November News From Beckah At Bath Abbey

Happy Thanksgiving! I have been quizzed constantly about the significance of this American holiday and to be perfectly honest, I don’t know much about it. I have found that it is an uncomfortable conversation to have with people outside of my own culture because it forces a reflection on the ill-treatment of Native Americans. I may not know the historical events too accurately, but what I do know is that I will miss being with my friends and family and I will especially miss pumpkin pie. All is not lost though; I will be traveling to London at the end of the month to celebrate with fellow Americans who also find themselves on this side of the pond at this time of year.

I am continuing to have a great time in Bath. I am amazed at how quickly I have been able to form a life here. I have formed friendships with people I work and worship with. I have fallen in love with the children in the Abbey choirs, and most importantly I have learned the value of a routine. Nothing makes one feel more at home than having a busy schedule week after week. It truly is a sign of belonging.

While November in America is the month of Thanksgiving, and Black Friday; November in Great Britain is a month for remembering. On November 5th, the British people celebrate Guy Fawkes Night. In 1605 Guy Fawkes attempted an attack on the House of Parliament, but he was unsuccessful. In result, after capture, he was sentenced to be drawn and quartered. If you don’t know what that is, I will spare you the gruesome details*, but let’s just say it makes me feel a little better about skirting around the story of Thanksgiving. (*The punishment of being drawn and quartered is depicted at the end of the movie, Braveheart.) The actual celebration of this holiday is a lot like our Fourth of July. Only instead of enjoying the warmth of sunshine and outdoor picnics before watching the fireworks, people here enjoy the warmth of bonfires and bundling up in layers of ‘jumpers’ and jackets before watching, well… fireworks. I was lucky enough to watch fireworks from the top of the Abbey tower, 49 meters above the ground.

On the eleventh day, at the eleventh hour, in this, the eleventh month, people across the country stood still, in silence, to remember. In the weeks before, poppies began to appear on every lapel, and small wooden crosses were decorated and displayed for fallen soldiers. It was a beautiful event and one that lasted for weeks, with ceremonies and church services, monuments and memorials. In the Abbey square a cross was assembled and turned into a small garden. People placed memorials to loved ones that they had lost in any of the wars of this century and the last. The country was proud and solemn on Remembrance Day. It was an exercise in looking back into the past.

About a week after the cross memorial was taken down; a Christmas tree was put in its place. Little stalls began to sprout up all around. And the Abbey itself became consumed, not with remembrance, but with preparation. Advent is upon us. It is hard to believe that Christmas is less than a month away. I still feel as though I left Cleveland Hopkins Airport last week. Advent is a season of preparation, of looking to what is coming in the times ahead. I thought that it was quite a shift in direction going so quickly from Remembrance Day to Advent, but right in the middle of that transition lands Christ the King Sunday.

I might have found it hard to make such a sudden switch from looking at the past to looking at the future, but then we hear of this image of God as the Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and the end and all that is in between. Through our remembrance and our preparations, God is there. He was there with those whom we remember, He will be with us in what is to come, and as we move from remembering to preparing, He is here with us now.

God’s blessings and peace as we move into the season of Advent and soon enough, Christmas!



The Christmas Market


Kris, Edwin, Joe, Becca, and Marta on Thanksgiving.



St. Lawrence Church, London; our hosts for Thanksgiving.

October News from Beckah at Bath Abbey

Hello everyone! I hope that this newsletter finds you well. October has proven to be just as busy as September. I have really settled into life here. I can’t believe that I have been here for nearly two months.

On October 6th, my roommate arrived. Her name is Juyeon Han and she is from Seoul, South Korea. She lived and served last year, in Nottingham, England through the Time for God program. Time for God or TFG is a partner program that the ELCA coordinates with, here, in the United Kingdom. Juyeon is really great and it is nice to have some company in my flat.

In mid-October, I travelled to London for a Time for God conference. I was so happy to see all of my fellow UK YAGMs as well as meet new volunteers from Germany, Scotland, and South Korea. This conference was a time to meet with the TFG administrators and reflect on our service so far and start to look to the future. The theme was vocation so we explored different ideas of ‘call,’ ‘journey,’ and ‘service.’ We took time to look at the path our lives have taken so far and where they may be headed in the future. An image of life that really struck me was an image of my life as a tapestry. The back of a tapestry is not beautiful, it makes no picture and can look messy and disorganized, but you can see where and how the fibers connect. However, all of these fibers on the back, as messy as they may seem, make a big, complete, and beautiful picture on the front.

