Wikio - Top Blogs - Religion and belief

Sunday, 4 October 2009

Patronal Festival










The Patronal Festival weekend at St Johns Seven Kings was held from Friday 2nd - Sunday 4th October and featured a varied and interesting range of events and services.

The weekend got off to a cultured beginning with 'An Evening at the Opera' presented by the Lantern Light Opera Company. The Company performed a selection of Gilbert & Sullivan highlights including songs from ‘The Mikado’, ‘Pirates of Penzance’ and ‘HMS Pinafore’. Their programme featured amusing comic acting combined with excellent vocal performances and was greatly enjoyed by a sizable and appreciative audience.

From culture we moved to the environment as our Saturday coffee morning featured recycling information provided by the Redbridge Recycling Team, a free Takeway of books, ornaments, toys and all those things people never knew they needed, and the viewing of an inspiring documentary film entitled ‘The Power of Community’ based on the experience of the people of Cuba in overcoming their lack of oil. This provided a lesson for us all in adapting our way of life to reduce our dependency on oil and to care for the environment.

More than a hundred people attended the Saturday evening Barn Dance, which included a fish and chips supper. With participation from all who came, this was an event that was enjoyed right across the generations.

Sunday morning saw the return of former Vicar, Revd. Canon Gordon Tarry, who preached an excellent sermon on St John the Evangelist highlighting his imagination, growth in faith, and ability to see the big picture and commending these attributes as ones for us to also practice. An evening Songs of Praise brought the weekend to its conclusion. The St Johns Choir was supplemented by choir members from St Peters Aldborough Hatch and St Laurences Barkingside to sing two anthems and a wide range of hymns selected and introduced by members of the congregation.

We had a wonderful weekend full of variety, interest and challenge. The events that we arranged were supported not only by our congregation but also by the wider community who appreciated the welcome to be found in this place. We are particularly grateful to the Lantern Light Opera Company, Redbridge Recycling Team, and Gordon Tarry for making this weekend special through their contributions. Our Patronal Festival has reminded us of all that is good about St Johns and challenged us to go forward in engaging with local and global issues as a Christian community with the creativity that ultimately comes from God.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Mikado - The Flowers of Spring.

No comments: