Bermondsey Daily Message 254

This is our last ever Bermondsey Daily Message, but look out for a new series, Bermondsey Weekly Message, starting on Wednesday and going out each Wednesday.

 

Blessed assurance

I was honoured to be asked by Bishop Christopher to represent him at the funeral of Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole, which was held today at the family's church in Camberwell, Bestway Christian Centre.

Bishop Christopher was himself representing the Archbishop of Canterbury a service for the new archbishop in Jerusalem., and so could not be there in person.

Folajimi's service gave eloquent testimony to the kindliness, liveliness and likeability of a young man, who gave his life in an attempt to save the life of a stranger.

In a service full of Scripture,  Gospel and testimony we heard of Jimi's love of his family, his sporting prowess, and of the day he commited his life to Christ. I had the opportunity to lead in prayer and then, later, was very moved to be invited to give the final blessing at the graveside.

The service - both in church and at the graveside - was full of the hope of heaven. 

Standing at the head of the grave with the other pastors, having been reminded once more of Jimi's own personal commitment to Christ and Lord and Saviour, we sang the hymn 'Blessed assurance'  with its  wonderful refrain: This is my story,  this is my song; Praising my Saviour all the day long

It was a moment I shall never forget.

Bermondsey Daily Message 252

Church assembly for St James's School

Bermondsey Daily Message

Today's service

Ursula departs

 This is the huge crane that has arrived at Chambers Wharf to winch the 1300 tonne Tunnel Boring Machine on a barge for transportation to Rotterdam.

And here from the Port of London Authority's Twitter feed is the scene last night as Ursula is lifted by 'Matador 3'

 

 

Remembering Jimi

Ursula arrives in Bermondsey

  

Ursula has just arrived in Bermondsey.

Ursula weighs 1300 tonnes is a Tunnel Boring Machine that has been boring a tunnel from Battersea, past the House of Parliament and under Tower Bridge, to Chambers Wharf in Bermondsey as part of the Thames Tideway project which is producing a new super sewer to dramatically improve water quality in the tidal Thames.

Ursula is named after cryobiologist at King’s College Hospital in who discovered the use of glycerol to protect human red blood cells during freezing.

Ursula will soon be hoisted onto a barge and towed down the river on her way to Rotterdam.

Church assembly

 Snakes for dinner! This week's church assembly for the children of St James's School:

Bermondsey Daily Message 249

Local hero

 

Just over a week ago, twenty-year old Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole (Jimi), from Bermondsey's Neckinger Estate lost his life whilst trying to rescue a woman who had fallen into the river close to London Bridge.

 

Yesterday evening hundreds gathered in Spa Gardens for a vigil in his memory and the family's pastor read these words of Jesus from John's Gospel: 'My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.'

 

Jimi was a local boy. a member of the Salmon Youth Centre, and from a family of deep faith. Our hearts go out to his parents and his brother in their great loss and we pray for them.

 

 

Bermondsey Daily Message 248

Church assembly for St James's School

Jane on the move

Our archdeacon, Jane Steen (pictured here with her husband, Pip), is on the move to the Diocese of Norwich where she is going to be the Bishop of Lynn.

Jane has been an excellent archdeacon of Southwark and a great friend to our churches. 

We shall miss her but wish her God's richest in her new work for him.

She can hear Jane introduce herself to her new diocese in this brief video message:

Bermondsey Daily Message 247

Danny's Faith

 Bermondsey footballer, Danny, talks about his life, his family, and his faith

(This is a longer version of the interview that featured in our Easter video).

 

Tulips from Bermondsey

 

Tulips are blooming all over Bermondsey, thanks to the Greener Bermondsey project. 

 

10,000 tulip bulbs were planted across the area in November, in commemoration of the centenary of Ada Salter's Bermondey Beautification Committee (which sought to plant trees and flowers throughout the district in order to beautify the area), and now they are in full bloom.

 

Pictured above: the Mayor of Southwark, councillors and community leaders viewing the tulips across the road from Bermondsey Station, and remembering 'Ada 100.'

 

 Here are some members of the congregation planting bulbs after church in St James Churchyard.

Bermondsey Daily Message 246

Today's service