Obadiah Sedgwick

 

Thomas Athow, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Yesterday evening in London you have heard Shai Lynne in ELT or Tim Keller in All Souls. or you coudl have heard me and others at the Strangers Rest Mission, East London. I spoke on  Puritan and Westminster Divine Obadiah Sedgwick at The Essex Conference. I was preceded by Norman Hopkins giving a presentation on the Huegenots and our host David Min on John Owen (Sedgwick's successor).  In the afternoon several had gone ona  walking tour. I started later then intended so had to be brief but that was probably for the best. The conference is new and probably needs better publicity and some streamlining. The whole thing is a three day event! I'll try adn out my paper online.

Westminster Abbey

While most people in Westminster seemed to be busy with the Mandela statue this Wednesday the group of John Owen students under Chad Van Dixhoorn's tutelage for the week headed to the Jerusalem Chamber (main scene not only of the Assemly but also earlier used by committees translating the AV) and other parts of Westminster Abbey where we were treated to a description of the Assembly and began to get some insight into how the whole thing worked. Lecturing continued later over coffee in the sunshine of St James's Park. What a good day. How good it will be when the minutes that have survived are finally out in the public domain.

Cinema Lectures

Yesterday was our 19th anniversary. (Penblwydd Priodas hapus mawr i ti fy nghariad i). Eleri is clear proof, it seems to me, that despite my many faults I can't be an utter disaster. She is my best asset by far. We went off to the pictures for a treat. (Yes, I am spending too much money and time in the cinema). We saw The Bourne Ultimatum. We're not great fans of action movies but we enjoyed the last one (Bourne Supremacy) and there is enough humanity in Bourne (the apparent killing machine that is Bourne is really a warm human being) to raise it above mere action. Cleverly Bourne is both the little man (hounded by the powerful machine that is the CIA) and superman (you know he's going to win in the end). Without giving too much away to find that he was all the while the great 1970s Chelsea full back David Webb was quite a plot twist, worthy of the greatest on film.

Meanwhile I've been attending the superb lectures by Chad Van Dixhoorn (centre in pic)on the Westminster Assembly. From his vast and intimate knowledge Cambridge based Canadian Chad has been sharing with us his insights into one of the greatest synods in the history of man. it's a privilege to be there. Tomorrow he's taking us down to Westminster Abbey - another treat.

PS If anyone has possibly tried to access my Benjamin Beddome or Richard Bernard blogs recently blogger have had them offline for a while (suspected of being spam blogs but wholly innocent I assure you). I haven't added to them in a while but hope to do so soon.

John Owen Centre Lectures

Someone out there may be interested to know that on August 27–31 there will be a series of lectures at the John Owen Centre in Finchley on The History and Theology of the Westminster Assembly. The course will provide an overview of the Assembly's work and an examination of some of the Assembly's major debates in systematic and practical theology. The lecturer will be the man who must be the leading expert on the subject today Chad Van Dixhoorn BA MDiv ThM PhD (Research Fellow, Wolfson College, Cambridge, British Academy Post-doctoral Fellow, Faculty of History, University of Cambridge. Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at Westminster Seminary, California; BA in philosophy University of Western Ontario; MDiv and ThM Westminster Theological Seminary; PhD University of Cambridge.) The course will meet daily from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm with lunch provided. It is in conjunction with the MTh course they run.

The only snag is that it will cost you an arm and a leg. At least think about it. More here.