Here in Bath, I am surrounded by history. The Abbey is full of memorials of those who have gone before. The city itself is a testament to time and how we, as people, leave our mark. I am already very aware of the fact that I will be coming home after a year. I can’t help but think of what I might leave behind or what I might take away. I don’t think that they will be resurrecting any great monuments to my name or claiming any day to be a holiday in my honor. But I still wonder if I will be missed when I leave. What can I do to leave my impression?
Sometimes leaving a mark is in the little things and it doesn’t always come from where you expect. When we were at the conference in London we were given the opportunity to plan worship. For our worship service, we had a passing of the peace. It was a small group and most of us knew each other. We gave hugs-we’re not too afraid of H1N1. I didn’t think much of this, hugging is something we do in the culture I know. One of the other volunteers, Darren, grew up in Scotland. He said to me after the service that he really liked that we did that. Hugging was something new to him. He said that even as a boy he very rarely had hugs.

So again, no monuments or holidays, but in being with each other and being ourselves we must remember that we impact all whom we cross paths with. Furthermore, we must remember to look at and listen to those whom we meet. Even over a meal, in a brief conversation, or just in a hug we might catch a glimpse of someone else’s perspective and experience in this world.

Pictures from Bath:

Victoria Park

Pictures from the TFG Conference in London:

O-H-I-O in London!

Out on the town.

September News from Beckah at Bath Abbey

Hello everyone! I have survived almost a month here in Bath, England. It has been a long process to get here and the journey has just started. In March, I was accepted to the Young Adults in Global Mission program through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In April I attended a discernment, interview, and placement event at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. At this event my world was turned upside down. It was four of the best and most challenging days of my life. At the end of those four days I knew that I was headed to serve for a year in the United Kingdom. It wasn’t until June that I found out that I had been placed at Bath Abbey. On August 19, I flew to meet my 50 fellow YAGM’s and a team of YAGM alum and Global Mission’s staff for a week of orientation in Chicago.

Orientation was an amazing experience. We engaged in learning and fellowship. We spent time each day in devotions and lectures, building our strength and faith for the year that lay ahead. We focused on the ELCA’s mission model:

ELCA Mission Model (adopted from Latin American Liberation Theology):

Accompaniment- walking together in solidarity that practices interdependence and mutuality. In this walk, gifts, resources, and experiences are shared with mutual advice and admonition to deepen and expand our work within God’s mission.
· Not to change the world, but believing that the world will change you.
· Not standing for people, but with them.
· Peace is not a gift God gives us, but a gift we give to each other.

At chapel, on the last night of orientation, we celebrated our baptism and had our hands anointed as we heard the words, “Each of you has been called by God and sent by the church to serve the world God loves. The discipleship to which you have been called is a manifestation of the new life you were given in the waters of Holy Baptism. Sometimes, the call will seem impossible. But through Christ, the one who has set you free from bondage to sin and death, all things are possible.”

I arrived at the Abbey on the 1st of September. I dove into my work here right away. The Abbey is a busy place, receiving over half a million visitors each year while continuing to be a living, parish church. I am involved in many aspects of Abbey life. I am working with the youth and children’s programs, acting as a chaperone for the boys’ and girls’ choirs. I am also working with my supervisor to help the Abbey develop a new Sunday school curriculum. I am also in the process of training to work with the Abbey’s homeless outreach organizations. During the week I lead Tower Tours.

I would say that Tower Tours were the least expected part of my year of service. I had known that I would be spending sometime as a tour guide. I assumed that this meant showing people around the beautiful, ground floor, of the Abbey. Well, you know what they say about assuming things… I have been afraid of heights all of my life, at least that’s what I thought. I now lead tourists up 212 steps to the top of the Abbey tower where you can see a bird’s eye view of all of Bath. I do this up to six times a day. I’m no longer afraid of heights; in fact it is one of the best parts of my work here.

Bath is a beautiful city. It is situated in the Southwest part of England. September has brought warm, sunny days. On my first day off I wandered around the city aimlessly just taking in the sights and the people. I went from shop to shop looking through the windows at all of the wonderful treasures. I walked along the river where boats lined up bringing more people to add to the energy of the city. It was a beautiful place, on a beautiful day. It was really like a fairy tale or a movie set. It was so easy to get lost in the perfection of the day. In fact, the streets seemed to be filled with music. Not just the music of bells jingling on shop doors or ringing out from the Abbey tower. Not the rhythm of people shuffling about either, but actual music. On every street among the tourists and school children, the shop keepers and construction workers were street performers. Some with elaborate acts and instruments, some with an audience, some with dogs, and all with an upturned hat or open instrument case, or a small tin collecting change from passersby. The music added to the joyous atmosphere, but the players brought a new mood. The smiles could not cover the worn tired features on their faces and the music could not mask the tattered clothing. I walked down a small side street and there at the end was a man sitting on a milk crate with a small dog. He was playing the penny whistle- a hollow, sad sound all by itself. I watched people pass him by as if he were a part of the concrete sidewalk he sat on and they could just walk over him. The dog curled up to sit under the shelter created by the man’s legs. I stopped and placed a pound in the man’s overturned beaver skin hat. He thanked me and the dog moved out to sniff my hand. I asked if I could pet his dog. The dog was sweet and the man was kind. It is really easy to close our eyes and ignore the problems of this world. There are so many problems it is daunting to think about solving any of them. But people on the other hand are harder to ignore. Here was a man and his dog. He is not a statistic or an economic issue. He is a man, a person; just like I am a person and you are a person. That is what I am going to try and carry with me this year. The idea of people and we are in this together.

