Llandanwg, Church on the Sands, Wales

Llandanwg -Church on the sands, near Harlech, Wales

This church is hidden right by the sea behind high sand dunes, which over the years have buried it from time to time. Looking from the churchyard the mountains of Snowdonia rise up in front of you and the sound of the sea rolling in behind the sand dunes reminds you that this is a Celtic site situated at the 'edge of the world'.  It is very ancient and part of a pilgrimage route used by the Celtic Christians. Thankfully it has now been restored because it is one of the earliest Christian sites in Britain, with St Tanwg founding a prayer site here in 435AD. Little is known about Tanwg other than he was a cousin of St Cadfan who is famously associated with Bardsey Island. The church features early 5-6th century inscribed stones, one of which is thought to have been brought from the Wicklow Hills in Ireland. Could it have come from the Glendalough Monastic site, known for sending missionaries out far and wide?  

As you approach the church in the churchyard, to the left there is a beautiful prayer cairn made up of stones by people who have written their prayers. I am always moved by how people need somewhere to focus grief in particular and at these prayer sites there is often an outpouring of grief, as if people instinctively know God is the one to turn to for help. Following the path round, you enter the church which is sunken into the ground. The pews are flanking  each side leaving the stone flagstones visible and the altar ahead of you. It is a fabulous, timeless old church and immediately I sense there is a beautiful presence of God.

I settle to pray and go into a very deep place in the spirit.

Praying I see a monk in a habit. He prays standing in the sea submerged to his waist. Perhaps I’m glimpsing a moment in history. It is known that Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, stood in the sea to pray and the legend goes his feet were warmed by a wild otter. 

I see prayers shooting out of this place like coloured rocket fireworks full of power-gold, red, blue, green silver, white. There is joy attached and power. They all seem to head towards Ireland.

I hear the words said to me in the spirit ‘Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. Drink of the living water daughter of God’. Simultaneously, I see a figure pouring a stream of water into my mouth as I lean back mouth open.

I try to rest and be still but I am running fast on the inside still and restless. 

Whirring thoughts distract, zooming by like fast bumble bees pulling my thoughts back to the goings on of the world. I’m aware I’m still at the very beginning of this pilgrimage and that my normal life is still intruding. It may take a while to really settle into the presence of God over the coming days and become still inside.

Heart prayer

I want to look heavenward

To see your face

To feel your love

To enter your rest

Let me be enveloped by your peace oh God

Hide me in the cleft of the rock

Let me enter into your hidden place

Where you and I commune unseen unheard safe and secret

Where love is exchanged heart to heart

Waves of gentle peace flow over me

In another vision, I see am carrying heavy rocks all over my body. I move to let them go to Jesus

As I go to leave the church, I read its history  and am overwhelmed unexpectedly, crying. I am not entirely sure why, except it feels like immense gratitude that these Christians came to Wales from Ireland and then to Cornwall.

I am just so grateful to these forgotten ones for their faithfulness. I also think there is a mix of grief. I have lost the beauty of the mystery. The first love, the inexorable pull of my heart to his heart. The intimacy - I yearn for it once more. How can I return to you in fullness of heart?

Where can I flee from your presence Oh God? If I go to the mountains you are there. If I delve to the depths of the sea you are there. Nothing can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. The truth is I am not separated at all. He has never left or withdrawn. He is here. He is near. And I am his.

This is one of the most impacting encounters I have had for a while. This place is special.

Even now as I write up the accounts of our pilgrimage across Wales, this place stands out. It impacted my spirit greatly and unlocked the yearning for God which was buried deep after a season of winter barrenness. By the end of the pilgrimage I was no longer in this place of stress and turmoil. Peace had returned and day by day there was a progression deep into His heart. You can read the journey in other entries.