As mentioned before, I had to stay an extra day in London (what a sacrifice!!!)
And I get to take the train to Erlangen for classes! What an added bonus. As time progresses, I will post more on content. For now, I am excited about studying.
What wonderful things to do!
St. Matthew’s is not an ancient church. It was founded by the Abbey as an outreach project to the neighbourhood, which at the time (19th century) was rather derelict! Since then, St. Matthew’s has been the home of a colourful crowd of people, doing ministry faithfully, yet, not without struggle.
The parish is Catholic in flavour and so there is daily Morning Prayer, Eucharist, and Evening Prayer and I was able to make Morning Prayer there most days. It is quite lovely to participate in this kind of regulated worship-pattern and it turned my stay (almost) into a retreat. However, there were so many other distractions around that made it impossible for it to be a retreat only!
First of all, I have to admit that I cheated on St. Matthew’s quite frequently, not just for Evensong, but also for Eucharist. With Westminster Abbey in such close proximity, it was a temptation I couldn’t resist. Most evenings would find me in the choir stools of the Abbey praying along with hundreds of others from around the world. And, yet again, I was deeply touched by Evensong’s profound and deep revelation of the presence of God. Often, as the sun was setting and as the light through ancient Gothic windows faded away, the light of the divine mystery shone brightly in our midst. It was beautiful!
On my last day, I even made it to Morning Prayer in an ancient chapel dedicated to St. Faith, followed by Eucharist at the Shrine of St. Edward. What an experience! Yes, during the day, the Abbey turns into a major tourist attraction. There is too much going on and the Abbey’s character as a national monument overshadows its character as a place of prayer. However, early in the morning, as the sun rises through the East window, and as ancient words are prayed over bread and wine next to the tomb of a saint, heaven does open and the Abbey’s true identity is revealed.
Another ancient and of course rather important place for us Anglicans is Canterbury Cathedral. I made it to Canterbury on Thursday by train (which in itself was rather lovely!!). Canterbury itself is a small market-city, which has preserved much of its old charm. There are little streets lined with shops, restaurants, and pubs. And of course, there is Canterbury Cathedral towering over everything. This ancient place of worship is truly a holy place and worth a visit. I even got to kneel at the place Thomas Becket was martyred to say a prayer!
Canterbury is also home to the oldest parish-church in England: St. Martin’s. Christians have gathered on this very spot since the 4th century to worship and proclaim the Gospel. It is a quiet, small, and serene place surrounded by an old churchyard. What more can you ask for… Inside, the church is simple – and prayers from seventeen centuries are oozing from the ancient walls. I love St. Paul’s, but this was special! And I bet the congregation there is not like the "crazy" people of St. Paul's. :)
On my second Sunday in London I joined the congregation of St. Matthew’s for their main Eucharist. And behold, I had my second celebrity sighting! I was sitting three chairs behind the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was sitting with his son. It was quite touching to witness the close connection to his son – and it turned him into a human being. I did not talk to him (he probably gets accosted way too often anyhow!), but said a silent prayer for him.
Yes, there are a number of things, on which I disagree with him. But he is the Archbishop of Canterbury, and frankly, he is the best we can get right now… I do find his theological approach rather fascinating and more then intriguing. And I have to admit I have been impressed with his leadership during Lambeth 2008. I pray he will still be Archbishop in 2018 – and reactionary literalists haven’t destroyed our church by then! These are indeed interesting times to be part of – but then, that’s a Chinese curse, right?
In the evening of this Sunday I was able to experience a quiet different way of being church and of celebrating Anglicanism. “Moot” is an outreach of the Diocese of London in the “Emergent Church” tradition. It is highly unconventional, but deeply innovative and, I believe, rather prophetic. Still small, it reaches around 50-100 people. But: I was an oldie among the 20- and 30-somethings!!! And it definitely is a expression of the Christian faith that tackles difficult issues, discusses hot topics, offers profound insights, nurtures the souls of young urban dwellers, and keeps up with the way of life in our age and time. I think we can learn a lot from “Moot” as we discern our way forward in ministering to people in Yaletown! Their website is rather good – do read it! And they love to go out for beers afterwards…
After a few days in London some of my friends complained that I did too much churchy things... Well, I am a church geek, but I did do other things too:
For the first time ever (I am ashamed to admit) I made it to the British Museum. It was a really good visit and I focused on the Early European period and the Mesopotamian exhibit. Mind you, I did get to see the Rosetta Stone too! The Pergamon pieces were spectacular. And, to top it off, I was quite impressed with the architecture of the museum.
Outside the museum, I had a quick snack and had a nice conversation about Canada with a man from Cyprus. I wonder if it had to do with the Canada-sweater I was wearing…
Speaking of Canada, of course there was some Canadiana in London:
The Canadian High Commission…
… which is right at Trafalgar Square.
And these lovely gates with the old Canadian Coat of Arms…
… which are right next to Buckingham Palace.
