Interesting weekend as we shared in the 150th Anniversary of St Mary’s, Birnham. They did the traditional – Choral Evensong on Friday evening at which I preached this sermon. If you are interested in the links between ecclesiology and pole vaulting, this is the one for you. They also did a Prayer Book Pageant this morning – lots of children, some tea towels and a community telling the story of faith. I watched Frazer Penney, the Church of Scotland minister lending visible support throughout the weekend and gave thanks for the strength of our ‘on the ground’ relationships with the Church of Scotland. The members of St Mary’s were pleased with themselves – and rightly so.
This evening, our little community here in the close at Blogstead Episcopi meets to say farewell to No 1 who are emigrating to Madderty. We shall have to send them e mail updates on the current plot lines in our ongoing soap opera. And of course we eagerly await the new residents. They probably don’t really know what they have let themselves in for. I hope they bring some much-needed eccentricity to lighten our blandness.