Platform 0, twice; Pilgrimage no 1

August is over, holidays and reflective time are over; time to get back to active service!

After a month spent either resting, swimming, reading, praying, writing various papers and documents, and just talking and eating with family and friends, the new autumn season has started at quite a pace. Apart from the many letters and emails to read, and problems and issues to deal with, the first weekend back has involved a marvellous journey to Leeds, to join in a pilgrimage around various Lutheran communities in the two cities of Leeds and Bradford. The weekend concluded with a service today, Sunday, celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the church building of St Luke’s.

Some of the pilgrims had already arrived on Friday night, and had got to know some of the local community.

The pilgrims gather in the German Church. Photo by Charles Maluila

I had planned to get to Bradford by 10.30 to join the group at the German Church. However…… I left Enfield on a train at 6.30am, arrived at Kings Cross at 6.55 in order to catch the 7.10 to Leeds. But sadly, when I went to the cashpoint, I discovered I’d left my purse at home. As I had no money and no means of getting from Leeds to Bradford, there was no choice but to go home again. Interestingly, the train back to Enfield left from the new Platform 0 at Kings Cross, so that was an interesting experience. Janis, my husband, met me at Gordon Hill, gave me my purse, and I dashed across the bridge to catch the next train back to Kings Cross. Then, marvellously, the next train to Leeds left from Platform 0 AGAIN! by 9am I had departed from the same platform at the station twice.

Anyway, I finally caught up with the pilgrims at St Matthew’s Polish Lutheran Church, by which time they had already visited the German Church.

The pilgrims enjoying the newly refurbished church. Photo by Charles Maluila

Bishop Emeritus Walter told us the story of St Matthew’s, and we enjoyed the atmosphere of this small chapel, converted from a family home to provide a worship space for generations of Polish Lutherans. It was recently redecorated by the skilled hands of no less a person than Pastor Mark Hardy. After a delicious lunch, we moved on to the next stage, which was a visit to the chaplaincy at Leeds Universities, and a time of meditation and creative prayer organised by our Chaplain there, Deacon Seija Frears. We saw round the university, heard about the activities of the chaplaincy, prayed, chose the colours that most address us, and ‘prayer painted’, using our non-dominant hands. On a purely personal basis, as someone intensely ‘artistically challenged’, I was rather dreading being made to be creative with paint – but thanks to Seija and the Holy Spirit it proved to be not only enjoyable, but also enlightening. But everyone laughed at my painting all the same.

Then we returned to St Luke’s for an overview by Rev’d Dr Roy Long of the history of Lutherans in the North of England (enlightening and informative as always), and then another delicious meal, together with members of the parish. Prepared by Jenny Jagucki and Joan White, the feast included salad, vegetarian shepherd’s pie and a choice of about a hundred desserts. It gave us all a chance to get to know each other more deeply, and to enjoy a happy tiredness.

And today the church building at St Luke’s was full of people

The altar at St Luke's

Extra chairs were put out, as we welcomed more guests -  from Trinity Congregation, as well as from other congregations that share the building. Pastor Gita Putce from the Latvian Congregation took part in the service, as did an honoured Anglican guest, Bishop Rupert Hoare, formerly Dean of Liverpool (and my Co-Moderator in the Anglican-Lutheran Society).  Bishop Walter preached, emphasising the real purpose of church buildings (enabling mission: “if only one person has come to know Jesus Christ in this place, it will all have been worthwhile”). Pastor Libby Toomsalu presided at communion, and Neville was our organist, as he has been at St Luke’s for over 40 years.

Bishop Rupert Hoare, Pastor Gita Putce, Bishop Emeritus Walter Jagucki, Bishop Jana and Pastor Libby Toomsalu outside the St Luke's door. Photo by Margaret Pickford

The living stones of the church were remembered in that great hymn by Grundtvig – Built on a rock the church shall stand. The original architect who supervised the conversion of the stable block into a chapel was also with us. There were people who counted many countries as their original homes:

English

Scottish

American

German

Polish

Latvian

Finnish

Namibian

Tanzanian

French

Icelandic

Faroese

Joan White, the Chair of the Congregation, read 2 greetings: one from Pastor Jeno Weisz, the first Pastor of St Luke’s, and one from Bishop Floyd Schoenhals of Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod, our partner Synod in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

And then – a barbeque, presided over by Colin and Katrina Kay. It was a great weekend of fellowship, with a true sense of God’s presence among us. We may be a small church, but there is so much love and faith in our congregations, and praise God for that. Thank you to all who helped to organise the weekend – Annette, Libby, Bp Emeritus Walter – and others who I may have forgotten.

So that was Pilgrimage No 1. On Tuesday evening some of set off for No 2, an ecumenical pilgrimage to Latvia. I hope and pray that I’ll have a new camera by then, and will be able to put more images up. I hope also to post more from No1 – waiting for pics from participants!

Lastly – from part of the prayers led by Lay Minister Jack Parkes, this highly appropriate thanksgiving prayer:

Now in this hour of recollection, we give thanks for the river of faith whose flow has brought us to this day.
For the patriarchs of legend, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob;
For the matriarchs of endurance, Sarah and Hagar, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel;
For the prophets, for those who cast judgment on Godless injustice, and those who shared visions of God-conscious
community;
For the psalmists, and all who’ve made music and song to give voice to our mourning, our longing, our aspiration and
our faith;
For proverbs and preachers and story-tellers and all conveyers of wisdom from generation to generation;
For all the drama and passion, the wisdom and poetry of the Hebrew scriptures, and for their dialogue with the Divine;
We give thanks.
For the One who walked among us, interrupting history by giving word and flesh to holy love;
For the angels who said, “Do not be afraid;”
For the mustard seed church, disciples and apostles, male and female, Jew and gentile, slave and free;
We give thanks.
For the church which took root, and shook the earth;
For theological Mothers and Fathers;
For monastic preservers of learning;
For Reformers and martyrs;
For mystics and missionaries;
For all who ran the race that was set before them, all the saints of God;
We give thanks.
For our small but beautiful branch of the church,
Born of the recovered concept of faith commitment not coerced, but freely given,
For this our goodly heritage, the sweet flowering of our branch of the Vine,   We give thanks.