Great article in the South London Press by local historian, Graham Taylor, about George Balleine, vicar of St James from 1908 to 1938. You can read Graham's article 'Vicar of Mirth Who Died with a Smile' here
Wednesday 30 September 2020
The Vicar of mirth
Tuesday 29 September 2020
Monday 28 September 2020
Sunday 27 September 2020
Saturday 26 September 2020
Training and growing as disciples
Today's message comes from the sports hall at the Salmon Youth Centre
Thursday 24 September 2020
Troubling times
On Wednesday just at the time that children were leaving school at Alexis St there was a very serious incident just by the school which involved a young man being shot
We're v
ery
proud of St James's School and the teachers who moved quickly to herd children and parents back into school
following the shooting and a car driving at speed down a narrow
residential road.
Yesterday we visited every class to pray with the children and then, at playtime individual children had the opportunity to come and talk with us about their fears and concerns - quite a number did so and we talked with them and prayed with them individually and in groups.
All had seen the ambulances, police cars, the helicopter, the armed response police, many had seen the injured man, and they had all heard the gunshots.
It was good to reassure them they were safe in school. It was good to pray for all involved.
Here is Jacob's Bermondsey Daily Message where he shares what he told the children and what God's word says to us in troubling times
Wednesday 23 September 2020
Tuesday 22 September 2020
Monday 21 September 2020
Sunday 20 September 2020
Friday 18 September 2020
Life in a pandemic
I've been reading these novels alongside each other, one from the 18th century by Daniel Defoe, one from the 20th by Albert Camus. Both explore life in a pandemic. Neither could be recommended if you're wanting to cheer yourself up, but they are full of so many insights and points of contact with our current experience.
This from Camus is particularly powerful:
'A pestilence isn't a thing made to man's measure; therefore we tell ourselves that pestilence is a mere bogey of the mind, a bad dream that will pass away. But it doesn't pass away and, from one bad dream to another, it is men who pass away.....
Our townspeople were not more to blame than others, they
forgot to be modest - that was all - and thought that everything was still possible for them; which presupposed that pestilences were impossible.
forgot to be modest - that was all - and thought that everything was still possible for them; which presupposed that pestilences were impossible.
They went on doing business, arranged for journeys, and formed views. How should they have given a thought to anything like a plague, which rules out any future, cancels journeys, silences the exchange of views?
They fancied themselves free, and no one will ever be free so long as there are pestilences.'
Thursday 17 September 2020
Get ready for the Bermondsey harvest festival
From Russell's fish stall at the Blue, to Maltby Greek under the arches, to Nancy's flower shop in Jamaica Rd, to all the things we buy and enjoy from the local supermarkets, like the Co-Op in Thurland Rd, all the benefits of God's wonderful harvest will be celebrated in our online harvest festival.
Harvest is also a time, not just for giving thanks, but also for sharing and this year, as every year, we will be collecting non-perishable foods for the work of the Manna Society at London Bridge in its work among homeless people - so our last visit was to Manna to speak to the director, Bandi Mbubi.
I first got to know Bandi in 1991 when, soon after he became a Christian, he joined the congregation at St Luke's, West Norwood, where I was the curate. It was excellent to see him again and wonderful to think of all the good work that Manna does and how our harvest gifts can make such a difference to so many people.
We've still got some filming to do down at the allotments, but it looks like our Bermondsey Community Harvest Festival is going to be a great event - look out for it here, on Facebook, and on YouTube during the first weekend of October.
Wednesday 16 September 2020
Blitz over Bermondsey
Eighty years ago this month the bombs started falling on Bermondsey and they continued to fall for 57 consecutive days.
The first day of the Blitz, 7th September, was a terrible one for our community with 23 people killed on Linsey Street and 29 dying when Keeton School, which was being used as a rest centre, was hit. In all, in 1940 Bermondsey experienced 395 air raids in the space of three months.
Here is today's Bermondsey Daily Message from the crypt of St James's Church which was used as an air raid shelter during the war:
Tuesday 15 September 2020
Monday 14 September 2020
Sunday 13 September 2020
Saturday 12 September 2020
Bermondsey Daily Message 147
A Bermondsey Daily Message special about a special couple who had a big impact on the people of Bermondsey:
Friday 11 September 2020
Wednesday 9 September 2020
Tuesday 8 September 2020
Church Assembly at St James School
Covid regulations mean that assemblies have to take place in 'class bubbles' and, for the time being, whole school or even half school assemblies are a thing of the past.
So our weekly church assemblies are going online and here is the first one from Jacob - in their classes the children will have the opening words of worship we use for every assembly, will say the Lord's Prayer and will sing God's praose - but here is the talk with the Bible message for today:
Monday 7 September 2020
Remembering the Mayflower
On Friday night we were privileged to be part of a wonderful Mayflower commemorative cruise along the Thames to Blackwall (where the pilgrims embarked in 1620), that included 17th century music, an escort through the precints of the Tower of London by the Yeoman of the Guard, the scattering of roses on the river in memory of the 102 pilgrims and the reading of their names, together with prayers and readings from the King James Bible, just 9 years old in 1620.
There were two boats, the sailing barge shown, and a larger City Cruises vessel that carried most of the party, including the group from St James, from this boat I and the other ministers led the act of commemoration and thanksgiving. A most memorable evening.
And here is our Bermondsey Daily Message about the voyage of the Mayflower:
Sunday 6 September 2020
Mayflower: the London dimension
I have just fini
shed this book.by local author and historian Graham Taylor.
Graham's book is full of insight and interest, not least the focus it gives to the crucial London dimension of the Mayflower story, and its brilliant explanation of who the pilgrims were, what motivated them, and what they bequeathed to us in terms of the freedom of religion and the right for individuals to live according to their conscience.
It's an excellent read, full of fascinating detail. I particular enjoyed reading the names the pilgrims gave to their children: eg Humility, Resolved, Desire, Wrestling, Love (a boy), and the baby that was born on the voyage, Oceanus.
Back to church Sunday
Here's the scene at St Anne's, ready for our first socially-distanced, Covid-friendly Sunday service since the lockdown began.
It's been twenty four Sundays since we have been together, and it was good to be back at St James and St Anne's, even if the Covid regulations made the seating arrangements and the content of the service somewhat different from usual.
Socially distanced worship in St James, downstairs and also in the gallery upstairs
Recognising not everyone would be able or comfortable to attend live worship, our online services continued as usual, and here is today's service:
Saturday 5 September 2020
Friday 4 September 2020
Thursday 3 September 2020
Wednesday 2 September 2020
Tuesday 1 September 2020
Churches re-open for Sundays
Both our churches re-open for worship this Sunday, but online services will continue each week as well.
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