An interesting Saturday

I got everything done here that I needed to do to be out in good time for a trip into London. I popped into the Co-op to buy a cold drink and who should be there but my wife chatting to a neighbour about keeping fit. Both Eleri and I have had problems with our debit cards recently and she offered me cash in case I was short but I said I was fine.

It was as the bus pulled in that I realised that without a debit card I wasn't going to be able to travel. Anyway the bus driver was very nice about it and let me ride free the six or so stops to the place where I get the notices photocopied.

Having competed the photocopying, I enquired at Finchley Road what I could do. A very nice man called Stuart explained to me that a day travel card for Zones 1-6 is £12.30 and so even with the £3 deposit an oyster proves a cheaper option for what I wanted to do. It almost cleaned me out cash wise but eventually, after he had disappeared for 10 minutes to rejig the machine, I got myself sorted and on my way to Trafalgar Square. I tubed to Charing Cross via Baker Street and was surprised how quick I was.

In Trafalgar Square things were in full swing with young James Powell preaching. A few others preached in the sunshine while people enjoyed themselves in the Square, mostly sensibly, though one girl did decide to enter the fountains (and later on some anti-fascists turned up making a noise). I had opportunity to preach near the end - on John 5:39, 40. Early on a middle aged woman shouted at me that the Bible was rubbish so I fixed her eyeballs and asked her if she had read it, which she hadn't - so I pleaded with the crowd that she was being unfair. A few others were listening.

One young man listening quite intently turned out to be an evangelical, Lars from Dresden, just about to return to Germany after a few days in England with family. He was pleasantly surprised to hear us preaching there in the Square. I also met Nigel and Rebecca Graham and family and several church members up in London for a day trip from the Grace Baptist church in Warboys. They insisted in plonking me in the middle of their group photo.

Anyway I left shortly before 3 pm and going home I walked past New Zealand House the site of the Carlton Hotel at one time, as I usually do. I am aware of the blue plaque there marking the fact that Ho worked in the kitchens of the Carlton in 1913. I was especially aware this time round as I am reading a book at the moment (a birthday present from my wife) called A Curious Guide to London by Simon Leyland. I was on the very page that treats of Ho's stay in the city! Before I left central London I spent my last few pennies on a coffee and checked out the interesting section in the book on Trafalgar Square itself.

Before I got to the train I met a very keen vegan, part of a team out in force in Piccadilly Circus. On Friday evening I spoke to two girls in club who are vegetarian and very aware of the issues. I'm not sure they are entirely wrong in their instincts. Animals I am sure do not have souls but some of the things that go on do appear rather barbaric. It is no surprise that many are drawn by the moral arguments and the idea that it is a healthier lifestyle. The jury appears to be out on whether dairy is good or bad for you.

Back here in Childs Hill I bumped into a local character mentioned on this blog before now. I was keen to walk together as we were headed in the same direction. He was just back from a few days in Clacton and anticipating the F A Cup final (he is a big Chelsea fan). Anyway as we came along, there was a smart 'phone in a leather case lying in the middle of the road. I picked it up. It was pink, so I guessed it belonged to a female. I took it home and with my son's help I sought to establish who was the owner. A little investigation suggested it belonged to someone in one of the high rise flats nearby. I went over and was able to return the phone to the grateful owner. She was a lady in her sixties I would guess and when I said who I was she expressed an interest in coming along. I hope she will. (There was a lady who wondered into the chapel yesterday during our club for young people. She is interested in coming too. Let's see.)

After all the excitement, I was worn out. I enjoyed watching the cup final with one of my sons. A rare treat we had our tea in front of the TV like real working class types.Sadly, Chelsea lost as I thought they might.

Saturday is not over, of course, but that is enough for one day.

Preaching in Trafalgar Square again

There was an opportunity to preach in Trafalgar Square again today. Things have changed a lot since we began doing this. We are now down to three hours and don't get use of the plinth. They'd kept the protesting doctors to a spot outside the square at least, however. We had the prime spot. We probably need more powerful speakers. We are competing often with people outside the national gallery. I preached first and Roland Brown, Peter Bell and others followed. It was cold but dry and lots of tracts and Bibles were given out.

Preaching at Trafalgar Square today

It was good to have another opportunity to preach in Trafalgar Square today. It was a little wet but not wet enough to keep crowds away. Our only problem really was that we were a little short of people to preach. Some of our regulars were busy. The meetings are arranged by Sebastian Mani seen above.

