British Isles Trip, Part 2: Scotland & Northern Ireland

After our week at Keswick, Sandy and I headed up to Scotland, while our friends the Eckers returned to London. We rode the train into Edinburgh, where we spent the next couple of days taking in the sites of that historic city. The centerpiece of Edinburgh is the famous Royal Mile, which is anchored on each end by Holyrood Palace, the Queen's official residence in Scotland, and ancient Edinburgh Castle, the highest point in the city...both of which we toured. One of the highlights of our time in Edinburgh was attending the 60th annual Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a renowned marching band and bagpipe festival that takes place each August. Using Edinburgh Castle as a backdrop, the Tattoo features bands from the United Kingdom and around the world.

After 3 cold, rainy days in Edinburgh, we flew over to Northern Ireland to see some other dear friends. On the eastern side of the island, we visited with two special Irish couples with whom we did a house exchange in 2006. (They came to our home in Florida while we vacationed in one of their homes in Northern Ireland). Gerald is a retired police officer (and a Gideon). His wife Audrey is a retired school teacher. Both are active lay leaders in their local Baptist church. Their lovely daughter Jenny is a nurse. Harold and Marlene are a retired Baptist pastor and wife. Harold preached at our church in Florida in 2006. It was so refreshing to enjoy the gracious hospitality of these Christian friends again.

We also got to see our friends Jim and Sandra Shannon. Jim was the very first person from Northern Ireland that I ever met. About 10 years ago, he and his family began visiting our church in Florida every summer during their annual holiday time in the States. We began developing a friendship at that time and would look forward to getting together each year. In Northern Ireland, Jim is a political figure on the rise. After serving for several years as a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, he was just recently elected to the British Parliament.

For our next stop, we ventured over to the western part of Northern Ireland and visited with Baptist Minister Clive Johnston and his wife Sheila. Clive preached at Mount Hermon in Danville in early 2009. It was good to renew fellowship with him and to meet his whole family--including his 3 adult children (one of whom is a dentist and whose services I desperately required while there!) Sandy and I immensely enjoyed being with the Johnstons. They took us around to parts of Northern Ireland (and the Republic of Ireland) that we had not previously seen. We visited the walled city of Londonderry (AKA Derry) and saw the historic cathedral where former slave-ship captain John Newton worshiped after his conversion to Christ. (Newton, of course, is best known as the author of the hymn Amazing Grace.) We traveled to the coast of Donegal and looked westward to the United States. (Did you see us waving?) We also got to visit the new Baptist work in Strabane where Joe and Darlene Cornell of Danville have been serving for the past year or so.

Ireland is truly a captivating place. Its beautiful rolling hillsides. Its picturesque coastlines. Its flocks of sheep grazing upon lush pastures. Its proverbial "forty shades of green" as immortalized in song by Johnny Cash. Its ancient rock walls, old churches, and rustic buildings. Its friendly, warm-hearted people. Its historic Christian heritage (a la St. Patrick and others). Its colorful music and culture. And its deep-rooted connection with the United States. Indeed, it was the Protestant Scots-Irish (Ulster Scots) of the northern part of Ireland who in the 1700s settled the mountains of Appalachia (my personal heritage). Later, following the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s, a whole new wave of Irish immigrants--predominantly Catholic--descended upon our great Eastern cities (i.e., New York, Boston, etc.) to build a new life for themselves there. So there is a strong bond between our nation and the Irish people--both north and south.

Sandy and I enjoyed our all-too-brief stay in Northern Ireland. It was a great time for renewing old friendships and cultivating new ones, while being personally refreshed and renewed by "the Emerald of the Sea."

Pastor Danny

British Isles Trip, Part 1: Keswick

For years, one of my ministry dreams has been that of attending the annual Keswick Convention in England. This summer, after 25 years in pastoral ministry, I decided that it was time to pursue that dream. So, in late July, Sandy and I took a flight "across the pond" to enjoy a much-needed time of spiritual refreshment and renewal.

In England, we met up with our friends Lewis and Angie Ecker, who presently live in London. For nearly a decade, Lewis and I served together at the First Baptist Church of Clermont, Florida. In 2008, the Ecker family left Florida, so that Lewis could take up the role of associate pastor of two inner city churches in London. He also works with London's Street Pastors ministry. About 48 hours after Sandy and I landed at London's Heathrow Airport, we and the Eckers boarded a train for Keswick and made our way out into the English countryside.

The renowed Keswick Convention is a Bible teaching conference held each summer (since 1875!) in the village of Keswick in the beautiful Lake District in the north of England. In recent years, the attendance has grown so much that they offer 3 different "Keswick weeks" back-to-back-to-back. We attended the third of the three weeks for 2010. At the end of week 3, it was reported that some 12,000 participants attended the combined sessions. (Roughly 4,000 each week.) While some of each week's events are held at different smaller venues, the main worship gatherings are held in a massive tent that can seat approximately 3,500 people. The remaining attendees "spill over" to other nearby venues where they can watch the proceedings live via television.

The main speaker of the week was Alistair Begg, a Scotsman who pastors a large church in Cleveland, Ohio and who has a popular preaching ministry via radio and the Internet. When I lived in Florida I used to listen to Alistair Begg's recorded weekly sermons via our local Moody Radio station in St. Petersburg. Alistair spent the whole week at Keswick doing an exhaustive expositional study of Romans chapter 8. It was great! What a solid preacher of the Word he is.

The worship was led by famous British singer, songwriter, and recording artist Stuart Townend. Townend is HUGE in the United Kingdom, but less well known here in the States. On our side of the Altantic, he is best known for his popular worship song, "In Christ Alone." We would do well to learn more of his songs. They typically are rich in great doctrinal truths about the Person of God. Stuart Townend is not only a prolific songwriter, he also is a gifted worship leader. There is a special touch of God on his life. During our week in Keswick, Townend stayed in the condo right next to us. We enjoyed the opportunity of meeting him and fellowshiping with him. A very humble man of God with a worshiping heart.

Townend's "back up" band for the week was the British Contemporary Christian group Phatfish. Although I was not previously familiar with Phatfish, I have sinced learned that they are quite popular throughout the United Kingdom. (In fact, when we visited Northern Ireland the following week, we found out that some of our friends there knew all about them.) The lead singer of Phatfish is a young woman named Lou Fellingham. She's also a popular solo artist in Britain. She very recently had given birth to a new baby boy. Yet, she was in fine singing form at Keswick. Truly, she has a great voice with an exceptional range.

Sandy and I had such a great experience worshiping with other Christians from different lands. I love the corporate experience of 4,000 varied voices lifted as one in praise to God. And I just love meeting and interacting with followers of Jesus from different parts of the world. I always find that so refreshing, because there is so much we can learn from one another. The vast majority of the attendees at Keswick were from England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales. But there also was representation from Africa, the Middle East and Asia. One of the presenters on the program was from the good ole USA, but other than him--and our party of 4--I don't remember hearing anyone else with an American accent all week long.

After 7 spiritually-energizing days in the town of Keswick, it was kind of sad to finally have to leave. You sort of wished it could just go on and on. (But that's what Heaven is for, isn't it?) Nonetheless, our week in Keswick was an experience that Sandy and I will never forget (in spite of it being cold and rainy!) I wish you could have been there with us. Perhaps someday, Lord willing, we'll go again.

Pastor Danny