Things I had never noticed before!!! O Canada…
Another new discovery was the Tate Modern gallery, with really breat-taking modern art. Granted, some I didn’t particularly care for, but there was a lot of really good stuff, which counter-balanced some of the classics I had seen at the National Gallery a few days before.
I also participated in London’s very lively entertainment industry, watching two musicals (“Avenue Q” and “Legally Blond”) and two movie (“How to Train a Dragon” (3D at the IMAX theatre) and “A Single Man”). And it was all quite exciting.
Yes, it was a full week. And I haven’t said much about my cider-consumption. And I won’t. Some things that happen in London will stay in London...!
After being grounded for a little bit and after having to change my mode of transportation from plane to train thanks to a volcanic ash cloud, I am here.
But one thing after the other. Let’s start from the top.
I left Vancouver just a few days after Easter and it has been a whirlwind since then – or so it seems.
The flight was uneventful and I landed in the UK on the 9th. After some short border formalities (thanks to being an EU-citizen) I rented a car at London City airport and drove North to a small village just outside York. I have to say, driving on the wrong side of the road is still very disconcerting but I didn’t hit too many other cars, bikes, or pedestrians… Anyhow, they were just English, so: one or two less of them, who cares?
Just kiddin’!
But I have to say, it was a wonderful trip! The countryside was just spectacular. Softly rolling hills scattered with tiny villages. Even though I was on a motorway, I could make out ever so often pubs and shops – and of course steeples of parish churches, almost all of them old… and ANGLICAN. After all, this is the home of the Church of England, a church so central to Anglicanism as Martin Luther is to Lutheranism or the Bishop of Rome is to Roman
Catholicism. As I was driving North I could see signs to ancient diocesan sees and places of interest connected to our Anglican heritage. It was quite lovely!
Once I hit my destination I was hosted most generously for the weekend by a seminary friend and her family. Her partner and she were exchanging vows that weekend and they had asked me to say a prayer and a few words (no, it was not at all a LONG sermon!). And, of course, t
his was a not-so-subtle reminder how stuck Anglicanism is in most parts of the world: stuck with ears and eyes, hearts and minds firmly shut to the movement of God’s Spirit among us.
I have performed a few same-sex blessings in Vancouver. And of course, Canadians same-sex couples have been able to legally marry for some time now. And civilisation hasn’t come crashing down on us. Furthermore, I do believe that these blessings just confirm the will of our triune God. God is embracing and nurturing loving, committed, stable and faithful relationships of two adults – of whatever gender. I don’t want to get into this debate right now – because in the end, we have moved beyond this debate at St. Paul’s and in the Diocese of New Westminster. We have dealt with the issue and now focus on other agendas God is putting in front of us.
However, as I was standing (wearing a clergy collar and my kilt!!!) next to my friend and her partner the next day on grounds close to ancient Fountains Abbey, I was reminded how much the full inclusion of GLBTQ folk in the life of the church is still an issue for our beloved mother church and for the Anglican Communion as a whole. I do not want to change positions wi
th the Archbishop of Canterbury and I do not envy him for the work he has been given to do. In fact, I do believe he needs our prayers... a lot!
But as I pray for him I also pray joyously that my friends’ love for each other may grow and that they may together grow deeper into the love and knowledge of God. And I pray for our church, for its unity and faithfulness to the Good News of God in Jesus Christ, but also for its mis
sion and ministry, and for an openness for diverse answers to complex questions and for and openness to welcome home all, whoever they are and wherever they find themselves on the journey of faith.
It gives me hope to hear, see, and witness how my friends' families and friends supported them in their celebration and in their love for each other. God was with us and God's angels rejoiced with us.
The following Sunday (11 April 2010), I was able to attend Evensong at Ripon Cathedral. What a wonderful and ancient Cathedral! There as definitely a prayerful atmosphere as about 50 gathered to listen to the choir sing this ancient "office."
The choir was not the usual cathedral choir. It was the first Sunday after Easter and after what surely was a marathon of services at the cathedral, the choir was on vacation.
I love Evensong. It is one of the many reason I am an Anglican now. The combination of sung psalms, readings, and prayers is something that resonates in my soul and always assures me of God's love and God's presence in a profound way. And there are always new things I discover in our ancient texts and in our wonderful tradition. And, despite common perception and despite its not-at-all modern character, Evensong is far from being an outdated and obsolete tradition! The congregation was quite diverse and there were a number of young people too!
And there was a sermon!
I had forgotten that this is quite common in the Church of England and it was a pleasant surprise. Especially since the preacher was the Rev. Dr. Nicholas Buxton, who preached and excellent sermon, basically calling upon the church not to buy into the marketpalce, but also not to abandon it either. It was well done indeed!
Fr Buxton is no stranger to me. I had not met him in person before, but I had "met" him "virtually." He is one of the "stars" of a BBC-miniseries called "The Monastery," which I can only highly recommend! Do click on the link and watch it, if you have time. I guess this was my first encounter with celebrity - and there is more to come...
The following day, I was off to London.
