Mental Health Matters

A Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch 10th Anniversary Satellite Event In Aid of ABF The Soldiers Charity (registered charity No1146420) 6pm for 6.30pm on Thursday 30 March 2017 St Stephen Walbrook, City of London, EC4N 4BN.

Mental ill health touches every one of us in one way or another. Whether personally, professionally or through friends and family. One in six UK adults experienced episodes related to a common mental disorder in the past week. The damage that can be caused from out-of-control stress, anxiety, eating disorders, OCD, panic attacks, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression - a by no means an exhaustive list - is never too far away from us.

Following the recent launch of the first Institute of Directors Mental Health Strategy, IoD City is proud to bring together leading authorities and the pioneers of workplace mental health programmes to share their experience, insights and wellbeing guidance with our members and guests. St Stephen Walbrook, our host venue for the evening, is also the birthplace of Samaritans, the charity set up by Chad Varah over sixty years ago to provide listening and emotional support for people in distress.

Our Speakers:

Felicity Varah Harding is an ambassador for Samaritans and the daughter of their founder, Prebendary Dr Chad Varah CH, CBE. She has a long and varied career in social and therapeutic work and has performed various roles within the voluntary and charitable sectors - including with Voluntary Service Overseas in Anguilla, a non-executive role for National Victim Support and trustee and later Chair of Vision Aid Overseas. Felicity is a member of the Court of Assistants of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers and will become Master of the Company in 2017/18.

The Reverend Sally Muggeridge is curate of St Stephen Walbrook. A former Chief Executive of the Industry and Parliament Trust, she has skills and professional recognition in both marketing and human resource development. Sally has worked at Board level in several major international plcs
including British Telecom, Cable and Wireless, Pearson and Total. She served as Master of the Worshipful Company of Marketors in 2013/14 and is Chaplain to the Lady Masters Association.

John Binns is a Non-Executive Director with the City Mental Health Alliance and Vice Chair and Trustee of Mind. A former Partner with Deloitte, he is now nationally and internationally recognised as an independent advisor to high perfromance organisations and individuals on mental health, wellbeing, and personal resilience. John is a qualified CBT coach.

Colonel (Retd) Simon Diggins OBE served for over 36 years in the British Army from 1978 to 2014 after which he was a Director of Strategy and Campaign Consulting before joining the NHS in 2016. He is currently a Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services Manager at South London and Maudsley NHS Trust. Simon will be speaking on the work of the London Veterans Service. This
is a free NHS Mental Service for all ex-service members of the British Armed Forces living in or
registered with a GP in London. The Service also supports veterans who have served in the Reserved Forces.

Net proceeds from the event will be donated to The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch 2017 in aid of ABF The Soldiers Charity. Ticket price per person is £30 (inclusive of VAT of £5.00) for members and £36 (inclusive of VAT of £6.00) for non-members. Dress code is business wear. Bookings may be made via the IoD website www.iod.com/city.

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Pēteris Vasks - Klātbūtne ('Presence').

Discover & explore: Robert Stuart de Courcy Laffan (Sport)

Today's Discover & explore service at St Stephen Walbrook, explored the theme of sport through the life of Robert Stuart de Courcy Laffan. The service featured the Choral Scholars of St Martin-in-the-Fields singing Come, my way, my truth, my life by Vaughan Williams, Be thou my vision by Chilcott, Forever by Chris Tomlin and Go forth into the world in peace by Rutter. 

The next Discover & explore service is on Monday 6 March at 1.10pm when, together with the Choral Scholars, Sally Muggeridge will explore the theme of charity through the life of Chad Varah.

Today's reflection was adapted from ‘Research Notes: A Noble Ally and Olympic Disciple: The Reverend Robert S. de Courcy Laffan, Coubertin’s ‘Man’ in England’ by Steve Bailey, Director of Sports, Winchester College, and published in OLYMPIKA: The International Journal of Olympic Studies Volume VI – 1997:

'In 1892, at a jubilee of the French Union of Athletic Sports Societies, Baron Pierre de Coubertin introduced the idea of a modern Olympics. His idea was fairly vague, and it seems that even Coubertin himself did not have a clear idea what form such games would take. Two years later, Coubertin organized a meeting which brought together 79 delegates from 12 countries to discuss how to revive the Olympic games. The meeting established the first International Olympic Committee, and the basic framework of having the games every four years, with the first to take place in Greece, was decided upon.'