Catch up 22

It's been so busy lately that I haven't been able to blog a few things. I really enjoyed being at The John Owen Centre in LTS the other week with David Green and a group of others looking at chapters from Proverbs in Hebrew. There is nothing quite like getting down to the original text. That same week I was in LTS for a meeting about the mentoring scheme they run and which I am involved in, which was useful. Then on Saturday November 9 I had another opportunity with others to preach in Trafalgar Square. It was a little wet at times but the Square was as busy as I've ever seen it and there were lots of good opportunities.

Then the following Monday I was at Westminster Chapel for the Westminster Fellowship. We did a little bit of naval gazing and agreed to carry on, though our next meeting (which is in February) is planned to be held in Westminster Baptist Church, (my McAfee didn't like that link for some reason but I'm sure it's fine) not a venue I am at all familiar with. We are only around 20 at the fraternal these days but it is good to meet and frankly discuss with men who I am pretty much on a wavelength with.

The next day there was another fraternal, the North London one in Finchley. Trevor Archer FIEC Training Director spoke. It was billed as being on leadership but was really about the advantages of one to one work. This was not new to me. I remember hearing quite a bit of this at early Proclamation Trust meetings and doing what I could to implement it. Like all panaceas, it can be over-rated and should really be seen as just one optional tool. My fear is that an over emphasis on this may downgrade preaching.

Apart from a church officers meeting and the arrival of the book on the Dutch rock band Focus that I edited I think that's all I want to report this time. I'm at the Evangelical Library today and the Westminster Conference is fast approaching. Do book if you haven't already.

Speaking at Historic Venues

On Saturday there was another opportunity to preach in Trafalgar Square with Biblical Gospel Ministries. I preached alongside several others on John 3:16. The opportunity to pass on TBS Bibles and to witness was a blessing. A Christian worker I know happened to be passing through the square and she stopped to listen, which was nice. I have had that sort of thing happen before. Slightly surreal.

Then yesterday (Monday) I was speaking again on 1662, this time in Cambridge for PTS. The meeting took place in the Round Church, which I was told is the second oldest building in the city. We were only around 20 or so but I knew some of those present (Gearoid Marley of PTS, William Wilson from Norwich and someone I was in CU with all those years ago in Aber. Her husband chaired and had taken the trouble to look in here to have some material for introduction purposes). Beforehand I was able to meet up with a girl from the church here who is studying at Clare College who kindly showed me round before heading to a lecture on Old English riddles (We enjoyed seeing the portrait of Hugh Latimer in the Great Hall). I was also able to meet up with Ian Hamilton, minsiter of CPC, who would have been in the meeting but who was speaking that same night to the Chinese Fellowship. 

LIP Annual meetings

It was great to be at the LIP (London Inreach Project) meetings in Orange Street near Trafalgar Square last Saturday. I was there for a meeting of the trustees first over the lunch hour. Otherwise we had a news session from 1.30 pm mainly with Andrew Murray and Roger Carter (above) but also featuring Mick Lockwood of Haworth who said how encouraging the project was despite the uphill slog it has been. Mick was once approached about working with the project and although nothing came of it it eventually propelled him into his current church planting role in Haworth. Mick later preached and I chaired.

Later, after a lovely tea downstairs, I was in the chair as we met again and took opportunity to thank Derek Sewell (and family) for all his work and heard more from Roger and from Peter Jermyn our treasurer. Mick preached very encouragingly from Acts 17 especially verses 26 and 27. We were not heaving numbers wise but it was good to be there and a great encouragement. Back here we had a sort of barbecue at the house for church people. Nice time again though a little wet.

Trafalgar Square Again

We had an opportunity once again to preach in Trafalgar Square today. I preached near the end just before Gavin Childress, pictured. Sebastian Mani, our organiser, also preached as well as Ian Densham, Trevor Rimes and others. The wet weather dampened spirits a little but we were still able to give out tracts and preach. Who knows what God may do.

Armenia

I was in town again today. They were celebrating St George's Day with a concert in Trafalgar Square where a crowd had gathered to watch musical acts. Meanwhile a few hundred Armenians and their friends were marching and handing out leaflets calling attention to the genocide of 1915, apparently still unacknowledged by Turkey. The UK (unlike many others) in the last 40 years or so has never formally acknowledged it either. Read more here.

