Sycamore Nights

A Wii Mi

Another Sunday lunch in Kidlington with the Murphy’s, and it didn’t take long for the Wii challenges to begin. Tessa discovered a new calling in Rhythm Kung Fu, and I found that dressing up like a chicken and flying from platform to platform is not for me. Flapping your arms up and down is a tiring way to get around, and difficult to control.

As well as playing on their Wii, the Murphy’s cooked us a delicious lunch, which included this gluten-free orange cake with perfectly formed ice-cream scoops.

Party the winter blues away

Community Church Harlesden recently hosted a fund-raising party for Shelter, and Kay and Tessa (who are part of CCH) invited us to come along. FUN! We got dressed up and made our way to London, along with a few others from Oxford. There were bands, raffle prizes and dancing. Did I mention dancing! I need more dancing in my life.

Beforehand we visited a few of the Harlesden ‘houses’ and they were STUNNING! Big old terrace houses that had been spruced up. It reminded me of life as a professional. I wonder what’s in store for us next? Been doing lots of thinking about how we want to live and what values are important. Not long now till this brief stint as a full-time student will be over…

New graffiti brightens up the underpass

New graffiti brightens up the underpass

Ancient stars will fall into the sea

And the ocean floor sings her sympathy.

My heart is breaking for Christchurch today

x

More than where you've been or how you feel

A couple of weeks back we did a walking tour of Oxford with a visiting lecturer. It was a perfectly beautiful winter’s day, but even in the last few weeks the the trees have buds and spring bulbs are breaking through the ground! Come on Spring.

It’s one thing to learn about church history in a class room, and quite another to visit the very locations where significant moments took place. The cross in the road marks the spot where Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer were burnt for their faith.

There have been a few occasions in my life when I have had to learn what homesickness means. There i

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer (written in prison)

Now, I’m not in prison, but I am separated from those I love and who are home for me by half a world. It presents like an uneasiness just beyond recognition - it’s somewhere sliding in the shadows. Does it pass or just come and go without my control?

St Michael at the North Gate

Helen and I visited St Michael at the North Gate a few Sunday’s back as part of our current church and history module. It was interesting to visit a different church tradition and feel what it’s like for a worship experience to be so foreign. I didn’t know how to kneel on the pews, whether it was okay for us to take communion, or which part of the liturgy we were following.

However, Rev. Bob and the congregation were very welcoming, led us through the service and happily chatted to us afterwards over tea and cake. St Michael’s is the oldest building in Oxford and the history was difficult to fathom. We were privileged to witness some adult baptisms, using a font from the 14th century. WHAT!

I was most struck by the sense of reverence and worship that permeated the whole service, and beauty too. Not a word was wasted.   

On a slightly different note, I came across a squirrel fight on the way home - they were running after each other at the top of this tree. It brought back memories of the haunting Beatrix Potter book ‘The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes’ which I always found particularly eerie, especially the birds’ call…who’s-been-digging-up my-nuts? *shudder*.