On my last Sunday before I returned to work, I went down to St Oswald's - a church we have link with through Mothers' Union and one of our nearer neighbours (it also saved on petrol!).
I joined a group of about fifty people, mainly older, but some quite a bit younger than me! About twenty were robed - the choir and others, who mainly had official roles in the service. The words of the service were used fully, though it did not drag in any way. We sang a mixture of traditional hymns and older contemporary song - some I hadn't sung for a while, but remembered from my teens.
It was the partronal festival of St Peter - the church calls itself the community of St Peter and St Oswald, recognising those who have their roots in the now closed church of St Peter, Abbeydale. Over in the hall afterwards there was cake and sherry to mark the occasion of the festival!
Iain Lothian who is the curate was presiding at communion and also preached - all decked out in a splendid red chasuble! He preached from the floor in front of the fan shape of chairs we on which we sat, which felt very immediate and natural. He spoke about keys - the traditional symbol of St Peter - and invited us to bring our car keys forward and place them on the altar. Then we were asked to think how we felt - a bit powerless and bereft, it certainly reminded me of times when I have lost my keys!!
The main challenge of his sermon was for us to think of the power we have over other people - through our work, family and friendships - which could be symbolised by our keys. Then to think how we might be tempted to abuse our power and how we could use our power for good in the coming week. Some profound things to think of there - and well illustrated.
I enjoyed talking to people after the service - I was taken over to the hall for a drink and found the congregation keen and alert to welcome new people in sensitive ways. The building is amazing - huge, but sitting together on comfortable chairs (everyone gets the armchair sort of which we only have a few), I was just impressed by the sense of space. It did not feel crowded or cluttered, just plenty of space which showed off things like the dramatic colours of the rearados (the screen thing behind the main altar).
it was a good last Sunday. I have learned a lot from visiting other church and hope to have conveyed a bit of my enthusiasm through these blogs. Some people from the churches visited have found out about the blog, and I think they have been encouraged by my visitors eye view.
Thursday, 3 July 2008
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Sunday 15th June - St Chad's Family Worship
I was a bit sorry not to get to church this weekend. We had a flying visit to see my Aunt in Sevenoaks who is over 90. She does very well, but doing a few jobs for her meant that there was not time to get along to St Nicholas - the church where I came to faith getting on for 35 years ago!
However, I get get down to St Chad's the Sunday before and attended their Family Service. The theme was Father's Day and I was very impressed with the way Matthew drew out the joys and difficulties of being a Dad from the congregation and I was very touched to receive some chocolate towards the end of the service!
The thing that struck me most was how little we sang. We had a children's song, sung to a CD (which worked well), quite a few minutes into the service, then two songs after the talk and a hymn at the end. I wondered if this was a deliberate policy as visitors are far less used to singing these days. The two songs and hymn were led by a small band consisting of keyboard, rhythm guitar (played by a Scouter in uniform) and drums (played by a Scout) - they made a good sound and drove the songs with energy. I would have liked to have sung more!
The talk was quite long, but felt interactive as Matthew drew the answers out from us and the key points all came up on the screen from the video projector. It was based around four points about the way children should love their fathers and four points about the way fathers should love their children, both spelling the word LOVE. The fathers and children who were there together were encourage to tell each other that they loved each other (too much for one teenager near me, but her dad did rise to the challenge!). Children were also able to nominate people for the Dad of the year award which was duly presented at the end of the service.
In the notices we heard about St Chad's wonderful campaign to brighten up Woodseats by growing Sunflowers. Now that the plants were growing a bit, canes were being issued with brightly coloured balls to go on the top - these can be seen outside the church house on Abbey Lane.
However, I get get down to St Chad's the Sunday before and attended their Family Service. The theme was Father's Day and I was very impressed with the way Matthew drew out the joys and difficulties of being a Dad from the congregation and I was very touched to receive some chocolate towards the end of the service!
The thing that struck me most was how little we sang. We had a children's song, sung to a CD (which worked well), quite a few minutes into the service, then two songs after the talk and a hymn at the end. I wondered if this was a deliberate policy as visitors are far less used to singing these days. The two songs and hymn were led by a small band consisting of keyboard, rhythm guitar (played by a Scouter in uniform) and drums (played by a Scout) - they made a good sound and drove the songs with energy. I would have liked to have sung more!
The talk was quite long, but felt interactive as Matthew drew the answers out from us and the key points all came up on the screen from the video projector. It was based around four points about the way children should love their fathers and four points about the way fathers should love their children, both spelling the word LOVE. The fathers and children who were there together were encourage to tell each other that they loved each other (too much for one teenager near me, but her dad did rise to the challenge!). Children were also able to nominate people for the Dad of the year award which was duly presented at the end of the service.