A girl of Armenian background aged around 10 or so gave me a leaflet, which I thanked her for. I asked her if she knew which was the first Christian nation. She did not know and so I told her. It struck me as an oddity that she knew about 1915 but not about what happened in 301 AD. I suppose we teach our children what we think to be most important.

Busy as ever

We often remark on this blog on how busy it is and this last week has been no exception. Today I was out fairly early to lend a hand with the church clean up, something we try to have regularly. Seeing the Principal of the London Theological Seminary busy with a hoover was a good reminder of the varied tasks church members sometimes end up doing as they seek to serve the Lord.

It was off then by bus to Trafalgar Square. Had a nice chat with an African American woman who has been a member of the huge Hillsong church since there were only twelve of them. We didn't get on to theology (!). When I arrived, Sebastian Mani, our main organiser, was preaching. I preached next and we also heard from Gavin Childress and his 18 year old son James. The weather was not great but we were able to give out tracts and Bibles and preach the Word. You get plenty of flak but loads of opportunities. I was able to give Bibles to two Turkish boys and tracts to two teenagers from Abu Dhabi. I also had some conversation with a Polish atheist who claimed to believe that our meeting was merely random. That I doubt. What opportunities!

On the way home I bumped into retired minister Joseph Hewitt and listened to the animated conversation of a newly engaged couple as they argued and made phone calls. If they were really drama students (I've seen that before now) they were brilliant.

I'm back home now watching the Ireland Scotland match and enjoying a chicken pie Dewi made in fod tech in school (very nice). Glad that Wales beat Italy but it hasn't been a great tournament. That's why I've said nothing until now.

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Yesterday was also very full with a lecture on the cults at EMF in the morning and a committee meeting for Grace Publications in Covent Garden in the afternoon. In the evening I got along to Bethesda, Kensington, where Paul Brown was giving the annual lecture for the Strict Baptist Historical Society. The society itself is understandably rather quaint but the lecture was a fine one - on Ernest Kevan and focussing on his pastoral years, first at Walthamstow then at New Cross. The emphasis on hard work and vision was challenging and contained lots of useful insights.

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Tuesday and Wednesday were also pretty busy. On Tuesday I was in the John Owen Centre again, this time with 8 or 9 others for some Hebrew from Genesis (the Abrahamic covenant) with David Green - always worthwhile. (I should have mentioned being in the JOC the other week when we were reading the book on the Lord's Supper by Malcolm MacLean, which I appreciated but others found less satisfying). In the evening there was a church officers meeting. Wednesday was my typically busy fortnightly one as I was among the older folk morning and afternoon, with the midweek meeting in the evening (still working through Titus).

Tea at the Ritz

One of several kind things the church did for us on my 25th anniversary was to arrange for us to have tea at the Palm Court in the Ritz Hotel near Green Park. It costs a ridiculous amount but for a once in a blue moon treat was wonderful and Eleri and I really enjoyed it. Everything is just so but not fussy or over the top. Just great. The fact this was the kindness of the church simply added to the occasion.

A lovely pianist played in the background. He managed Whiter Shade of Pale and a Beatles number among the more obvious tunes but didn't know Sylvia but promised to play it next time.

Afterwards we wandered through Burlington Arcade and then on to Trafalgar Square and the National Portrait Gallery, which was great too, as the sun shone and the rain kept away. St Martin in the fields looks very spruce after its clean up.

Trafalgar Square February 09

We were very glad to be able to preach in Trafalgar Square once again on February 14th. The weather was quite cold but not too bad with no wind and a little sun shining through. There were plenty of people in the Square and lots of tracts were given out.

This blog also appears here.

Trafalgar Square Opportunity

It was great to be a part again of the team preaching and witnessing in Trafalgar Square today. The weather was good with only a brief shower near the end. A great opportunity, we pray that some will have been reached.

Holidays

Our kids are back in school today which seems a little strange after the holiday weekend. Eleri's sister and family were here from Saturday afternoon. They went yesterday but before that we took a bus into town and did Trafalgar Square and 1700-1900 in the National Gallery (Van Gogh, Monet, etc). See here and here. It has snowed more than once over the weekend here but it all came to nothing.

Sunday was good with quite large congregations morning and evening including various visitors. It was good to look at the resurrection once again.

Last Friday we headed down to Wiltshire, where Eleri's other sister lives. We met up with them and Eleri's parents and the other sister and family. We are 17 all told and so careful arrangements were necessary. Eight of us slept in one home, six in another and two of our boys stayed with a friend down that way. We also met up in a village hall in North Bradley and had our Saturday lunch on a barge at the Lock Inn (see here) some of us sampling their famous boatman's breakfast. Good stuff.