'At the Le Havre Congress of the International Olympic Committee in 1897 Robert Stuart de Courcy Laffan represented the Headmasters’ Conference - the association of headmasters of the English Public Schools. Laffan was an unlikely “Olympic” emissary; as neither a physical educator nor an exceptional athlete but he … brought … to Le Havre a message of the true commitment for the value of organised physical activity …

When Laffan spoke … the effect of this newly found ally led [Baron Pierre de] Coubertin to be “... convinced that a new collaborator of the most invaluable quality had come down from the heavens to help us.” … the friendship that developed between Coubertin and Laffan was to be “profound and stable … In his presentation Laffan spoke of the broader value of sporting activity. He said that it was through physical exercise that man came to know himself better, and that this in turn would lead to the establishment of the Brotherhood of Man.

The endorsement of both the spiritual and physical benefits of sport were much appreciated by the audience. He presented a different slant on the potential contained within the concept of Olympism: a more overtly philanthropic aim which would have been recognised by the audience as highly palatable to their respective supporters at home.

Robert Laffan was made a Member of the International Olympic Committee in 1897 and, following the first visit of the IOC to London in 1904, he was central to the founding of the British Olympic Association a year later. He acted as Honorary Secretary to the BOA from 1905 until his death in 1927. Robert Laffan dedicated his life to the Olympic Movement, blending his work seamlessly with his strong religious faith … He became Rector of St. Stephen’s, Walbrook in 1899, and was able to balance his service between the needs of his parishioners and the struggle to ensure that the Olympic message was made more widely known.

Laffan was not a figurehead or helmsman … but he was an extraordinary workhorse. It was said of Laffan that he possessed a “silver tongue” - what we might commonly call today “the gift of gab.” The inscription on the 300 year old clock presented to Laffan by his co-workers on the British Olympic Council after the London Games thanked him for the “...kindly, tactful and wholehearted
manner” in which he had carried out every duty. He is said to have served “nobly and disinterestedly.”

To Laffan there was significant spiritual meaning in this timely arrival of new opportunity … Robert Laffan attributed many qualities to the Olympic Movement as the vehicle for the improvement of mankind’s ability to live and work together. Sometimes unrealistic in his claims for what is now such an important world phenomenon, Laffan provided great inspiration for others in the early days by devoting all his enthusiasm and working capacity to help pave the way for the future. In his view the Olympic Movement existed to achieve: . . .the perfect physical development of a new humanity; the spreading all over the world of a spirit of sport - that is the spirit of the truest chivalry; and the drawing together of all the nations of the earth in the bonds of peace and mutual amity.

To Laffan the Olympic Movement was everything: It is to me a privilege in itself to have been allowed to do something for what I consider one of the greatest concerns on earth, the cause which has as its supreme ideal ‘Peace on earth and goodwill towards men’.'

The Declaration on Sport and the Christian Life produced by Sport and Christianity argues that: Sport has its basis in a divinely-given impulse to play and deserves a rightful place in Christian living. People play sport primarily for the love of the game, the thrill of competition, and the sense of community that comes from participation. When played and watched in faithfulness to God sport occupies a legitimate place as part of the created world and helps express our relationship to God and to one another.

Laffan, however, dreamed of a greater purpose for the Olympic Movement. One that was re-articulated by Pope Francis in 2016 when he said: Sports make it possible to build a culture of encounter among everyone for a world of peace. I dream of sports as the practice of human dignity, turned into a vehicle of fraternity. That sports may be an opportunity for friendly encounters between people and contribute to peace in the world.

