Cornwall Cogitation #14, Sunday 10 May 2015–In the UK it’s called a takeaway; in the US it’s a takeout. Applying the terms to more than food or drink, what do we take away from our three months in Cornwall?

Monday, 4 May, we attended May Day events at the Guildhall in St Ives. the noon event included a choir singing Cornish songs, a poem in Cornish language, children wrapping and unwrapping May poles, a parade led by a brass band with St John’s Ambulance walkers bringing up the rear. it was fun. Afterwards we went with friends Noel and Lynne to visit a National Trust estate at Godolphin. The bluebells “rang” out their rain-glistened hues in magnificent praise.

In the evening we experienced the pleasure of being treated by Roger and Doreen to a Chinese buffet in Camborne. Brilliant times together with both couples.

Tuesday was our day to catch the night train to London for our 11:20am flight home from Heathrow. Can you imagine an unhurried day of final packing, a kipper and egg lunch at the Atlantic Café with a glimpse of the sea and dinner at the newly-opened La Casita Restaurant within easy walking distance? Neighbour Steve volunteered to take us to St Erth to catch the 9:55pm train. And so started our 29-hour journey home to Elkhart, Indiana.

On the Saturday before leaving Cornwall we learned via Facebook of the hospitalization of a friend and former work colleague, Joel Kauffmann. Joel, out for a walk with his wife Nancy, experienced what was later diagnosed as a blood clot in his lungs. He fell backwards, hitting his head on the pavement and never regained consciousness. We will attend the memorial service on Monday. Joel was 64 years old.

On Saturday 9 May, we attended the memorial service for Millard C. Lind,  professor emeritus of Old Testament at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart. In the early 1980s I took his class, based on his book, “Yahweh is a Warrior.” Millard was 96 years old.

From a bookmark prepared by the Penlee Cluster of churches and which we found at the St Pol de Leon Parish Church near Mousehole, Cornwall, I pray this prayer in honor of Millard and Joel: “Dear Lord, Help us to do all the good we can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, as long as ever we can. Amen.”

I wrap up with another quote from the article I wrote for the monthly magazine of St Anta and St Uny: “Beyond what we ever anticipated, we’ve been blessed by being part of the worshiping, fellowshipping, serving community at St Anta and St Uny. This year we enjoyed the Lenten study of the Lord’s Prayer. Psalm 86:11 in the study booklet reads, ‘Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth.’ The truth of walking the Lord’s Prayer includes the joyous privilege of living in a new relationship with God and with each other. . . .

“Spending part of our retirement in Cornwall has been deeply rewarding in getting to know place and people, as well as the practicalities of, as the hymn writer in ‘Lead on, O cloud of Presence,” wrote, ‘Lead on, O fier-y Pillar, we follow yet with fears, but we shall come rejoicing though joy be born of tears. We are not lost, though wand’ring, for by your life we come, and we are still God’s people. The journey is our home.”

I’ll be cogitating on what form future blogs might take. Pictures, yes, pictures. God guide each one’s journey. -John