Kathryn and I had four happy years in London in the 1980s when I was Curate-in-Charge of St Andrew's, Broadfields in Edgware, right on the edge of what was then Greater London. Tim was born during those years. But we had then neither the time nor the money to enjoy the cultural and sporting riches that London offers, and only once did I dare to drive a car closer to the centre of the city than Regent's Park. And that was with a London cabbie in the passenger seat.
My visit to London last week, though, was not driven so much by my love affair with the capital, but by a genuine interest in a Diocese which, according to official statistics, is growing in numbers. God is blessing something that they are doing down there. Perhaps it is the creative and innovative mission that I am 'researching' during this sabbatical. I had arranged meetings with two Archdeacon colleagues: Luke Miller, Archdeacon of Hampstead, and Rachel Treweek, Archdeacon of Hackney. I had also been put in touch with two people involved in creative mission, Annie Kirke, an Ordained Pioneer Minister who holds a full-time post in the Diocese developing Missional Communities, and Ric Thorpe, who led a church plant from Holy Trinity, Brompton to St Paul's, Shadwell - a plant which has now given birth to further plants of its own.
Jessica's home in Surrey is a convenient base for visiting London these days, and I made my way there on Sunday 15 July. She had gone to the Paul Simon concert in Hyde Park (which made me very envious) and so I let myself into the flat, went for a meal in a favourite restaurant in the town, watched 'Wallander' (I've still to blog about my passion for Scandinavian crime thrillers) and was asleep well before Jessica arrived home.
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| Annie Kirke |
First up next morning was my meeting with Annie Kirke, in a coffee shop just off Carnaby Street [with a plug here for the Speakeasy Espresso and Brew Bar, owned and run by friends of Annie]. This video and Annie's blog tell the story of the missional communities in London that she is involved with and demonstrates her passion to find ways in which the Church can engage with people, especially young people, who have had little or no contact with it, and are never likely to set foot near a conventional church.
I had a terrific couple of hours with Annie. Her enthusiasm is infectious and her commitment is inspirational. I was left with no illusions about the level of commitment and perseverance that is needed if the Church is going to work in this way, and there will be scepticism from those who feel that the priority for resources has to be with reinforcing more conventional models of Church. But I came away convinced that missional communities on this model - if necessary at some distance from traditional church, and especially in cities - have a part to play as we face up to the challenges of the present and future.
The meeting with Annie was my only Monday appointment, so I took time out in the afternoon to visit the Royal Academy, and take a look at their Summer Exhibition of works by contemporary artists and their special exhibition of 19th century French art, majoring on Impressionists, from the Clark Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. I loved these exhibitions, especially the Impressionists. Amongst the exhibits was this painting by Corot of the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome, which Kathryn and I had visited just a month ago.
Go therefore into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet
Matthew 22:10
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