Intercessions:

Eternal God, giver of joy and source of all strength, we pray for those who prepare for sporting competition. For competitors in training, their loved ones and the many thousands who support them. In a world where many are rejected and abused, we pray for a spirit of tolerance and acceptance, of humility and respect at all sporting events and for the health and safety of all. May we at the last be led towards the love of Christ who is more than gold, today and for ever. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

God our Creator, we pray for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and for all sporting events around our world. Almighty God, you created humanity in your image and delight in our talent, skill and flair: give us grace to celebrate the achievements of our fellow men and women. Give determination and equity to competitors, gratitude and charm to winners, grace and mercy to those who do not come first, and thankfulness and admiration to observers; that in all our best efforts your creation may be glorified. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

God, our Protector, whose Son travelled as a refugee and walked the streets of Jerusalem as a pilgrim, we pray for all who travel to sporting events around the world: for competitors and coaches, cleaners and caterers; for umpires and judges, city guides and security guards; for audiences and volunteers. Grant them safe travel and journeys filled with enriching encounter. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

The Blessing

God give you the strength to run with perseverence the race marked out for you, fixing your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

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New Order (Feat. John Barnes) - World In Motion.

Discover & explore services: Spring 2017 series

Discover & explore services at St Stephen Walbrook feature music and liturgy with the Choral Scholars of St Martin-in-the-Fields. These services explore their themes through a thoughtful mix of music, prayers, readings and reflections:

• “A perfect service of peace in our busy lives.”
• “Spiritual food in the middle of the day.”
• “Beautifully and intelligently done.”

The next series of these services of musical discovery will explore significant figures in the history of St Stephen Walbrook.

All Discover & explore services begin at 1.10pm:

• 9 January – John Dunstable (Music) 
• 16 January - Sir Christopher Wren (Architecture) 
• 23 January – Thomas Watson (Preaching) 
• 30 January – Sir John Vanbrugh (Drama) 
• 6 February - Thomas Wilson (Patronage) 
• 13 February – Half Term break 
• 20 February – George Croly (Poetry) 
• 27 February – George Griffin Stonestreet (Insurance) 
• 6 March – Robert S. de Courcey Laffan (Sport) 
• 13 March – Chad Varah (Charity) 
• 20 March – Henry Moore (Sculpture) 
• 27 March – Lanning Roper (Gardening) 
• 3 April - Patrick Heron (Art) 
• 10 April – Peter Delaney (Internet)

Discover & explore is “like a little jewel with a number of facets drawing us in and lighting our path.”

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John Dunstable - Quam Pulchra Est.

Congruity and controversy: exploring issues for contemporary commissions

Today I gave an illustrated talk at St Stephen Walbrook entitled 'Congruity and controversy: exploring issues for contemporary commissions.' Modern commissions by Henry Moore, Patrick Heron, Hans Coper and Andrew Varah at St Stephen Walbrook bring into focus some of the key issues and questions regarding modern or contemporary commissions. I explored these issues in the context of 'Reflection', the latest exhibition at St Stephen Walbrook by commission4mission. The essence of what I had to say in this talk can be found by clicking here.

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Michael Kiwanuka - The Final Frame.

Sing for Samaritans Christmas Concert

We enjoyed a wonderful Sing for Samaritans Christmas Concert at St Stephen Walbrook tonight, singing, celebrating and raising money for a fantastic charity. The programme mixed traditional carols for all of us to sing along with and exquisite festive works sung by the London Chorus. In addition, Olivier award-winning actor Henry Goodman got us in the Christmas spirit with a reading from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

In welcoming people to the event, I shared a little of the story of Chad Varah founding Samaritans at St Stepen Walbrook:

It is a particular pleasure to be able to welcome you here, to St Stephen Walbrook, this evening because, as I’m sure you are all aware, this church was the birthplace of Samaritans. For over 50 years Dr Chad Varah was rector of St Stephen Walbrook and, among his many legacies, was the founding of Samaritans, the charity that we are all here to support this evening.

His inspiration came particularly from a girl aged 14, whom he had buried - in unconsecrated ground. She had started her periods, but having no one to talk to believed that she had a sexually transmitted disease and took her own life. Chad said later, "I might have dedicated myself to suicide prevention then and there, providing a network of people you could 'ask' about anything, however embarrassing, but I didn't come to that until later".

