Backing the Blues

It is fair to say that most people in Leicester have gone football crazy as Leicester City Football Club draw ever closer to winning the Premiership. Yesterday everyone was encouraged to show their support and back the Blues who need just 3 points from the last 3 games of the season.
Our local High School, Manor released this video to show their support.
Many local buildings were lit up in blue including the Cathedral.

A Very Happy Birthday, Your Majesty

Our Thursday Coffee Pot Group celebrated the Queen’s 90^th birthday in style. At our Communion Service, the talk considered how we are called by Christ to serve one another – and how the Queen had put this teaching into practice. Then we prayed for her. Afterwards, we gathered at tables in the main church for our refreshments. Instead of tea or coffee (or as well) there was Schloer and there was a specially baked birthday cake, cut by one of our older members. We raised the loyal toast: “the Queen!”

Long may she reign!

My identity is in Jesus Christ

The Church of England, like every church, often makes mistakes and can often be (justly) criticised. However, when Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury discovered that the man he thought had been his father, was not, he handled the news in a way that was an example to everyone. Both his personal statement, and that of his mother, showed great graciousness, and pointed to their belief in Christ. Justin Welby stated: “I know that I find who I am in Jesus Christ, not in genetics, and my identity in him never changes.”

Read the Archbishop’s statement

Read the statement by Lady Williams of Elvel (his mother)

Queen's 90th

Here is a link to a blog from Christianity Magazine which lists 10 brilliant things the Queen has said about God.

Weeping and Rejoicing

Four hundred and fifty people packed Saint Mary’s Church, Islington on Monday 11 April 2016 to say farewell to Jennifer Harvey. Jennifer was the wife of our previous vicar, who had endeared herself to the parish in Oadby as much as she had done to people in all the other walks of her life. This explained the huge turnout for a funeral on a Monday. She had died following an (as yet unexplained) illness of a few weeks.

Nearly 50 people, including a coach party, travelled to Islington from St Paul’s. The service was led by the Bishop of Stepney, the Right Revd Adrian Newman, who also gave the address. In this he spoke of the way the message of Christ’s resurrection gives meaning to the Christian, even in the face of the apparently senseless.

Despite the sadness, the service was an uplifting act of praise to the God that Jennifer worshipped. The hymns included “And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour’s blood?” which Jennifer had long ago said that she wanted at her funeral. Later, they discovered that Charles Wesley had written this hymn while he was vicar of St Mary’s Islington, where they now served.

The tributes spoke of Jennifer’s love for people, of her friendship, of her concern for the underprivileged, of her faith and of her concern for social justice – not to mention her love of a party! When Simon gave his tribute, every individual there was moved.

There was a time to get to know people from Jennifer’s different backgrounds, over cake and Prosecco afterwards.

Jennifer, it was a privilege to know you – and life on earth will be more boring without you. Our prayers go out for Simon and their children.