In the notices we heard about St Chad's wonderful campaign to brighten up Woodseats by growing Sunflowers. Now that the plants were growing a bit, canes were being issued with brightly coloured balls to go on the top - these can be seen outside the church house on Abbey Lane.
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Holy Trinity service and lunch!
1 View from the restaurant - horrid isn't it!!
2 Conversations over lunch.
3 The end of the service at Holy Trinity Cannes (Peter in the top left corner).
Monday, 16 June 2008
Sunday 8th June - Holy Trinity Cannes
Finally getting round to writing this up! It was great to be back in a service led by Peter Anderson who was my training vicar and a great inspiration to me in many ways.
First you are struck by how many people there are! They normally have around 160 to Sunday services, 30 of these are visitors, staying in the area and the rest more regular, though many go back home to where ever they come from at times through the year. And it has not always been like this. There are some who remember when the congregation had dwindled to about 30, the previous chaplain revived the fortunes and Peter has seen continued growth.
As you would imagine the average age is rather senior - with so many coming to live in the area in retirement, but there are also a good number of younger families with children and they have recently attracted a number who are in their early twenties.
So what is the secret of their success? It is a complex interrelation of a warm caring fellowship, the desire of English speakers to get together, tremendous energy love and care injected by Peter and the workings of God in their midst. Even in his sixties Peter works at a tremendous pace, every week he produces in effect a little magazine which is part notice sheet, part introduction to the service, part collection to wise sayings and jokes. It is called the Opener, the Cannes Opener (as the French don't pronounce the last letter of the word, this is very much a 'Peter' a joke in its self!). He preaches with vigor and passion and has an encyclopedic memory of all various people's needs and spends a lot of time chatting to people on the phone.
People commute some distances to come to church, quite a few will live about an hour's drive away, some further - up in the tranquil hills above Cannes where the property prices are more realistic! There are four home groups, one in Cannes and three out nearer to where people live. On Wednesdays the church is open for a painting club, a pretty large library of English books, as well as newspapers and lunch. Everything in France revolves around food! The home groups all meet to eat first, and on Sunday nearly thirty of us went down to a beach side restaurant for lunch after the service - and great fun it was too.
The service was Communion, following more or less the pattern we are used to in Common Worship, though the liturgy was more sparingly (and appropriately) used. We had just one bible reading - which was the one peter preached about, and, as in Dubai, a children's talk before they went out to their classes. Our singing was led by grand piano and flute by very competent musicians and their was a good volume from the congregation's singing!
Afterward the service there was coffee, cold drinks or wine to drink (well it is France!), then some of us went down to The Rado, a beach side restaurant where tables were pushed together for getting on for thirty people to have lunch. It was lovely getting to know people in this relaxed atmosphere with wonderful views across the sea to the mountains the other side of the bay. What a difference from the grey clouds I can see from my window back home today!!
First you are struck by how many people there are! They normally have around 160 to Sunday services, 30 of these are visitors, staying in the area and the rest more regular, though many go back home to where ever they come from at times through the year. And it has not always been like this. There are some who remember when the congregation had dwindled to about 30, the previous chaplain revived the fortunes and Peter has seen continued growth.
As you would imagine the average age is rather senior - with so many coming to live in the area in retirement, but there are also a good number of younger families with children and they have recently attracted a number who are in their early twenties.
So what is the secret of their success? It is a complex interrelation of a warm caring fellowship, the desire of English speakers to get together, tremendous energy love and care injected by Peter and the workings of God in their midst. Even in his sixties Peter works at a tremendous pace, every week he produces in effect a little magazine which is part notice sheet, part introduction to the service, part collection to wise sayings and jokes. It is called the Opener, the Cannes Opener (as the French don't pronounce the last letter of the word, this is very much a 'Peter' a joke in its self!). He preaches with vigor and passion and has an encyclopedic memory of all various people's needs and spends a lot of time chatting to people on the phone.
People commute some distances to come to church, quite a few will live about an hour's drive away, some further - up in the tranquil hills above Cannes where the property prices are more realistic! There are four home groups, one in Cannes and three out nearer to where people live. On Wednesdays the church is open for a painting club, a pretty large library of English books, as well as newspapers and lunch. Everything in France revolves around food! The home groups all meet to eat first, and on Sunday nearly thirty of us went down to a beach side restaurant for lunch after the service - and great fun it was too.
The service was Communion, following more or less the pattern we are used to in Common Worship, though the liturgy was more sparingly (and appropriately) used. We had just one bible reading - which was the one peter preached about, and, as in Dubai, a children's talk before they went out to their classes. Our singing was led by grand piano and flute by very competent musicians and their was a good volume from the congregation's singing!
Afterward the service there was coffee, cold drinks or wine to drink (well it is France!), then some of us went down to The Rado, a beach side restaurant where tables were pushed together for getting on for thirty people to have lunch. It was lovely getting to know people in this relaxed atmosphere with wonderful views across the sea to the mountains the other side of the bay. What a difference from the grey clouds I can see from my window back home today!!
Thursday, 12 June 2008
The abbey bell tower from near my room.
The cloister from my room.
The abbey across a vineyard.
The retreat group in the meadow.
The Retreat
This morning I arrived back in Cannes after leading a three day retreat on the Island of Lerin, also called St Honorat. The boat trip takes under half an hour, but you are transported to a tranquil oasis of calm!
In the fourth century Honoratus was on his way to join a desert monastery when he landed on Lerin, and because of other things he stayed and started his own monastery on the island. Having experienced desert conditions recently, I think he made a wise choice! Indeed he became so wise that he was later made a bishop, and lends his name to the island. It is said that St Patrick did some of his training in the first monastery there.
The Island is dominated by a Cistertian Monastery, built in the middle of the nineteenth century, which is home to about twenty monks. They keep the monastic offices in the Abbey and work on the farm land, mainly tending vines to make very expensive wine (over thirty pounds a bottle!). The remainder of the island is a wooded nature reserve with some unusual wildlife. I was most aware of the pheasants which were plentyfull, even coming into the grounds of the monastery where mother pheasant walk protectively with her growing offspring. (Males seemed less interested in their families but were good at strutting about looking important!)
On the island there are Scopes Owls - what ever they are! All I know is that they make sharp tooting noises which ware a little disturbing on the first night! Brian one of the organisers encouraged my to get my snorkel and mask out and come and see the fish - it was fantastic! The sea was clear and there was so much too see. As another person said 'the fish are very tame!' And that just about summed it up, you could swim to within arms length of some of the fish (but by the time you moved your hand out to them they had shot away). Quite a few were only inches long, but some were getting on for a foot, though everything appears magnified under water.
The monastic day begin at 4.00 am with the rising bell (the first morning I saw the sun rise at six, but otherwise I went back to sleep after this!). The first service, vigiles, is at 5.30 (can't comment on that one!) Laudes is around 8.00, which is a slightly longer service than some, a bit like our morning prayer. The monks work for a few hours before the focus of the day which was Mass around 11.30, which had much the same shape as our communion services, but a much longer communion prayer. This service was usually packed with visitors to the island who treat it as a sort of pilgrimage. They fit in another two shorter services before and after lunch (sexte and none) vespers at 6.00 and compline after the evening meal at 8.00. The focus of each service is the chanting of psalms - in French of course - they get through three or four per service which enables them to go through all 150 ever week! There are usually some other bible reading, though these are short, one or two hymns, chanted prayers and a hymn to Mary at the end. They follow the rule of Benedict, though most strictly than the Benedictines, and wear white robes.
Our accommodation was in a pleasant L shaped cloister all around a garden and very close the the abbey bell tower! Rooms were simple but perfectly adequate, though I can't complain as I had the Bishop's room, with en suite shower! Meals were served in the guest refectory and were much enjoyed, even though eating was in silence - we were supposed to keep silent in the cloister and certainly in the abbey. I led most of my sessions in the large walled meadow, a large area of rough grass with a few trees and bushes. Others who were staying seemed to see monks for spiritual direction out here too, finding, as we did, whatever patched of shade there might be!
It was very hot and on the first few days we were threated to clear blue skies. It clouded over a little on the last day, but the rumbles of thunder later on did not amount to anything, so we enjoyed a simple open air communion followed by candle lit worship in one of the small chaples which are dotted around the island.
My sessions seemed well received. 27 is a large group, so I did my half hour presentations, gave them prayer exercises to do and encouraged people to share their experiences in small groups. The group was a bit more high powered than I had expected! A few retired computer engineers, a retired GP and her husband who was an eye surgeon, a retired Colonel from the US Airborne Rangers and a ex Church of Ireland minister who is now chaplain to the band U2! Not to mention my old boss Peter Anderson, with whom I had quite a bit of friendly banter as I shared some of my struggles and learning about prayer (we know each other too well!) Having said that, they were all absolutely delightful, and great fun to be with, a tremendously warm fellowship of friends, many from Holy Trinity Cannes, who meet up each year for this retreat. I think that many had not come across much about finding God in silence and contemplative prayer before, but everyone seemed to have warmed to my themes by the end of our time together.
In the fourth century Honoratus was on his way to join a desert monastery when he landed on Lerin, and because of other things he stayed and started his own monastery on the island. Having experienced desert conditions recently, I think he made a wise choice! Indeed he became so wise that he was later made a bishop, and lends his name to the island. It is said that St Patrick did some of his training in the first monastery there.
The Island is dominated by a Cistertian Monastery, built in the middle of the nineteenth century, which is home to about twenty monks. They keep the monastic offices in the Abbey and work on the farm land, mainly tending vines to make very expensive wine (over thirty pounds a bottle!). The remainder of the island is a wooded nature reserve with some unusual wildlife. I was most aware of the pheasants which were plentyfull, even coming into the grounds of the monastery where mother pheasant walk protectively with her growing offspring. (Males seemed less interested in their families but were good at strutting about looking important!)
On the island there are Scopes Owls - what ever they are! All I know is that they make sharp tooting noises which ware a little disturbing on the first night! Brian one of the organisers encouraged my to get my snorkel and mask out and come and see the fish - it was fantastic! The sea was clear and there was so much too see. As another person said 'the fish are very tame!' And that just about summed it up, you could swim to within arms length of some of the fish (but by the time you moved your hand out to them they had shot away). Quite a few were only inches long, but some were getting on for a foot, though everything appears magnified under water.
The monastic day begin at 4.00 am with the rising bell (the first morning I saw the sun rise at six, but otherwise I went back to sleep after this!). The first service, vigiles, is at 5.30 (can't comment on that one!) Laudes is around 8.00, which is a slightly longer service than some, a bit like our morning prayer. The monks work for a few hours before the focus of the day which was Mass around 11.30, which had much the same shape as our communion services, but a much longer communion prayer. This service was usually packed with visitors to the island who treat it as a sort of pilgrimage. They fit in another two shorter services before and after lunch (sexte and none) vespers at 6.00 and compline after the evening meal at 8.00. The focus of each service is the chanting of psalms - in French of course - they get through three or four per service which enables them to go through all 150 ever week! There are usually some other bible reading, though these are short, one or two hymns, chanted prayers and a hymn to Mary at the end. They follow the rule of Benedict, though most strictly than the Benedictines, and wear white robes.
Our accommodation was in a pleasant L shaped cloister all around a garden and very close the the abbey bell tower! Rooms were simple but perfectly adequate, though I can't complain as I had the Bishop's room, with en suite shower! Meals were served in the guest refectory and were much enjoyed, even though eating was in silence - we were supposed to keep silent in the cloister and certainly in the abbey. I led most of my sessions in the large walled meadow, a large area of rough grass with a few trees and bushes. Others who were staying seemed to see monks for spiritual direction out here too, finding, as we did, whatever patched of shade there might be!
It was very hot and on the first few days we were threated to clear blue skies. It clouded over a little on the last day, but the rumbles of thunder later on did not amount to anything, so we enjoyed a simple open air communion followed by candle lit worship in one of the small chaples which are dotted around the island.
My sessions seemed well received. 27 is a large group, so I did my half hour presentations, gave them prayer exercises to do and encouraged people to share their experiences in small groups. The group was a bit more high powered than I had expected! A few retired computer engineers, a retired GP and her husband who was an eye surgeon, a retired Colonel from the US Airborne Rangers and a ex Church of Ireland minister who is now chaplain to the band U2! Not to mention my old boss Peter Anderson, with whom I had quite a bit of friendly banter as I shared some of my struggles and learning about prayer (we know each other too well!) Having said that, they were all absolutely delightful, and great fun to be with, a tremendously warm fellowship of friends, many from Holy Trinity Cannes, who meet up each year for this retreat. I think that many had not come across much about finding God in silence and contemplative prayer before, but everyone seemed to have warmed to my themes by the end of our time together.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Not sure what these will look like on your screen, but they are:
1 Looking back along the Croisette towards the centre of Cannes. The building with small domes at either end is the Carlton Hotel, which is at the end of the road down from the church.
2 From the Croisette looking across the bay to the mountains beyond with that day's cruise liner anchored out to sea. in the foreground is the Seaside Restaurant - one of many! plus a small pier which belongs to one of the hotels. (Today it is over cast and these mountains have their heads in the clouds and this afternoon it has rained! So I have discovered that in can rain in Cannes!!)
3 Holy Trinity Cannes with flats attached. Behind the church is Peter and Helen's flat, my little flat is around the other side of the building.
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