FROM ST GILES’ CLERGY

In the last edition of ICN I told you that I had asked the Bishop of London if I could take his portrait and that he had agreed.  You would not imagine the hoops that I then had to go through to get permission from the powers-that-be at St Paul’s Cathedral in order to
a) take photographs in the cathedral
b) use a tripod and
c) use flash. 

However, after many phone calls I eventually had the permissions I needed.  So on 10th June I set off at 6.15am to get to the cathedral in time for the 8am Communion Service which was taken by Bishop Richard himself. 

After the service, I met the Bishop, as arranged, under the dome of St Paul’s.  It was clear that Bishop Richard knew what he wanted, for he had donned his full vestments, including mitre, and was sat in a chair waiting for his portrait to be taken.  I was a bit taken aback by this, for it was not what I had in mind; however, as I fired away, we talked about the wedding address that he gave at the recent Royal Wedding, and what it was like to be heard by 2 billion people throughout the world!  He said that he never thought about that, but treated it much like any other wedding service.  I also discovered that he had a researcher who supplied him with suitable quotes that he might use in the address, including the one that I quoted last month. 

Once I had taken some ‘formal’ portraits I then was able to take the photograph that I had in mind.  This was a very wide angle shot of the Bishop in choir habit standing in front of the altar with the glorious ceiling of the cathedral making up the background. 

On getting home, I found that the photographs that I had taken were, to say the least, mediocre and in no way did justice to the character and bearing of the Bishop.  I realised that, being nervous, I had not really examined the photographs as I took them, which would have been the sensible thing to do!  However, the wide angle shot that I had hoped to get was reasonable and I will be entering it in a competition in the near future. 

So why are there none of my photographs to accompany this article?  Well, the one for the competition cannot be published, just in case it should be accepted, and the others have not yet been seen by the Bishop and so it would not be proper to print them.  However, if the Bishop likes them more than I do, you never know, you might see them adorning the flyleaf of some book or in a diocesan publication with the by-line ‘Photograph by Ken Tombs’!

Ken Tombs

 

FROM THE CHURCHES’ REGISTERS

Baptisms at St Giles’
May 22nd            Lewis James Watson
                          Ricardo Dominic Aedan Clarke
June 12th            Isla Gibson Sumner

Blessing at the URC
June 5th            Charlie Michael Walker

Cremations at Breakspear Crematorium
May 16th           Reginald Young, aged 84
May 17th           Maureen Hardy, aged 77
May 27th           Nigel Tucker, aged 61 (after service at St Giles’)
June 9th            Frank Williams, aged 76
June 9th            Candice (Eileen) Brown, aged 94
June 9th            Hamilton Shaw, aged 87
June 13th          John Gloster, aged 89

 

ST GILES’ CHURCH STREET PRAYER LIST

Each Sunday at St Giles’ Church we pray for all the people who live or work in a particular road in the Parish.  During July and August we will pray for the following roads: 

July 3rd              Cyrus Terrace
July 10th            Storey Close
July 17th            Albany Close
July 24th            Almond Avenue
July 31st            Annandale Grove

Aug 7th              Applewood Close
Aug 14th            Ashbury Drive
Aug 21st            Austins Lane
Aug 28th            Aylsham Drive

If you live in one of these roads why not join us at our 8am or 9.45am services?  You will be most welcome. 

 

FROM THE URC MINISTER

On Saturday 11th June I heard on breakfast news that the army in Syria had fired on houses in Jisr al-Shughour at 6am the previous day while people were sleeping in their beds, then set light to hundreds of acres of wheat fields and ripped the trees out of the olive groves. 

I had just read the last of the E100 Bible Challenge passages for that week: The Fall of Jericho.  “Then they devoted to destruction by the edge of the sword all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep and donkeys.” (Joshua 5:21)

We have been recommending these Bible passages for your reading, and I still do.  The list for July is on page 5.  But I don’t condone the horrific violence.  Despite the way it is presented in the pages of the Old Testament, I don’t believe that is the way God wanted people to live.

The ultimate demonstration of God’s character is given to us in Jesus.  Jesus emphasised God’s love.  He showed loving care for all around him.  He taught his disciples, “Love one another, as I have loved you,” and went further, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” 

He made clear with the story of the Good Samaritan that loving your neighbour means loving the ones that society has been despising.  “Who was neighbour to the one who fell among thieves?”  It was the despised Samaritan, not one of his own people. 

On Radio 4’s Something Understood on 5th June, I heard a British soldier describing the depth of love he found between soldiers in the heat of battle, looking out for and caring for each other.  That is moving and impressive.  But Jesus also called for that kind of love between enemies. 

I believe that God is trying to get through to us, while working amongst the battles that human societies have so often got into.  God is setting before us the longer-term challenge that in his greater scheme of things there should be love between all peoples.  And God offers the way, through Christ.

If you have been wrestling with some of the E100 passages too, you may like to discuss them with others.  Adrian is holding two discussion opportunities this month, on Wednesdays 6th and 20th July, 8pm in St Giles’ Hall.

Bernie