I went to Christ Church Fullwood (pronounced Chri-Chst-Fulood) this morning and really liked it. I decided on the 9:15 family service and the sanctuary was almost completely full. The church also holds a more traditional Anglican service at 11:00 and has a 6:30 service that is mostly attended by students. There were lots of young families there and the music was a balance of hymns and praise songs.
Because this was a special Sunday (the harvest parade) I didn’t get a good feel for what a normal sermon might be like. I’m not sure about their position on a lot of things yet (GAFCON, Williams, etc), but what I did see was very encouraging. They strongly support overseas missionaries and have a focused outreach to the local college students. Plus, there is nothing quite like singing Praise to the Lord, the Almighty with a real organ echoing off the old stone walls.
I could understand about 80% of what they were saying and one comment in particular made me chuckle. When the vicar was talking about holding family devotions, he suggested, “You don’t have to do it over tea-time if there’s another time that works better for your family.”
I met a friendly older man sitting next to me who was very nice about explaining the different aspects of the church. He is in the rotary club and asked if I would give a presentation sometime about Virginia. I agreed.
We have had unbelievably beautiful weather so far. I hope it sticks around a bit longer.
I just realized how thankful I am for the mug that Erin gave me as a going away present. It is currently the only cup in my flat and has been useful for coffee, tea, orange juice, and ramen noodles (not in that order, though).
Here are the promised pictures for the past week. Enjoy!
The London Eye.
Getting ready for another reception.
Stained glass in the circa 1000 parliament building.
Scotland's Unicorn. (Note: Unicorns are always chained- otherwise they are too dangerous).
William Wallace was tried on these steps in 1305.
Big Ben is actually the bell, not the tower. The Brits chose a much more creative name: The Clock Tower.
My bedroom upon arrival.
My kitchen/ living area. All readers are invited to submit suggestions to the "Please give me budget interior design tips - England Edition" game show. Winning advice could be displayed in a humble flat in Sheffield. Chances of winning: 1:1.
Current Reading: Lonely Planet Guide to Great Britain
Current song: The Boxer, Simon and Garfunkel
2 comments:
Hi Will:
These are great stories and pictures. Keep up the good work!
Love, Dad F.
I had to laugh about the mug because when Erin gave that to you I was thinking that was the last thing you needed in your already overstuffed luggage. Good move Erin! Hope the plates and silverware arrive soon.
Love,
Mom
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