Giving thanks for the reformation

 

On Reformation Day (504 years since Martin Luther nailed his protest to the door of the church in Wittenberg), pictured here, the wonderful Reformation Altarpiece of St Mary's Church, Wittenberg.

 

On Hallowe'en where the national focus is increasingly on the darker side of life, it is good to remember that great movement of the Reformation which (flawed though it was) caused the light of the Gospel to shine with fresh and liberating intensity.

 

When the Reformation Bishops Latimer and Ridley were burnt at the stake in Oxford, Latimer called out to his friend: 'Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.' 

 

How much does England, the UK and the whole world need 'the light of the glory of the Gospel of Christ' to shine out with renewed vigour and power in our day. Lord, may it be so.

COP 26

Tomorrow in our services (9.30am St Annes, 11am St James) we shall be using this video from Tearfund as we pray for the COP 26 global climate summit, starting tomorrow in Glasgow.

 

Bermondsey Weekly Message

Sunday catch up

Bermondsey Weekly Message

Watercolour

Lovely watercolour of St James's Church by by Jane Northcote. 

See full details of this and many other scenes on her website https://janesketching.com/tag/bermondsey/

 

Resurrection and the life

 

It was moving to hear the Prime Minister tell Parliament that Sir David Ames believed in 'the Resurrection and the life  to come.'

 

It is rare for the resurrection to feature in ministerial speeches but this was a uniquely fitting occasion as parliament considered the violent death of a gentle, Christian man.

 

Later his closest Parliamentary friend, Mark Francois, told the Commons that Sir David 'is now resting in the arms of the God he worshipped so devotedly.' 

 

That just about sums it up. 

 

Thank God for his wonderful servant. 

 

May God bring his comfort to his wife and family and all who mourn his loss.

Sunday catch-up

Baptised

 Congratulations and God's richest blessing to Charloe-Jo, baptised at St Anne's on Sunday

Birthday celebration

Church member Abiola came to St James this afternoon for a wonderful service of praise and thanksgiving for a special birthday.

 

It was wonderful to host this most joyful event.We sang praise to God, we heard from the Scriptures, and we experienced wonderful hospitality. Happy birthday and many blessings to you, Abiola.

Remembering in West Lane

Exactly one hundred years to the day and hour we gathered at the War Memorial in West Lane for a service of rededication using the same order of service that was used a century ago

You can read the account of the event in Southwark News here

Speeches were given by the Mayor of Southwark and Neil Coyle MP.  

The monument was (re)unveilled by Jane Radford, a descendant of Hetty Speer, the woman who unveilled it in 1921 who was a local mother 'who had lost three sons in the war.'

Fergus Carr, great great grandson of Arthur Carr, of Peak Freans biscuit factory, read the speech made by his illustrious ancestor at the orginal dedication service in 1921.

School harvest

 It was wonderful to welcome the children of St James's School back to the church for the first time since Covid started.

It was our school harvest service with Paul leading and Jacob speaking about the one man out of ten healed who came back to say 'thank you.'

We sung some favourite songs and ended with

I have seen the golden sunshine, I have watched the flowers grow,
I have listened to the song birds and there's one thing now I know:
they were all put there for us to share by someone so divine,
and if you're a friend of Jesus, you're a friend of mine.

O give thanks to the Lord

It was good to have Odel, our placement student from All Nations Christian college (where he is training for ministry in the Church of Rwanda), preaching today for our Harvest Thanksgiving services at St James & St Anne's.

Odel spoke about thankfulness, from Luke 17 and the story of the ten lepers - all of whom were healed, and only one of whom came back to give thanks. 

                                              Lovely harvest display at St Anne's

St Augustine's

 

It was a joy today to host St Augustine's College of Theology once more for their annual Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration of Awards.

I have been the General Synod representative on the college council and over the years I have got to know the staff and also some of the students, some of whom have done placements or mission projects here in Bermondsey.

It was good to host them today, to see the students receive their various awards, to pray for them as they go off to minister in various parts of the church, and to welcome Bishop Rose, the Bishop of Dover, as the guest preacher:

Bermondsey Weekly Message

Coming up this week

 

9.30am at St Anne's; 11am at St James on Sunday

And every Wednesday:

 

Sunday catch-up

Marathon returns

After a two and a half year gap was  good to have the London Marathon back running through Bermondsey, along Jamaica Rd, past the church this morning