Walk, street party and beacon lighting

Today I went for a Bank Holiday walk led by David De'ath into the hills around Runwell. We met at Runwell Park and a collection was made for the Brain Tumour Charity (The Sarah Kitchener Perrow Fund). In the afternoon my colleague Sue Wise and I enjoyed a Jubilee Street Party at Silvanna Court, a residential care home in Wickford.

Then, in the evening we were at the Lantern Parade and Beacon Lighting event organised by Wickford Town Council, Basildon Council and The Friends of Wickford Memorial Park in Wickford Memorial Park. Those involved were: David Monk – Deputy Lieutenant; Paul Brace – Director of Community and Environment, Basildon Council; Kelvin Blake – Deputy Leader, Basildon Council; Churches Together Wickford Choir led by Suzanne Ward (singing 'Rise Up and Serve'); Paul Morgan bugler from Thurrock Marching Brass (playing a bugle call entitled ‘Her Majesty’); Dick Camp piper (performing of Diu Regnare); Matty Turnball, the nominated person to light the Beacon; Derek Harrison, Chair of Wickford Town Council; and Kim Oakes, Chair of Friends of the Memorial Park.

I led the following prayer: 

Gracious God, we give you thanks for the reign of your servant Elizabeth our Queen, and for the example of loving and faithful service to God and to her people which she has shown among us. We pray God’s blessing on her that she may continue to fulfil the promises she made at her coronation with generosity and joy. May she ever be provided with all she may need for her ministry among us, strengthened to meet every demand which her office may make, and in all things nourished by your word and example. Help us to follow her example of dedication and to commit our lives to you and to one another, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Bless this beacon, and the more than 1,500 others being lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories. May they form a chain of lights that become a symbol of unity across towns, borders, countries and continents. Amen.

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Commonwealth Choir & Friends - Rise Up And Serve.

Art of Faith: A City Walk

Together with fellow commission4mission member Mark Lewis, I have been involved in researching the Art of Faith walk, recently produced by the Corporation of London with the support of the Diocese of London. This walk enables walkers to discover contemporary works of art in the City’s historic churches, including work by Henry Moore, Damien Hirst and Jacob Epstein.

The City of London has the greatest concentration of historic church buildings anywhere in the country. In the 16th century there were 111 churches in the City. 80 were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 with 51 subsequently rebuilt under the direction of Sir Christopher Wren. Today there are no fewer than 42 historic churches situated within the Square Mile, all of which are either Grade I or Grade II listed, and together they illustrate an extraordinary breadth of architectural history.

Less well known is the extent to which they contain significant examples of art commissioned from the 20th century onwards. Many of the churches in the City were damaged by bombing during World War II, providing opportunities in the post-war reconstruction to engage with contemporary art. These artworks are by prominent modern artists such as Jacob Epstein, Patrick Heron, Damien Hirst, Henry Moore, John Skeaping and Bill Viola, as well as work by other reputable artists such as Thetis Blacker, John Hayward and Keith New.

The Art of Faith walk is the second Art Trail created through the work of commission4mission. The first was for the Barking Episcopal Area and was researched and developed by commission4mission member, artist and Fine Arts lecturer, Mark Lewis. Again, a leaflet (Barking_Art_trail) publicises the Trail and provides information about the featured artists and churches. The leaflet includes a map showing the churches featured on the Trail together with contact details, so that visits to one or more churches can be planned in advance.

Mark Lewis’ brief was to research commissioned art and craft in the Episcopal Area from the past 100 years. While stained glass is the dominant Ecclesiastical art form, he was also concerned to show a diversity and variety of media and styles within the selections made. He highlighted works such as the significant mosaic by John Piper at St Paul’s Harlow and the striking ‘Spencer-esque’ mural by Fyffe Christie at St Margaret’s Standford Rivers. Churches with particularly fine collections of artworks included: St Albans, Romford; St Andrew’s Leytonstone; St Barnabas Walthamstow; St Margaret’s Barking; St Mary’s South Woodford; and St Paul’s Goodmayes.

The Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area also inspired Revd David New from Worcester to put together his own informative Art Trail leaflet about Thomas Denny‘s stained glass work focusing on churches in the Three Choirs area – Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

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Van Morrison - Contemplation Rose.