Still here

The Enthronement of Archbishop Justin was on Thursday – but I am still in London. Two days more of Anglican Communion Standing Committee to do and home on Tuesday evening.

Today we joined the congregation at St Martin in the Fields – beginning a Palm Sunday procession in Trafalgar Square with palms and donkey. It was freezing cold but good – particularly to hear Archbishop Thabo leading prayers outside South Africa House. It was a good morning – a remarkable and youthful congregation in a wonderful building.

It brought back all sorts of memories for me – of the ‘plunge’ in the Urban Ministry Project in 1975 when we were put out on the streets of London with £1 for 48 hours. It was unwise then and would be madness today. The other memory was of a placement in the Social Service Unit which was their ministry to the homeless. I learnt not very much about the homeless. But the late Norman Ingram Smith taught me how to preach without a script. I met a number of people who remembered him. People are always listing ‘useful things for ministry’. I would rate that skill as fundamental – along with touch typing.

And then we moved on to Evensong at Westminster Abbey and a tour with the Dean. I took a look at the phenomenon of hundreds of young-ish people turning up for Choral Evensong. The photo is of Bishop James Tengatenga of Southern Malawi at the memorial plaque for David Livingstone.