It's not every day you manage to get a knight of the realm as your guest preacher, but this was a special occasion, and the preacher in question, Sir Simon Hughes, had been a member of the congregation for the best part of 40 years.
We had gathered to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Revd Michael Whinney, Warden of the Cambridge University Mission (now the Salmon Youth Centre) becoming the vicar of St James, of St James re-opening for worship, and to an influx of young worshippers from CUM bringing new life to a church that had nearly died.
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| Before the service |
To use computer terminology, as one Twitter user and Salmon Trustee has done, it was all about the day the church was re-booted.
50 years on Sir Simon, preaching from Colossians 1.3-14, made reference to the express courier company DHL, and said the church was a FHL organisation, a Faith Hope and Love organisation, founded by Jesus, spread by the Apostles, existing and growing in every place around the world, committed to spreading God's message of Faith, Hope and Love in Bermondsey and beyond. Jesus had come to save us and to show us the path of salvation.
The service also included readings by Sam Adofo, Director of Salmon, and Christopher Whinney, brother of the late Michael Whinney, and prayers led by members of the congregation.
Earlier in the service Beattie Martin and Stan Catton, who were both part of the CUM group that came to St James 50 years ago, shared their memories, and Abiola and Capt Paul Warren shared their hopes for the future.
We sang 'Lord for the years', written by Timothy Dudley-Smith when he was warden of CUM and premiered in Bermondsey, and concluded on a triumphant note of praise with 'To God be the glory, great things he has done', but not before we had said a fond farewell to our curate, Jos Downey, leaving us today to become the UK Manager of Mission Without Borders.
A church lunch and barbeque followed with much sharing of memories and many happy reunions. The Salmon Annual General Meeting followed. With the thanksgiving service on Saturday night, it had been a great weekend of celebrating and thanking God for the partnership in the Gospel that has existed betwen St James's Church and CUM/Salmon for half a century,
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| Beattie: 50 years ago |
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| Stan: 50 years ago |
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| Sam Adofo |
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| Christopher Whinney |
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| Abiola: I have a dream |
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| Jos |
The service also included readings by Sam Adofo, Director of Salmon, and Christopher Whinney, brother of the late Michael Whinney, and prayers led by members of the congregation.
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