KIRCHENTAG
The main event this month was undoubtedly the four day Kirchentag in Nuremberg. But you have already heard about that. What else happened?
WRITING
I made a lot of progress on ‘Daily Prayers from the World’s Faiths’. At the beginning of the month I visited the Sikh Gurdwara in Southall and met a very helpful young man who gave me the right framework. And offered me a most delicious vegetarian meal. The featured image is of me in the vegetarian restaurant, with a Sikh head covering.
Later that week I wrote the section on Sikhi or Sikhism. Later I met a Sikh chaplain who advised me on what prayer to include and who corrected a couple of things in my description of Sikhi.
I also discovered a Hindu temple where I hope to find advice on the Hindu section.
Finally, while collating the book, I realised that my prayer sections did not include one for night time. So I worked on that, and now need to ask Abbot Lelung Rinpoche for a Buddhist prayer/reflection for night-time. I also need to write a section on Judaism, and will be home and dry. Then the real work of marketing begins!
MARKETING – OR NOT
Not a great month. Only a few social media posts. I had the idea of giving talks to churches and colleges who might be interested. I worked on a talk entitled ‘Revealing the Real Jesus through Historical Imagination’, answering seven questions like ‘Who were Jesus’ opponents?’ and ‘How many trials? Making sense of Jesus’ last twelve hours’. St Mellitus was not interested. St Mary Abbot’s Kensington might be, I will see next month.
CHURCH
My church activities continue. My short weekly Zoom services called ‘Wednesday Saints’ continue, and some people have joined us from the Association of Christian Writers. I also continue with HTB Queens Gate Tuesday Bible discussions, going to an in-person group every other week and leading a Zoom discussion on the weeks in-between.
I attend the weekly informal communion services at St Mary Abbots Kensington, ‘Sunday on Monday’, and say morning and evening prayers with Fr Paul in St Cuthbert’s every other day on average.
25th June was my last service a t Holy Trinity Prince Consort Road because their new vicar Jenny arrives on 2nd July. I have been taking a monthly BCP service for them since before the pandemic, and took all the services for four celebrations of Holy Week – Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. A great privilege.
At the end of the month I went for a much-needed two day retreat at my normal place, the Monastery of the HolyTrinity, Crawley Down.
FILM
The outstanding film this month was ‘Reality’ – not a statement, but the actual name of the leading character, an upright young woman who leaked an email about Russian interference in American elections. The script was taken entirely from the FBI transcripts of the interrogation in her home. Every word, every ‘Umm’ came from the transcript. It was totally captivating and sad, seeing a young woman’s life crumble in just 83 minutes. See it!
Wishing you a great summer!
Andy