EASTER IN LONDON, 2009

Good Friday: Jocelyn and I attended a three hour service of Readings, Meditations, Music and Reflection at Holy Trinity Brompton. This is a church associated with the Alpha programme. Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia gave the meditations. We stayed for the three hours. His meditations were worth a second and third listen. The music was superb - a note on this later. Following the reading from John 19: 25 - 30 the meditation was "The Victory of Love" - It is finished. Then the organist played "Darkness" from Messiaen's Le Livre du Saint Sacrament. Confronting, disturbing Word and Music together in a way that we combine Word and Sacrament. The time for reflection was real time and appreciated.

On Sunday - James and Katrina joined us at St Paul's Onslow Square. Again, a special time.

Bishop Tom Wright's sermon on Easter Sunday at Durham Cathedral is excellent and worth your attention. He entitles the sermon - Let Beauty Awake. In his book "Surprised By Hope" Bishop Wright spells out three themes that should shape the mission of the Church : Justice - Beauty - Proclamation of the Gospel to ignore one is to mis-shape its mission. The Gospel is : Christ is Lord, Caesar is not, therefore you can come home. This echoes the Gospel which Isaiah proclaimed to the Jews in captivity in Babylon. God has won the victory; God is King therefore you can go home. The invitation to come home is a most wonderful way to describe Salvation. Read his Easter sermon here: www.ntwrightpage.com/sermons/Easter09.htm