A Postman Pat Weekend

When we visit Bromley we enter another world full of characters like Angelina Ballerina, Koko Chuggington, and Belle the monkey. While there this last weekend, I was involved in one of my favorite pastimes, that of walking a two year old to a distant park. The rains inevitably came to our time in the park, (this is England) prompting me to jog up the hill with a grand girl on my shoulders.  We then ducked into the local mall to dry out. Not having a car, I rarely visit the parking garage level, but then the two year old twisted my arm for yet another ride up an escalator. There, next to the parking meters, in his red Royal Mail van, we discovered Postman Pat and his black and white cat ... and entered yet another world.

Bed Bug Vane

What did people do before the cell phone? They told stories. One that goes back to the time of bad King John, (is this the one in the Robin Hood story?), tells of a foggy night that prevents the king from reaching one of his favorite hunting lodges. He has to spend the night in Kingsclere, (where our friends the Brittons invited us for the weekend), and is waken in the night by bed bugs biting him without mercy! After his restless night of agony, the king in a rage orders the local church, St. Marys, to fly a bed bug weather vane on it's roof as a disgrace. As the story goes, the bed bug vane has been there ever since and can still be seen today. (Is that what a bed bug looks like?) Speaking of flying things in Kingsclere, one of the Britton's neighbors heard they had American guests staying with them and decided to host the US flag! Unlike King John, we think the hospitality is quite nice in Kingsclere.

Welcome the New Baby Boy

Bry and Ty

From the beginning babies have a way of rearranging our lives. They are real persons with unique personalities. Titus Coen Hurt is Bryan and Michelle's first baby and he has already rearranged their lives just a bit. They planned a reasonable hour but the labor went through the night. They planned a birthing center, but found themselves in the hospital. Surprises are bound to come, but the pleasant surprise is the joy on papas face.

Pilgrimage

Pilgrim Badge

End of the Journey

Tulips along the way

With the Bishop

This was my first pilgrimage walk and it was a wet day with a slow rain. We started about 8:30am, after a hot breakfast with 13 persons, several of whom were not dressed properly. I didn't know what to expect and was a little hesitant about the 12 miles in the rain. Still, the day was mild, even with the drizzle, and I was dressed for the trek. Once we were in the countryside, the green hills, flowering trees, singing birds, and lowing cattle kept our attention until we arrived half way, in Harpenden, after about 2.5 hours. It was still raining so we ate a packed lunch on the stairs to the parking garage. Some left us here and another joined us, as we set out down the St. Albans road turning to cross country at the estate of Childwick, where we rested in the chapel. From Childwick we began the last stretch over a private path and then through the woods and across the fields until we could see the Cathedral sitting atop the mound at St. Albans. We wound our way down into the town and to the entrance of a lovely park stretching to the foot of the Cathedral. After a wait for our chaplain Andrew, we made our way to the warm and dry and welcoming sounds of the chiming bells at the Cathedral, which was filled with pilgrims, some from 20 miles or more. This was also my first time in the Cathedral, built over the tomb of the first English Christian Martyr, St. Alban. Two bishops were leading the service and they made pilgrims welcome as they joked lightly about our walk in the rain. We sang hymns of praise to Jesus and then marched around the church to finish, before heading our separate ways. For various reasons, I had missed out on our tradition of sunrise service Resurrection Morning. This trek met a need inside me to honor Jesus in some physical way this year. I feel happy to have had the experience.

Church of the Empty Tomb

Round Church Cambridge

The Chief Priests and Pharisees convinced Pilate to give them a guard of soldiers to make the tomb of Jesus secure in order to prevent "deception". In doing so they unwittingly provided the world with excellent evidence that Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of God. Surely they would have produced the body if possible. This round church in Cambridge built around 1130 AD on the model of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, represents the power of God in the empty tomb.

Cherry Blossom Time at Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens are the world famous Victorian Gardens where plants are still collected and brought from around the world. They have a plant that came to the gardens in the 1700's that is about 250 years old! I had heard that this time of the year was a good time to visit because the cherry trees are in blossom. So when the weatherman missed the forecast yesterday (said it was going to snow and the sun was shining and mild), we grabbed our jackets and hopped a train to Kew. The two for one deal helped out with the entry fee and we had a free tour from a lady who is truly in love with plants. The daffodils were on the wane and the bluebells just coming on, but the cherry trees did not disappoint. It was a great day out and we are more impressed with God's creativity than ever.

Riding a Donkey?

What kind of king rides a donkey into the capital? Yes you are correct, Jesus is no ordinary king, and that's just the point he wanted to make. Still, the crowds loved him and hailed him as king for a day. All the while those who held the power didn't want a king like that, and they were thinking murder in their hearts. What a difference between these, and John the Baptizer who said "he must increase and I must decrease". There are two paths, and we can only choose one. Something to ponder during this the week of "Passion".