Author Archives: pastorhilary

When I was a kid growing up in California, I used to swim competitively.  It was pretty serious.  We swam every morning from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., and every evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  By the end … Continue reading →

It was the 25th Anniversary of the ordination of the first Lutheran woman and we had been invited to the Lutheran Seminary in Germantown to help them mark the occasion. Back then, I was singing with the Anna Crusis Women’s … Continue reading →

“Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”  (Isaiah 58:12, NIV) The restoration of the old mill had been a success, … Continue reading →

The Iona Community was founded in 1938 by the Rev. George MacLeod, his vision growing out of his ministry in Govan Old, a congregation in an important shipbuilding area on the banks of the River Clyde.  MacLeod was called to be … Continue reading →

The Abbey at Iona was founded by an Irish abbot and missionary named Columba. Columba was born in County Donegal in the year 521. Born of the Irish clan of Niall, he came from a race of kings who had … Continue reading →

Twenty-five years ago, Rob and I got as close to Iona as the port city of Oban.  We were poor graduate students at the time, traveling on a shoestring budget.  As a young seminarian, I had a vague knowledge of … Continue reading →

The final leg of my sabbatical journey began as we arrived in Scotland.  After two days in Glasgow to sightsee and recover from jetlag we traveled by train to Edinburgh.  We are here to see our son, Sam, perform in … Continue reading →

With the building of Cumberland Medical Center, Uplands was free to reinvent itself.  In 1953, visitors suggested that Uplands might become a place for retiring career missionaries.  In 1956, the first retirement cottage was authorized.  Missionaries on fixed incomes, completing … Continue reading →