Previous to that, of course, I was in these lectures on the atonement from Garry Williams. We spent a great deal of time looking at chapters in Owen and Edwards but also looked at Socinus and the Amyraldians as well as one or two other things. At the end Garry went over the important paper he gave at the EA Symposium in 2005 against Joel Green. You can read it here.

Meanwhile the proofs for my new book on regeneration came so I have been busy sorting that out. More here.

Model for a hotel

When I was in Trafalgar Square recently I noticed the new sculpture on the fourth plinth. it is called Model for a Hotel 2007 (formerly Hotel for the Birds) and was unveiled about a fortnight ago (Nov 07) a 5-m by 4.5-m by 5-m architectural model of a 21-storey building made from coloured glass. it looks a little like a construction from one of those educational games kids had in the seventies.

It is by Thomas Schütte (Born Nov 16, 1954, Oldenburg, Germany) "an important German contemporary artist". From 1973-1981 he studied art at the Kunstakadenie, Dusseldorf under Gerhard Richter and Fritz Schwegler.

The work cost £270,000 and was funded primarily by good old Ken the Mayor and the Arts Council (ie taxpayers like us). Sandy Nairne, director of the nearby National Portrait Gallery and chairman of the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group that recommended Schütte's proposals to the Mayor in 2004, has said: "There will be something extraordinarily sensual about the play of light through the coloured glass. ... [I]t's going to feel like a sculpture of brilliance and light." In fact it looks like a construction from one of those educational games kids had in the seventies.

Preaching Trafalgar Square

It was my great privilege once again last Saturday to preach in Trafalgar Square. With no rain or wind it was pretty good day for it and we are thankful to God for the opportunity. Besides the preaching there is opportunity to pass on literature and chat personally. Sebastian Mani is the good man who organises it all with help from the TBS and others. The stills show me preaching in my parka (it was cold!). The video clip is of British-based Australian Steve Bignall.

Busy Days

It's been a busy few days, as ever.

Friday night: Our regular children and young people's work. Our best leader was back after a few weeks off to give a fine talk on adoption to about 20 kids. We had a quiz to follow. Then a similar number of older ones came for a talk followed by a session of 'Just a minute'.

Saturday: In the morning a few of us went out into Golders Green with a tract on 'The prodigal son'. We met all sorts - Polish labourers, an American Mormon, two JW ladies we know, a very nice Roman Catholic lady, Nigerian Catholics, Jews, some neighbours, etc, and a rather eccentric fellow, recently deported from Israel, with his own weird theories. He came along to church the next day but was very difficult to help.

In the afternoon I went along to Highbury Baptist church for the baptism of a lady called Debbie Smith who has been converted through the outreach of the Covent Garden and Soho church. Although brought up to go to church she rebelled and ended up in Soho in the late sixties involved in all sorts of things quite different to what she had been encouraged in as a girl. Without going into detail it was clear that she had sunk pretty low. Andrew Murray led the proceedings. We sang 'Amazing grace' and it seemed most appropriate. What a joy! More here.

Lord's Day: Back here I've painted myself into a corner slightly as I'm currently dealing with Ezekiel 25ff (am) and Exodus 35ff (pm) - not easy passages. The morning was okay (on judgement but with a gospel appeal at the end). I struggled more in the evening (on working and giving in the house of the Lord). A man new to the area came and two Muslims ladies who left just before we finished.

Monday morning: I was at a committee meeting arranging outreach in Trafalgar Square. We hope to be there again on November 17.

There's loads more on this week.

Preaching Trafalgar Square

It was a great honour to be preaching once again in Trafalgar Square today. Despite the wet weather this morning it slowly brightened up and our 12 noon to 3 pm slot was a good one. Some 12 men preached for around 12 minutes each. I had a slot just after 1 pm and spoke from 1 John 1:9. Others spoke briefly in Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Arabic. Several people gave out tracts and there was a stall with Bibles and other literature in various languages. It's a great opportunity. (In the picture you can see Geoff Gobbett preaching).

Preaching Trafalgar Square

On Saturday, February 10, noon to 3 pm, we are hoping that there will be another opportunity to preach in Trafalgar Square under the auspices of Biblical Gospel Ministries.

Do pray that it will be possible and that we will have many opportunites to bear witness. Come and join us if you can.