The full light

This is the window of which the stonework was the gift of King Edward VII when he was still a young Prince of Wales. It was plain glass - the pictorial stained glass was given later.

Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist

"Put your hand there! He's kicking!"

(Part of the east window of our only Benefice church dedicated to John the Baptist)

Feast of Corpus Christi

That's the way to do it!

Now, where's the Benefice umbrellino?

I want some!

It will go with my white and gold chasuble as designed by Slabbinck for the visit of Pope to Belgium in May 1985.

My birthday is August 3rd !

Head in the clouds

On looking out of the window late on Sunday evening.

Hello Pot, meet Kettle.

Writing in the New Statesman, the archbishop of Canterbury has issued a broadside against the coalition government, claiming it is forcing through "radical policies for which no one voted".

Hmmm, a bit like the Anglican Covenant then? That's something to which he is dedicated forcing upon the Anglcan Communion whether we want it or not, and with no proper opportunity for the bums on the seats to actually make their voices heard. Note also that he occupies a position also for which no person voted.

I never realised before that part of the enthronement process of the Archbishop of Canterbury was the stapling onto his head of a huge pair of blinkers.

God is a donut?

A "friend" in Germany sent me this link. Pass the bucket, I think I'm going to be very very ill. (Apparently this young lad is now an attorney!)

Oh dear .....

On the Six o'clock BBC News this evening ....


Anyone care to buy the Children's Minister a dictionary so that she can educate whoever put up that display behind her?
.

On the 50th anniversary ...

On Memorial Day 1994 I was fortunate enough to be part of a group from Beaminster in Dorset to attend the 50th anniversary celebrations of the D-Day landings at the town of St. James in Normandy. Beaminster and St. James were "twinned", and as a Team Vicar in that parish I was asked to be the church's representative at the event.

The main Act of Remembrance took place at the large American War Cemetery just outside St. James, and being the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings, the celebrations were somewhat more elaborate than usual.


One of the most telling moments was seeing a local schoolchild standing by each war grave, and who then planted small national flags in front of each stone, both the American Stars and Stripes and the French Tricoleur. Seventeen years on, all those children will now be older than many of those whom they were remembering that day.

I recall it was a blazing hot day, and I sought shelter within the Memorial chapel, and from its tower I was able to get a grandstand view across the cemetery to St. James and the land beyond which had been a battleground those few short years before.


It was good to be part of this, and on this trip we not only visited some of the D-Day landing beaches and the Pegasus bridge, but also a German War cemetery which was far more sombre in mood, and brought into sharp relief the differences between the memorials of the victor and the defeated.

67 years ago .... Thank you.

Up, up and awaaaaay !

Acts of the Apostles 1: 4-12.

4. And lo, He saith unto them, Stay put in the city, something not altogether insignificant is about to happen.
5. And behold, He seemed thereafter to change his mind and led them out of the city, unto Bethany, which is an high place indeed.
6. And the disciples did nod and wink at one another exceedingly, for they knew that strange and holy things alway happened unto them in high places.
7. For, indeed, these were places of exegesis, and deep in symbolism.
8. And verily, no sooner had they got there, He raisest up his arms, and lo, he was gone.
9. And there was no whoosh. Nay, not even a flash of light.
10. And two men in white robes suddenly appeared unto them and saith:
11. "Why standeth thee here? The show is over. Depart in peace."
12. And lo, they returned to the city and diligently went straightforward unto church thinking, What an odd Thursday. Shame there weren't more people there.

The Wenchoster Bible