eve of the wedding

I had to go just to say I was there.. just to see... to hear... to be part....

It was a long walk 2.5 hrs stopping to talk to people and just take in the atmosphere it seems the whole world has its focus on a small patch that I can just about see from my window... I can hear the helecopters flying over head and see the sky lit up by the many lights.

so I had to take the short walk over to the other side of the thames to see.. what was going on.... people I haven't seen so many people out and about at 930pm in I don't know how long... Oxford street on a saturday had nothing on Parliament Square or The mall. I chatted with people from Australia, Canada who waved their flags and sat chatting with them for some time after geting a photo of them camped out, North of Scotland, Wales saw flags and messages from Cuba, South africa, oh and even a guy carrying the cornish flag... and stopped to chat with a group of guides from Streatham who offered me a place to stay with them over night.... but alas I had to decline... as I told them my kingsize bed was calling me home... 

people decked out in red white and blue...walking along the mall singing I'm getting married in the morning was a amazing atmosphere to take in.  People just wanting to be part of something special  enjoying a time of hope and joy...

even the London eye tonight is not its usual blue or green or purple but is a hugh red white and blue ring that looks great against the dark sky.

later I will go down to the street party in vauxhall and properly watch the wedding on tv.

Maundy Thursday

This morning I was at Southwark cathedral for the service there which was great  was so glad I went the opening Hymn was sung with such power and truth that you thought the roof really would be shaken. I'd never sung this before but was hit by the words 

Refrain:

Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim
till all the world adore
his sacred Name.

Come, brethren, follow where our Captain trod,
our King victorious, Christ the Son of God. Refrain

Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
the hosts of God in conquering ranks combine. Refrain

Each newborn soldier of the Crucified
bears on the brow the seal of him who died. Refrain

This is the sign which Satan's legions fear
and angels veil their faces to rever. Refrain

Saved by this Cross whereon their Lord was slain,
the sons of Adam their lost home regain. Refrain

From north and south, from east and west they raise
in growing unison their songs of praise. Refrain

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
as thou hast promised, draw the world to thee. Refrain

Let every race and every language tell
of him who saves our souls from death and hell. Refrain

From farthest regions let their homage bring,
and on his Cross adore their Savior King. Refrain

Set up thy throne, that earth's despair may cease
beneath the shadow of its healing peace. Refrain

For thy blest Cross which doth for all atone
creation's praises rise before thy throne. Refrain

I'm missing a service tonight at St Peters vauxhall one I'm sad to miss last year it was a amazing service and the first time i had witnessed the stripping of a church and was very much looking forward a agin to being part of it again this year.....

but I will be at another place and my first visit to the famous globe theatre and will be hearing the King james bible read...

THURSDAY 21 APRIL

6pm – Midnight: Esther, Job and Psalms

Free tea and coffee will provided after 11pm.

This session features the book of Psalms containing 150 beautifully written hymns, psalms and prayers covering the whole range of human emotions from joy to anger, from hope to despair. Many famous verses have roots in the psalms including, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’, ‘The Rivers of Babylon’, ‘Handel’s Messiah’. The book of Job explores the problem of sufferance in an unjust world, where God appears not to care about the fate of the just.

Two of my favourite books will be read Esther and psalms and yeah I'm very much planning to listen to the whole evening not sure what it is going to be like but I'm sure it will be a wonderful evening though the expectation is that people will drop in and drop out throughout the sessions. its suggested it will take a team of actors 69 hours to read through the bible in Holy week and will conclude on easter tuesday. What I found really interesting is that there will be no reading on Holy saturday. That it was actually called by the theatre Holy saturday the real name for the time of waiting and not easter saturday as it's often miss called.

I like the statement in a interview too that The Globe's artistic director, Dominic Dromgoole

"We are celebrating the word," he says. Whatever one's spiritual convictions, the anniversary is significant; it is hard to think of any other work that has played such a large role in shaping English-speaking culture.  

celebrating the word.

Tonight I just plan to sit and listen no distraction no phone or gadgets this Maundy Thursday no words of my own just the words inspired by God written down by man to wash over

Around My Patch, Lambeth Mission & St Mary's (LMSM)

(LMSM)

Our website says this about the fellowship that meets at LMS

Lambeth Mission & St Mary's is located in a famous corner of Lambeth - just at the junction of Lambeth Road with the Lambeth Walk. We are a united congregation of Anglicans, Methodist (and others) with a proud history......... Today, we form a mixed congregation of different backgrounds and from different religious traditions. We are black and white, rich and poor. We work hard to be inclusive and to make everyone welcome.

I love that  "and others" :)

For the almost the past year this has been home and work. The welcome that I received when I came was amazing. Today Visitors for the first time as they left said how they had felt so welcome it's great when you here that kind of feed back. It's the little things that count more than the big. The lady who does the tea and coffee today came to where I was sat to say she had put a Black Coffee on the side for me. It makes you feel wanted and special when those little things are remembered ( all our teas and coffee are ready made and brought into the back of the main hall ready and waiting for the end of the service, it's a real blessing to have her with us to)

The church  has a long and rich history 

There has been a Methodist presence in Lambeth since the time of John Wesley when he preached at Kennington Common. A short distance from the site of LMSM. The common now the site of kenington park has had a interesting history too


Kennington Park was first opened in 1854 and lies between Kennington Park Road and St Agnes Place. It had previously been called 'Kennington Common', and until 1800 was the site of public executions as well as being the South London 'speakers corner'. Methodist founders George Whitefield and John Wesley are some of the illustrious orators to speak at the Common and are reputed to have attracted a crowd of 30,000.


The site of public executions.. the place where Whitefield and  Wesley preached putting the old self to death and walking in the new life the Christ has for us... fitting perhaps 




The church was known in later times as the IDEAL when Thomas Tiplady, who was also a Hymn writer and wrote "Above the hills of time the cross is gleaming."  used the new medium of Film to put across the gospel message. 

The Ideal

The church was hit in 1945 by a V2 a plaque inside the church   remembers this  and rebuilt in 1950.

The architect for the rebuilding was Alec Gavin, and Tiplady then  commissioned Bainbridge Copnall to provide a monumental sculpture for the front.

officially Called the Word... It's more commonly called the Lambeth Street preacher

What as interesting for me was that when I started at the church I had the idea of starting a group fro the teenagers using movies as the starting point for a bible study or discussion group I had no idea of the background and history of the church. I'm sure rev Tiplady would approve of 3-18 teenagers turning up to the church flat on a friday night.