know that this is pigeon mating season? we can only open our windows slightly, because the pigeons sit at the windows, and think there is another pigeon in the room...well, you can imagine, but i digress.....

a fast walk through town led us to the first meeting house of the methodists. an historic marker, pictured above, rests on the site. the year is 1759, and had a balcony with organ; pews facing the front. today the church sanctuary is no longer two story, and the chancel (worship focus) is the length of the church, adding windows and screens, and comfy chairs rather than pews. we will worship there on sunday.

following dinner, we broke up into small groups, and got to know each other. the evening concluded with the eucharist. the morning will begin with the eucharist at the cathedral. each day we have a journal entry (john writes on monday feb. 27, 1738 ...i took coach for salisbury, and had several opportunities of conversing seriously with my fellow-travelers....and a prayer 'o eternal and merciful (god), i give thee humble thanks ... for all the blessings, spiritual and temporal, which, in the riches of thy mercy, thou hast poured down upon me... and charles wrote a hymn that included these words: (god) is with thee; kit us in like unity! make us, o uniting son, one as thou and he are one.

a good beginning; rich in wisdom. goodnight for now.