David Adam (1936 – 24 January 2020) was a British Anglican

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

and writer. Adam was born in Alnwick, Northumberland. When he left school at 15, he went to work underground in the

coal mines Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron fro ...

for three years before training for ordained ministry at

Kelham Theological College Kelham is a small village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire about northwest of Newark on a bend in the A617 road near its crossing of the River Trent. The population of the civil parish taken at the 2011 census was 207. Historical Kelham ...

. He was

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

of Danby-Castleton-Commondale in

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

for over 20 years, where he began writing

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ...

s in the Celtic pattern. He later became rector of Holy Island, Lindisfarne, where he ministered to thousands of pilgrims and other visitors. He was made a

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

York Minster The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Arch ...

in 1989. He lived on the coast near Lindisfarne.

Writings

Adam's first book in the Celtic vein, ''Edge of Glory'', achieved immediate popularity. He published several collections of art, reflections, prayers and meditations based on the Celtic tradition. His books have been translated into various languages, including Finnish and German, and have appeared in American editions. Adam's books include: *''The Cry of the Deer: Meditations on the hymn of St Patrick'' known as The Deer's Cry. *''A Desert in the Ocean: Meditations based on St Brendan's Prayer on the Mountain'' – God's call to adventurous living. *''The Eye of the Eagle: Meditations on the hymn

Be Thou My Vision "Be Thou My Vision" ( sga, Rop tú mo baile or ''Rob tú mo bhoile'') is a traditional Christian hymn of Irish origin. The words are based on a Middle Irish poem that has traditionally been attributed to Dallán Forgaill. The best-known English ...

'' *''The Edge of Glory: Collection of modern prayers in the Celtic tradition'' *''Flame In My Heart: The life of St Aidan'' *''Fire of the North: The life of St Cuthbert'' *''On Eagles' Wings: The life of St Chad'' *''The Open Gate: Celtic-style prayers for spiritual growth'' *''The Road of Life: Reflections on Searching and Longing'' *''The Rhythm Of Life: Morning, Midday, Evening and Night liturgies for each day of the week'', SPCK *''Tides and Seasons: A further collection of modern prayers in the Celtic tradition'' *''Walking the Edges: Living in the Presence of God''. Drawing on the stories of

St Martin of Tours Martin of Tours ( la, Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316/336 – 8 November 397), also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in France, heralded as the ...

St Ninian Ninian is a Christian saint, first mentioned in the 8th century as being an early missionary among the Pictish peoples of what is now Scotland. For this reason he is known as the Apostle to the Southern Picts, and there are numerous dedication ...

, St Patrick, St Oswald of Northumbria and St Cuthbert, this is an invitation to journey to the "borderlands" *''The Awesome Journey: Life's pilgrimage''

References

1936 births 2020 deaths People from Alnwick 20th-century English Anglican priests {{england-writer-stub