I hope all is well with everyone at home. I keep you all in my prayers!

God’s blessings and peace!

Pictures from Orientation:

Some of the YAGM Ladies.

Some of the YAGM Men.

Pictures from Bath:

The view of the Abbey from my bedroom window.

A street performer in the Abbey square.

Beckah's Contact Information:

Mailing Address:
9 Kingston Buildings
Bath
Avon
BA1 1LT
United Kingdom

E-mail Address:
beckahselnick@gmail.com

Technical Difficulties (Liz Eaton is my mother after all.)

When I began my year of service I was bright eyed and full of ambition. I had this wild notion that I would keep both a blog and a newsletter. This lasted for a few months before my blog fell by the wayside. However, I have had some trouble sending out my monthly newsletters and it has only taken me about six months to realize I should post them on my blog. With any luck this should bring everyone up to speed on my life here in England. I will be posting news from September through March. Enjoy!

Welcome Home

Every day here, at the Abbey, begins with Morning Prayer. This morning we discussed the essence of the Gospel. It was said that the essential message of the Gospel is ‘Welcome Home’ and home is where someone will always let you in. This is such an important message to me, especially feeling so far from home. I’m not far from home though; I was let in here in Bath, England. It is so significant to remember to carry this message around with us as we meet others. You never know when someone might be a little bit lost and looking for their way home. Love your neighbor as yourself and show them that they are at home, that we are all at home together.

A prayer from the Service of Holy Communion at Bath Abbey:

Father of All,

we give you thanks and praise,

that when we were still far off

you met us in your Son and brought us home.

Dying and living, He declared your love, gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory

May we who share Christ's body live his risen life;

we who drink His cup bring life to others;

we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world.

Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,

so we and all your children shall be free,

and the whole earth live to praise Your name;

through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A View from the Top

I have been in Bath, England for almost two weeks now and I thought that it was time for an update. Everything is going really well. I am meeting lots of new people and seeing lots of new things. One of my fellow UK YAGMS asked me the other night what has shocked me most about the way things are here. What a good question. I haven't really been shocked by anything, but I have been surprised at how many differences there are. I haven't had much time to focus on those differences because I have been kept very busy at the Abbey.

I have many reponsiblities. One of my jobs is to be a Tower Tour guide. The tower tour takes visitors of the Abbey on a climb up 212 narrow, dark, old, steep, spiral steps. These steps lead to the top of the Abbey tower where there are magnificent views of the city below and the surrounding countryside. The picture in the top left is one I took while standing on the top of the tower. I have never been too fond of heights in general, but specifically stairs. I get nervous going down even a small flight of stairs and now I am faced with the task of climbing up, and even worse, back down, 212 steps six times in a day.

Throughout the whole YAGM process I can't help, but wonder what it is that I've been called and sent to do. It is a natural thing to constantly look to the future what comes next? Well, as I climb those stairs I think, 'I know what comes next: the next stair, and then the one after that, and then the one after that...'It is a great thing to focus on the present, to focus on one foot in front of the other. At the end of all of those small steps I have climbed to the top and I can see so much. It is easy to miss what is going on right here right now, but without the right here and right now, we can't reach beyond. I still don't know exactly what the big picture of my life will look like, but I do know that, right here, right now, I am taking a step in the right direction.

3 Airplanes + 13 hours - 1 suit case = Safely in Bath

I made it! I am safely and happily in Bath, England. Of course, I have terrible jet lag and I lost a suitcase on the way (it has since been found and should arrive shortly), but all is well. Bath is beautiful and I already feel like I am a part of a family.

I was greeted, with a hug, by my supervisor’s wife Sarah and their oldest son Caolen. He is 10 going on 16 and just delightful. When we arrived at their home we were joined by the twins, Jonty and Dewi. They will be 9 on Sunday and I have already been invited to the birthday party. The three boys are enthusiastically showing me the ropes in the UK with lengthy and very fast paced discussions on Black Adder, the Cricket Ashes, and which fudge, ice cream, and sweet shops are the best. They also corrected me when I thought my pants were wet from the rain. Evidently, it was actually my ‘trousers’ that were wet because ‘pants’ are something incredibly different and vastly more entertaining to little boys.

My flat is right next to the abbey, in the heart of Bath, giving me incredible views from every window. My bed is soft and comfortable which was incredibly welcome after a long day of travelling.

Saying ‘goodbye’ was tough, but that part is over now. It is all ‘hello’ from here on out!