Deepened call for mission after a trip to Iona

I spent last week on Iona, a tiny island off the coast of Scotland in the inner Hebrides. On this island, St Columba brought the gospel to Scotland and Northern England. This was an amazing experience for me where I found my faith deepened and renewed. One day was spent retracing the footsteps of St Columba by undertaking a prayer walk with non stop wind and rain! We were able to spend time reflecting on St Columba's own missionary zeal as he landed in his coracle on Iona from Ireland.

One of the welcomes used during the abbey worship services enabled us to develop a warm community with other Christians. We were asked to find someone we did not know in the congregation, introduce ourselves, find out their name and where they had journeyed from and then hold this information in an upturned shell which we'd been given and pray for this person on a daily basis over the next week. I met someone from Seattle in USA! Great to connect with other followers of Jesus from around the world.

We had several significant God moments whilst we were journeying:  on the way up to Scotland our coach got though the M6 just before the motorway flooded. Also, our coach broke down in the Trossachs on a narrow windy road on the way back. There had been an accident a few moments before so 2 police cars were able to warn passing traffic whist our coach driver tried to mend the coach. With prayer and songs and hymns of praise the coach restarted and brought us safely back to England.

This trip has also renewed my passion for evangelism. This is summed up in the worship song 'The Summons'  which was written by John L. Bell and Graham Maule, members of the Iona Christian community:  

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?
Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?
Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?
Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?
Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

Copyright © 1987 WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow, G2 3DH, Scotland.
wgrg@iona.org.uk; www.wgrg.co.uk Reproduced by permission.

Helen Edwards