The Wonder of the Beyond

Book excerpt: Over fifty joyous years, David Adam has exercised a rich and profoundly influential ministry. From his earliest days, he was encouraged to use his eyes to absorb what was around him. He writes: 'I lived in a land of open fields, moorland, and beaches: a land of castles, of history, of heroes, saints and story . . . a radiant world . . . full of the mystery of existence.' Leaving school at 15 to work at the local coal mine, he became increasingly aware of the need to have a purpose in life. The Society of the Sacred Mission at Kelham (regarded as 'the Commando course of the Church of England') was his tough training ground, and thereafter he embarked on a 23 year ministry in Danby in the North York Moors. During this time The Edge of Glory: Prayers in the Celtic Tradition was published. Many more bestselling volumes were to follow during the exhilarating, exhausting and unforgettable thirteen years he served as Vicar of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Though autobiographical, the aim of The Wonder of the Beyond is primarily to help us enter a more wonder full world; to open our eyes, ears and hearts to what is about us; to become more truly aware of the glory of God in our midst.