Monday, 23rd August, 2010
It was one of those spine tingling moments, a happening that recalled a previous experience which had all the hallmarks of God’s fingerprints over it. Last week we welcomed some students from the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague over to Nether Springs. These students from Kazakhstan, Lithuania and Belgium. Others from Eastern European nations had been unable to secure visas ~ another consequence of the change to a Conservative, sorry Coalition Government! They were an absolute delight and their visit further strengthens the partnership that we enjoy with the Seminary community.
The spine tingling moment occurred over the dining table during a conversation with one of them. Pete had just taken them with a couple of other Companions down to see Acton Home Farm where we plan to move the Mother House to in November. He was enthused and so encouraging as he shared his excitement about the new place and our plans. He couldn’t quite believe that the three areas in which we are going to concentrate our library resources on corresponded to the three subject areas of his studies at Prague; New Monasticism, Celtic Spirituality and Spiritual Formation. As he shared and I looked across a crowded dining room, I realised that sitting at the table with us were people from several nations, many of whom were young. My heart and mind were transported for a few moments back to 1992 when Dave Hay, (one of the founding generation, our first Guest master and current Trustee) and I attended a meeting which Jean Darnell spoke at. This was the lady who has a prophetic ministry who had prophesied back in the 1970’s about the significance of Northumbria in God’s plan for the nations. At the meeting that we attended she spoke and then began to prophesy over people. To Dave and I were given two very powerful words that spoke profoundly into our lives and that of the Community. Prophesies that spoke about God taking us to an out of the way place, where surrounded by fields, young people of many nations would come to learn something of the ways of God and together with them we would be dressed like those in monks clothing. Listening to the young people at the table and in conversation in the gardens and on the car journey from the airport, my heart was stirred within by a beautiful yet powerful reminder of what God has said and also a tremendous encouragement as we look towards the future and the new Mother House at Acton Home Farm.
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