When he was offered charge of the parish of St Stephen Walbrook, in the summer of 1953 he knew that the time was right for him to launch what he called a "999 for the suicidal". At the time, suicide was still illegal in the UK and so many people who were in difficult situations and who felt suicidal were unable to talk to anyone about it without worrying about the consequences. A confidential emergency service for people "in distress who need spiritual aid" was what Chad felt was needed to address the problems he saw around him. He was, in his own words, "a man willing to listen, with a base and an emergency telephone".

15 years after the emergency 999 number was set up, the number MAN 9000 was chosen for this new helpline - to signify a human emergency number. Luckily the number of the church was MANsion house 9000. It was the first, and is still probably the best known telephone helpline in the UK. The first phone used remains on display here, as a reminder to everyone who comes that his is where Samaritans began. So, don’t leave tonight without seeing it for yourself.

The very first call to the new service was made on 2nd November 1953 and that is the date that is now recognised as Samaritans' official birthday. Now, every six seconds someone reaches out to Samaritans for emotional support. Samaritans is available round the clock, every single day of the year, providing a safe place to talk for anyone who is struggling to cope, whoever you are and whatever life has done to you. That’s only possible with the help of generous donations from people such as yourselves, so it is tremendous that this event can be here, where the vital service that Samaritans provides, actually began and that you are all here to enjoy the evening and contribute to supporting the ongoing work of Samaritans.

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Society of Catholic Artists Private View

The Private View for the Society of Catholic Artist's 'Care of Creation' exhibition was held tonight at St Stephen Walbrook. I made the following remarks during the evening (using material from our website):

Welcome to St Stephen Walbrook in the City of London. For over a thousand years a place of worship has stood on this site. Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece, the present church is the fourth to have stood here. At the time of its building the great dome was unique in England and it was from this church that Wren developed his plans for St Paul’s Cathedral.

Here Sir John Vanbrugh is buried and many distinguished men of letters and of the arts have graced the life of this place. John Dunstable the composer and past merchants and Lord Mayors have been a part of its life.

There is a plaque to the Rev’d Robert Stuart de Courcey Laffan, who with Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games in 1890. Bombed in the Second World War and restored to its present magnificent state in 1981, twentieth century artists and craftsmen have adorned its interior. Henry Moore’s travertine marble altar now stands at the centre under Wren’s dome surrounded by dazzling kneelers by Patrick Heron.

With an almost perfect acoustic for choral singing and a renowned organ famed for its regular recitals on Fridays at 12.30 pm for City workers, St Stephen stands witness next to the Lord Mayor’s residence and at the heart of the City it was built to serve. We seek to do this in a range of different ways, so, for example, on Tuesdays, between 7.30 and 9.30 am, there are ten minute reflections on work-based themes repeated every 15 minutes while, on Thursdays, the community gathers for a Sung Eucharist at 12.45 pm with mass settings designed to blend with its traditional liturgy and architectural environment. We also organise programmes exploring contemporary issues such as our current ‘Philanthropy in the City’ programme, a series of events including exhibitions, services and talks exploring both the history of philanthropy in the City and current opportunities for philanthropic activity. St Stephen is also the home of the London Internet Church and its ministry of prayer and praise.

The damaged St Stephen Walbrook needed repair after the war and until then the interior was filled with pews in dark stained wood and the conventional east end altar table with the reredos containing the Ten Commandments and paintings of the Old Testament figures of Moses and Abraham. The windows had been filled with stained glass and the pristine feeling of Christopher Wren’s classical building had become dark and Victorianised. The original clear glass windows reflecting the light had been lost and filled with stained glass.

In taking the controversial step of commissioning one of the world’s most original artists to devise a statement about belief as seen in the Walbrook altar was taking a risk. Dr Chad Varah and the people of St Stephens were engaged in a major social outreach programme in founding the Samaritans in 1953, a telephone ministry for those in serious trouble and they now wanted this iconic Wren building to express a theology of how they saw the gospel in relation to the workplace.

