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I have been writing this on a balcony at Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon, where I am part of a large family holiday. Beautiful weather, beautiful scenery, great time with our Canadian cousins. Albert and family arrived on 18th, so not so much to report re writing. Too busy showing them London (Roman amphitheatre, bank of England museum, Buckingham Palace), an open-air play on the life of Christ, and Devon (seaside, Dartmoor, motor garages etc.) Now we are in North Cornwall for a couple of days.
WHAT GOOD NEWS? I have made some progress with the writing, including a major section on social media. Did you know that one of the earliest social media sites is TencentQQ, started 1999 and has over 800 million users? Maybe not. It’s Chinese!
HOLY SPIRIT On Monday 10th I had the talk/discussion on Holy Spirit. It was a dreadful day weather-wise, cold and driving rain. And there was a music rehearsal going on in the church so we had to huddle in a somewhat grimy underground room below the church; though it was better for discussion. We had a glass of wine before we started to dry out from the rain. We were fifteen, and that included Kevin who had come, via Eventbrite, all the way from Lewisham, SE London. Impressive!
In July, by popular demand, I will be introducing the prophets from Isaiah to Malachi. Sleeping bags can be provided! Seriously, Monday 8th July 19.00 – 21.00. See http://tinyurl.com/y2rgnfsq This will be the start of a mini-series on the Old Testament, or the Law and the Prophets as Jesus called it. August will be the Psalms; September the history of Israel and Judah and how reliable it is; November 11th a dramatic performance of the Book of Job and launch of the revised edition.
POSTS & TWEETS
Pentecost at Trafalgar Square – something to celebrate! My most popular post, it reached 1,969 people
The Dalai Lama on the Trinity: “This is the teaching that God is one but is composed of three aspects – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit… “ Interesting because “aspect” is exactly what the old Greek/Latin word “person” meant.
The remarkable Thomas Guy – and his wonderful 1779 epitaph in Guy’s Hospital chapel. “Thomas Guy, Citizen of London and Member of Parliament and sole Founder of this Hospital in his Life-time. It is peculiar to this beneficent Man to have persevered during a long and prosperous industry in pouring forth to the wants of Others all that He had earned by labour, or withheld from self-indulgence. Warm with Philanthropy and exalted by Charity his mind expanded to those noble affections which grow but too rarely from the most elevated pursuits. After administering with extensive Bounty to the claims of Consanguinity, He established this Asylum fr that stage of Languor and Disease to which the Charities of Others had not reached. He provided a Retreat for hopeless Insanity, and rivalled the endowment of Kings. He died 24th December 1724 in the 80th Year of his Age.” They don’t write them like that any more.
Grenfell fire the 2nd anniversary. The whole community took part, including masses of teenagers.
The Life of Christ Britain’s own Oberammergau, except that it has happened every year for20 years. An amateur performance lasting 5 hours and involving hundreds of people from their local Surrey community. Dramatic, striking and sometimes moving. After his resurrection Jesus comes back walking through the audience.
Southwark Cathedral – it had been virtually demolished in 1830, but so great was the outcry that they rebuilt it in the 1890’s exactly as it had been in the middle ages. The only Victorian mediaeval cathedral!
FILMS The only film really worth mentioning was “Gloria Bell”, about a middle aged woman, Julianne Moore, and her attempt at a relationship with a quite dysfunctional man played by John Turturro. Fascinating study of someone’s interior life, but not everyone’s cup of tea. 91% of critics liked it as opposed to only 44% of the audience. We liked it.
We also started to watch “Love Island” from time to time in an appalled/addicted kind of way. People do make things difficult for themselves!
TRIP TO ISRAEL Next March I aim to lead a trip through Israel and the Palestinian Territories. It is for 12 days, from 16th to 27th. We will:
visit the splendid new Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv;
spend three nights in Nazareth, exploring Galilee and experiencing life in a 1st century village;
travel through the West Bank ending with two nights in Bethlehem and a trip to Masada;
have five nights in Jerusalem including a walk for the Mount of Olives to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and visit the splendid Israel Museum.
Fancy coming? Email me and I will send you the brochure: aoroland@gmail.com
God bless
Andy