We loved our holiday in Norwich this summer.
Our holidays have developed a pattern over the years and since we no longer have children to entertain, usually we are able to relax in the mornings with some serious reading and peruse all these books we keep buying and never have time to read. In Norwich we found some nice open-air cafes to do this in the sunshine; the beautiful, newly opened Forum, or the garden of the Assembly Rooms.
Then we go on the tourist track for a few hours. We climbed the hill to the very impressive Norman Castle, meandered along the Wensum, took the tour bus and 'did' the Cathedral. Then we're generally exhausted and have to have another wee sit-down again at another coffee stop and relax into our novels - or sleep!
Ok. It's not exciting. But we are now far too old for anything of that sort. And this slow pace suits us very well.
My wee bit of excitement was following in the steps of Julian, an anchorite attached to the church of St Julian in Norwich in the 14th century. Actually, it would be fair to say that she didn't take many steps for me to follow, since she was actually sealed in to a little room and never left her little cell again till her death many years later.
But I like Julian. Reading her scripts, I am impressed by her 'normality'. She is just like us. Not a great saint who did wonderful things. But an ordinary woman who just wanted to live her life close to God. And the writings she left are an encouragement to ordinary people; an encouragement to live ordinary lives in touch with an extraordinary God and in doing so, find a groundedness that we often seek but lack.
So Peter and I are hosting a day about her writings. And having lived with her for so many weeks now, I am really looking forward to it.
Come and join us if you can.
Saturday 13th September 10am - 4pm.
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