This meant that the 17th century placing of the altar away from the people with the priest standing with his back to the congregation no longer expressed what they felt to be the immanent nature of the God they worshipped and served. Thus Henry Moore conceived a centrally placed altar made of travertine marble cut from the very quarry which provided the marble for Michelangelo’s work.

By carving a round altar table with forms cut into the circular sides Moore suggested that the centre of the church reflected the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem commemorating the sacrifice of Abraham and Isaac as a prefiguring of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and the place for the offering of the Eucharist at the heart of Christian worship. This place was designed for people to gather as a community around the altar where God could be found at the centre.

This changed the way that Walbrook was to develop for the future, if you want to know what a community believe see how they worship. The restoration itself cost £1. 3. Million. The altar measuring 8ft across and weighing several tons was at the centre of a controversy and court case as a result of objections and eventually was resolved by going to the highest ecclesiastical court of the land, the Court of Ecclesiastical Cases Reserved where the judges ruled that the Moore altar was acceptable as an altar for the Church of England!

So, classical, modern and contemporary art and architecture beautifully combine at St Stephen Walbrook with significant examples of modern art within Sir Christopher Wren’s perfectly proportioned masterpiece, where the woodwork and carvings by William Newman lead to wonderful contrasts between dark and light. Newman’s dark wood panelling provides a dramatic backdrop to the regular programme of contemporary art exhibitions that the church now hosts. This marvellous blend of old and new provides a richly contemplative space in which to display and view art.

For these, we partner with either established art societies (such as the National Society of Painters, Sculptors & Printmakers or the Society of Catholic Artists) or significant art historians such Edward Lucie-Smith. In 2016 our programme will feature solo shows by the stuckist artist Joe Machine, artist-priest Alan Everett, Brazilian artist Kim Poor, and group shows by the National Society and commission4mission.

In putting together an exhibition programme of this kind, we are seeking to work across the primary debate that has occurred in the C20 and contemporary Church in relation to the engagement of the Church with the Arts. The call from Marie-Alain Couturier in France and Walter Hussey in Britain was to commission the best artists of the day regardless of faith commitment, as Couturier phrased it the ‘secular masters’ of the day. Their call resulted in challenging and exciting commissions by artists such as Pierre Bonnard, Marc Chagall, Cecil Collins, le Corbusier, Fernand Léger, Henri Matisse, Henry Moore, Graham Sutherland, and others. Theirs is a legacy which continues to this day in a significant number of church commissions.

But it is not the only legacy of commissioning from that period. Last year I used my sabbatical to visit churches in Britain, Belgium, France and Switzerland that had commissioned modern art, so saw for myself work by groups of artists founded by the likes of Maurice Denis, Alexandre Cingria and Eric Gill, among others, which primarily undertook church commissions. At the same time that Couturier and Hussey were commissioning, another equally valid and creative approach to church commissions was happening which resulted in commissions which, though different in style, were equality in creativity and liturgical value.

As a result, there remains a valid and creative place in the Church for groups such as the Society of Catholic Artists or commission4mission, the artists group of which I am part. The variety and verve of the work included in this exhibition is again a clear demonstration of our need in the Church for groups such the Society of Catholic Artists. Here at St Stephen Walbrook we want, in our exhibition programme, to work both with the ‘secular masters’ of our day and with groups like your own and commission4mission, among others. The vibrancy of the Churches engagement with the Arts, in my view, depends on encouragement and support for both. So, for these reasons, I want to welcome you warmly to St Stephen Walbrook and congratulate you on the strength of the exhibition that you have shared with us.

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Felix Mendelssohn - Verleih uns Frieden.

Commemorating the founding of Samaritans

The Lord Mayor of London, Lady Mayoress, members of Chad Varah’s family, representatives of Samaritans and the Grocer’s Company all visited St Stephen Walbrook today for the unveiling of a memorial plaque commemorating the founding of the Samaritans. 

The Lord Mayor unveiled the memorial plaque and the Lady Mayoress cut the ribbon to re-open the Vestry following its restoration. The Grocers Company generously provided funding towards the memorial plaque and the restoration of the Vestry. 

In dedicating the plaque, I said:

Thanks to Chad Varah's vision, Samaritans now have 21,200 volunteers, 201 branches and receive around 5,100,000 calls for help per year. Samaritan volunteers are available round the clock to offer the unique emotional support service that he initiated.

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has given us the Holy Spirit that we might live lives worthy of your great sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. We thank you for your interest in each one of us and your promise “I will never leave you nor forsake you”, remembering especially today all who need and use the services of the Samaritans. We fondly dedicate this special memorial plaque honouring Chad Varah and his work in starting and developing the Samaritans.  As we do so, we give thanks for his ministry at St Stephen Walbrook and for the unique emotional support service that he initiated through the Samaritans. Though he has left our midst, the memory of these ministries endures as a blessing to us and an inspiration to future generations. We pray in the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Vasari Singers - Give Us This Day.

St Martin-in-the-Fields and St Stephen Walbrook

Next week I will begin the latest phase of my ordained ministry as Priest for Partnership Development with St Martin-in-the-Fields and St Stephen Walbrook. Here is some brief background on the significant histories of both churches:

For over a thousand years a place of worship has been at St Stephen Walbrook in the City of London and Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece, the present church, is the fourth to have stood on this site. At the time of its building the great dome was unique in England and it was from this church that Wren developed his plans for St Paul’s Cathedral. 

Here Sir John Vanbrugh is buried and many distinguished men of letters and of the arts have graced the life of this place. John Dunstable the composer and past merchants and Lord Mayors have been a part its life. There is a plaque to the Revd Robert Stuart De Courcey Laffan, who with Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games in 1890. 

Bombed in the Second World War and restored to its present magnificent state in 1981, twentieth century artists and craftsmen have adorned its interior. Henry Moore’s travertine marble altar now stands at the centre under Wren’s dome surrounded by dazzling kneelers by Patrick Heron. 

With an almost perfect acoustic for choral singing and a renowned organ famed for its regular recitals on Fridays at 12.30pm for City workers, St Stephen stands witness next to the Lord Mayor’s residence and at the heart of the City it was built to serve. 

A previous Rector, Dr Chad Varah, founded the Samaritans here. On Thursdays the community gathers for a Sung Eucharist at 12.45pm with mass settings designed to blend with its traditional liturgy and architectural environment. St Stephen is the home of the London Internet Church and its ministry of prayer and praise.

St Martin-in-the-Fields is a landmark. Its fine architecture and prominent location place it at the heart of the nation. Its work has valued historic tradition, but St Martin’s has always been innovative in response to changing needs. From London’s first free lending library to the first religious broadcast, St Martin’s has broken new ground in defining what it means to be a church. 

The example of St Martin was followed by Dick Sheppard, Vicar of St Martin’s during World War I, who gave refuge to soldiers on their way to France. He saw St Martin’s as ‘the church of the ever open door’. The doors have remained open ever since.

St Martin’s fight against homelessness was formalised with the foundation of the Social Service Unit in 1948. The work continues today through The Connection at St Martin’s, which cares for around 7,500 individuals each year.

Changing needs in society were again evident in the 1960s. St Martin’s was concerned for the welfare of new arrivals in the emerging Chinatown and welcomed a Chinese congregation. Today, the Ho Ming Wah Chinese People’s Day Centre provides vital services for the Chinese community in London.

Throughout the 20th century, St Martin’s has also looked beyond its own doors and played an active role in wider social, humanitarian and international issues. Architecturally, spiritually, culturally and socially, St Martin’s has helped to form the world around it:

• James Gibbs’ design has been imitated across North America and throughout the world.
• St Martin’s was involved in the Anti-Apartheid Movement and the founding of many charitable organisations, including Amnesty International, Shelter and The Big Issue.
• The Vicar’s Christmas Appeal on BBC Radio 4 has been broadcast annually since 1924, now raising over £500,000 a year for disadvantaged people across the country.
• The Academy of St Martin in the Fields has become one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles.
• St Martin’s is a place where people of different faiths regularly pray together.

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Vivaldi - 'Winter' from Four Seasons.